A Closer Look At cPanel

C here…
It might sound like a component from a bathroom fittings catalogue, but cPanel is one of the world’s leading control panels for web hosting providers and site administrators. Based on Linux and written in Perl, this GUI-driven server management interface has been with us since the mid-1990s. In recent years, it has increasingly come to represent the public face of private web access and site administration.
In essence, cPanel enables website maintenance and administration to take place through a conventional web browser like Safari or Chrome. It offers three layers of access – to administrators, resellers and domain owners – as a dedicated or virtual private server. This has underpinned its popularity with web hosting companies, particularly since its robust and largely idiot-proof interface flatters even novice administrators. Here at VPS.NET we offer cPanel on all of our SSD VPS and Cloud VPS servers.
cPanel has achieved its pre-eminent position within the web hosting market by offering a user-friendly and stable control panel for managing files, email accounts, databases and sub-domains – to name just four aspects. A single installation script and Linux OS install will set up cPanel, after which an simple interface is tailored around the different requirements of email recipients, administrators and end users. A few login credentials are all that’s required to access a world of governance, including the creation and deletion of email accounts, file management, script editing and even server performance statistics.
Many people will overlook technical features such as database maintenance and the ability to forward email addresses, but their presence mirrors cPanel’s ability to appeal to beginners and experts alike. In that respect it resembles a one-stop shop, with a catalogue of apps that can be installed to handle more complex functionalities. cPanel is even capable of collating visitor statistics and configuring IP address denials, while installing the Fantastico script can facilitate one-click installation of CMS or plugins. There are no awkward lock-ins to a single hosting provider, and a thriving online community is able to offer assistance over and above the proprietary help resources.
One of cPanel’s few significant drawbacks is that it can be difficult to remove once it’s in place. Doing so without a full server format requires the manual deletion (or editing) of altered files across a wide variety of system folders. Other notable issues include cPanel’s rather drab UI (or user interface) and the fact that it’s only really designed for modestly-sized websites. Larger sites may demand more specialized hosting options, although this is equally true of many rival platforms. Finally, there has been no Windows version of cPanel since the unloved Enkompass was killed off in early 2014, so it’s now Linux-only once again.
The advent of cloud computing has heralded dozens of free control panels that aim to provide a similar service to cPanel, but these are typically limited in functionality or support. Some can’t handle email or manage databases, while others experience short lifespans and suffer from sporadic (or non-existent) update programmes. Security can also be an issue with open source control panels, whereas cPanel is constantly identifying and resolving vulnerabilities.
Finally, it’s worth noting that the innovative cPanel University will launch in early 2016, providing a variety of courses tailored to suit differing levels of expertise. From basic system commands and port identification to advanced knowledge of Perl, these five-stage Technical Exams represent a unique way to learn about the capabilities of a platform many users barely scratch the surface of in their normal daily operations.
cPanel is available as an option for our SSD VPS and Cloud VPS servers. It’s included with cloud sites and Proactive Managed Services. Find out more over on our website.