Dedicated Servers FAQ's

How do I get started with my new dedicated server?

Hosting websites on your new dedicated server is straightforward, but to help you along the way we have created a number of articles to guide you through each step of the process.

Step 1: Commission your new dedicated server
When you opened your account we have sent you a couple of emails. These contain important information regarding your Mac Productions account and your dedicated server. You have a number of control panels to help you configure your server in the way you want it. These control panels can be used independently of each other, and require separate credentials to log in.

The welcome email we sent you provides login details for a number of areas you may access to configure your server.

Mac Productions Control Panel: “How can I use the Mac Productions control panel to set up my dedicated server?“ This control panel is hosted with Mac Productions, and will allow an overview of your server. Rather than making changes to your server itself, the Mac Productions control panel is used to control the way that your server interacts with the internet, allowing you to create private LAN’s, provision and manage back up space, rebuild the operating system, check bandwidth usage, add additional IP addresses or activate the eRIC card interface attached to your server. The Mac Productions control panel will also allow you to complete tasks not directly relating to your server, such as registering and configuring domain names, or creating a Database on the Mac Productions network.

Your server is a complete stand-alone unit within our datacenter. We do not have access to your server, or know any of the passwords stored on it. Should you misplace your server or Plesk control panel credentials, we will be unable to re-send them to you.

Plesk Control Panel: The Plesk control panel is an interface hosted on your server. It operates completely independently of the Mac Productions control panel. The Plesk control panel makes configuration tasks on your server quick and easy, and will allow you to create multiple user accounts with limited user rights, allowing you to provide a control panel to any customers that may be hosting websites on your server.
Your server is a complete stan- alone unit within our datacenter. We do not have access to your server, or know any of the passwords stored on it. Should you misplace your server or Plesk control panel credentials, we will be unable to re-send them to you.

Step 2: Log in and set up your Mac Productions account
Using the details within your welcome email, log into your Mac Productions control panel. Your control panel allows you to administer and maintain your server, and acts as a central portal for domain name management.
When we opened your account we provided you with a computer-generated password. It is recommended that you change this password when you log into your Mac Productions control panel for the first time. Details on how to change your Mac Productions control panel password can be found at: What do I do if I have forgotten my Mac Productions control panel password?
Step 3: Getting to know your server
Your server comes with some software and services pre-installed, to allow you to host websites with the minimum of configuration changes needed.

The different ways of connecting to your server:
• Plesk control panel: The Plesk control panel is a graphical interface, allowing you to carry out most tasks easily and quickly. The Plesk control panel is located on port 8443. Once you have connected to Plesk you should update your product license. How do I update my Plesk license?
• SSH: (Linux only) Secure Shell (SSH) is a secure version of telnet available on Linux servers. It can be used to replace rlogin and rsh to provide secure encrypted communications between two hosts over a public network. All data transferred in a Secure Shell session is encrypted, including your login password. Our article on How can I use SSH to connect to my Mac Productions Linux dedicated server explains this step by step.
• Remote Desktop: (Windows only) Windows Operating systems using XP or later can use Remote Desktop to connect to a dedicated server. Remote Desktop creates a window on your local machine where you are able to view and control a remote Windows device. Microsoft have an article that will explain this process in more detail, this article is located at Get started using Remote Desktop with Windows XP Professional
• DRAC card: In addition to the above, Mac Productions dedicated servers also benefit from a DRAC card interface. This is hardware built into your server that will enable you to access your server during periods where other connection techniques may not be viable - during boot up for example. By default the DRAC card is disabled, however, you can enable it at any time through your Mac Productions control panel. Details on how to use the DRAC card can be found here at How do I use the remote control hardware device?
We do not have access to your server, while we will be able to provide limited information regarding access to your server; we are unable to provide the passwords for these services.

Step 4: Configuring your server
Once your server is online, the first thing most people want to do is move their website to the server and start building up business.
• How do I add a domain to my dedicated server through the Plesk control panel?
Step 5: Adding customers and additional services
Once you have configured your server you can start adding any additional services you may need, and pointing your domain names at your new server.
• How do I create my own nameservers (Glue records)?
Adding SSL to a website
Through the Plesk Control Panel you can generate a certificate request, and add SSL certificates to all, or part of a website. You can only add one SSL certificate per IP address on your server, however you can always add additional IP Addresses to your Server. How do I manage or add IP addresses to my server?
• How do I add an SSL certificate to my dedicated server through the Plesk control panel?
Step 6: Managing your account
Your Mac Productions control panel provides you with details regarding your account, You can also update your contact information, and add additional services hosted on our shared platform.
Step 7: Where to find additional help
Once we have emailed you the access details for your dedicated server, you have full control over the server and maintain overall responsibility for your dedicated server's configuration. We have a dedicated support site, providing articles on all aspects of the Mac Productions and Matrix control panel, providing you with help and support in hosting your websites. Our support department is unable to provide advice on the installation, configuration or maintenance of third party software or server configurations. In these instances support and documentation will be provided by the third party responsible for the software/application, however, we do have engineers available that may be able to help.

How do I reboot my server?
Mac Productions dedicated servers can easily be remotely rebooted. This can be done through the remote control console, or through the Plesk or Mac Productions control panels. We recommend rebooting the computer from the console wherever possible. By connecting to your server using remote desktop connection, or SSH depending upon your server type. If you are unable to connect to your server in any way, you are able to reboot your server through the control panel. This article will guide you through three different ways that you can restart your server, if needed.

Reboot through the operating system
Windows
Step 1
Log into your server using remote desktop or the eRIC remote control hardware.
Step 2
Click Start, and then select Restart from the Log off drop down menu.
Step 3
Provide the required information for the Shutdown Event Tracker, and then click OK.
This will start the reboot process.
Linux
Step 1
Log into your server using SSH. How can I use SSH to connect to my Mac Productions Linux dedicated server?
Step 2
Enter the command /sbin/shutdown -r now
Don't forget to use -r or the server will simply shutdown and you will be unable to immediately restart it.

Reboot through the Plesk control panel
Step 1
Go to http://IP address:8443 and login to your Plesk control panel.
Step 2
In the Server section of your control panel, click Server, and then reboot Server from the drop down menu.
A warning box will appear, click OK to confirm you want to reboot your server.

Reboot through your Mac Productions control panel
The method described below is the equivalent of pressing the restart button on your server, and should only be used if you have no other way of connecting to your server and rebooting via the operating system.
Step 1
Log into your control panel and click Dedicated Servers.
Step 2
A list of your dedicated servers will appear. Click on the server you want to rebuild.
Step 3
Click Reboot Server.
Step 4
Check the box provided to confirm that you want to reboot your server, and then click the button marked Reboot Server.

You will receive confirmation that your server is in the process of being restarted. It may take up to 10 minutes for the reboot to complete.

How can I use SSH to connect to my Mac Productions Linux dedicated server?
Mac Productions dedicated server customers have a variety of ways to connect to their servers. This article describes how to connect to your Linux server with SSH, using the PuTTy client.
All usernames and passwords required are provided in the “your server is online” email, which was sent when your server was deployed.
Step 1
Start your Putty client, type in the IP address of your server, select port 22 (default), select the SSH protocol and click Open.
If required you should save the configuration. Type a name into the Saved sessions box and click the Save button.

At the SSH login; you will be prompted to accept the host server security key. Click Yes. Your Putty client will hereafter cache the key.

Step 2
Type in root as your username and hit enter. You will now be prompted for your password. Type in the password and your login will be complete.
Logging out
To log out from your Putty SSH session, type exit at the prompt.

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