What is DirectAdmin?
DirectAdmin is an easy to use, graphical web control panel, built for managing servers, that includes all the necessary tools for one to successfully deploy and administrate their web identity (Website, database, email etc.).
Nexus Bytes is a proud DirectAdmin partner. Nexus Bytes is also one of the very few VPS and Dedicated Server provider, that offers Free DirectAdmin control panel with our Affordable VPS, Premium VPS and Virtual Dedicated Servers.
What makes DirectAdmin so special?
We would like to start by saying this, everyone has their own preference. Things they like, things they don’t. The team behind Nexus Bytes web hosting family are a group of people, who has been active in the web hosting industry for over 15 years. Which has given us the opportunity to not only test, but actively use some of the most commonly used control panel, such as cPanel, InterWorx, Webmin, ApisCP and many more. From our multiple interactions and running these software on a day to day basis, we found DirectAdmin to be one of the most light weight, simple and easy to use software, that includes all the necessary tools to properly setup a server and administrate a website, without the extra bloat.
Getting started with DirectAdmin:
The purpose behind this series of posts are to help you get comfortable with administrating your DirectAdmin server, reseller account and web hosting panel, in a more simpler way. If you are the type, who likes to go straight to the point, here is a link to basic DirectAdmin “How to”.
DirectAdmin Features:
Administrator features
- Create / Modify Admins and Resellers: Admins can create resellers or extra admins quickly and easily with this feature.
- Reseller Packages: Admins can create predefined account packages using this feature. When creating an account, the admin simply chooses a package instead of manually setting each account feature.
- Show All Users: This feature allows the admin to quickly view every single account on the system and sort this list in various ways.
- DNS Administration: This feature allows the admin to create, modify, or delete any DNS records on the server.
- IP Manager: This is where the admin sets the IP address available to the server. The admin can also allocate IP address to resellers from this menu.
- Mail Queue Administration: Tool to view mail queue and it’s messages. Includes tools to take action on those messages.
- System / Services Info: The admin can view, stop, start, and restart services from this menu.
- Complete Usage Statistics: This feature provides the admin with a complete overview of system usage. Exact input and output from the server’s Ethernet card is also monitored.
- DNS Clustering: DirectAdmin talks to other DirectAdmin machines to automatically transfer DNS data between them. It also has the ability to check the other server for a domain so as to not allow duplicate domains on your DA network.
- SPAM fighting tools in DirectAdmin: A wide varienty of SPAM-fighting tools are provided with DirectAdmin. Please check http://help.directadmin.com/item.php?id=577 for a full list.
- Licensing / Updates: The admin can view his or her license status and download the latest DirectAdmin security and software upgrades from this menu.
Reseller Features
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- Create / List / Modify Accounts: Account creation, listing, modification, and deletion is done quickly and easily.
- User Packages: Resellers can create predefined account packages using this feature. When creating an account, the reseller simply chooses a package instead of manually setting each account feature.
- Reseller Statistics: Resellers are provided with a complete overview of their total usage. Resellers may also sort data by users to quickly assess the overall situation.
- Message All Users: Resellers can quickly send a message to all their customers by using DirectAdmin’s built in ticket support system.
- Import / Manage Skins: With this menu option, resellers can quickly import and apply new skins with the click of a button.
- IP Assignment: Resellers can allocate IP address to their customers by using this menu option.
- System / Services Information: By clicking this feature, resellers have instant access to server status and system information.
- Name Servers: Resellers can create personalized nameservers for their customers from this menu.
User Features
E-mail Administration: Users can create POP/IMAP accounts, catch-all e-mail addresses, forwarders, mailing lists, autoresponders, and webmail. Filters allow users to block mail by domain, keyword, and size. Adult Filter is also available.
FTP Management: Users can create FTP accounts and set directory permissions for each account. Anonymous FTP is also supported.
DNS Menu: Users can can add and remove records, change MX settings, and anything else that goes with full DNS control.
Statistics Menu: Users have available every possible statistic about their account. More advanced options and Webalizer are also included.
Subdomains Menu: Users can list, create, delete, and get statistics on subdomains.
File Manager: A user-friendly and fast alternative to FTP. Includes every feature needed to build and maintain a web site.
MySQL Databases: Users can easily create, modify, and delete MySQL databases from this menu.
Site Backup: Using this powerful tool, users can backup and restore only what they want to. For example, account data but not web site files.
Error Pages: Users can create custom messages and outputs for 401, 403, 404, and 500 error codes.
Directory Password Protection: Users can password protect any directory with a username and password.
PHP Selector: Allows the client to select which version of PHP should be associated with the .php extension.
Advanced Tools: Users can install SSL certificates, view sever information and installed perl modules, set cron jobs, mime types, and apache handlers, and enable site redirection and domain pointers.