A hosting package with a control panel allows a consumer to fully monitor and control applications on his Web server. Control panels act an online interface that allows users to change and update their Web sites. It is normally a proprietary program that allows users to set up e-mail accounts and mail forwarding, view comprehensive site access logs and perform other basic administrative functions.
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Most users with access to a Web-based control panel usually can back up and restore data, manage e-mail accounts, obtain access to Web mail, set up auto-responders (e-mails that automatically reply with information), institute custom mail and spam filtering, set up mailing lists and enter mail exchange entries into the domain name system.
Control panels also provide access to raw statistical logs and programs. On the UNIX platform, many control panels offer access to Webalizer Web and FTP stats, along with access to the popular but rudimentary Analog and AWStats packages.
Control panels should also allow you to view latest visitors, bandwidth usage, and your site's error log. Most users with access to a Web-based control panels can also manage multiple FTP accounts, by being able to add, remove and change passwords. The control panel should also allow users to enable and disable anonymous FTP access, and provide the ability to change FTP login messages and kill FTP sessions.
Control panels also enable users to password protect specific directories on the Web site. The ability to change site and FrontPage passwords should also be included. A control panel should also provide users with the ability to edit and develop customized error messages, and implement Web site redirects.
More sophisticated panels permit the experienced user to edit MIME (multimedia) types that the server can deliver, along with editing Apache handlers, which determine how the Web server will react with a specific type of file is called. Control panels will also permit you to install and uninstall FrontPage extensions, which allow Microsoft's site building and maintenance program to directly interface with your Web site from your client computer.
Marketing functions are now increasingly being included in control panels. More recent panels will allow you to submit your Web site to search engines. Sophisticated control panels will also provide a file manager, so you can easily delete or move files within your Web site's directory structure.
One of the most useful functions that control panels provide are pre-installed CGI or ASP scripts. Novice users can deploy the scripts through the control panel rather than having to prep and configure the scripts to work themselves. Pre-installed scripts often include a bulletin board, a live online chat application, random HTML generator, an advanced guest book, a counter generator, a clock and countdown generator, secure online form applications, internal search engine, banner and e-commerce applications. Some panels offer features such as a Web-based HTML editor and Perl script checker.
Most importantly, control panels should allow you to access your database system. It should allow users to add, remove, change passwords or add access hosts for SQL-compatible database services.
Another very important feature is the control panel's capacity to provide technical support. Most control panels should provide access to a knowledge base, support manual, or to a frequently asked question section that will assist the users in understanding how their hosting package operates.
The control panel should also provide access to a trouble ticket system, which will allow you to report configuration problems and other incidents. Users should also be able to update account contact information at anytime without having to contact live customer support through the control panel.
Users should consider whether their hosting company is offering the above features within its control panel offering before selecting a hosting package.
