Getting Started

This document explains what you need to do in order to set up your hosting system with minimum required configuration. We presume that your H-Sphere system has been installed, configured and tested. A standard H-Sphere installation sets up a service dns zone and an instant alias template. Also, it creates and configures a system plan and wwwuser account for hosting your corporate site.

Follow the given instructions step by step to configure your control panel.

 

1. Install Account Licenses

In order to configure your H-Sphere CP, you should first enter License Certificate which is given to you upon purchase. If you don't, you won't be able to operate H-Sphere.

To install account licenses into H-Sphere:

1. Log into your H-Sphere control panel as admin.
2. Select License Info in the Info menu.
3. Enter the code of the license and click Save.


2. Add Reseller CP Alias

Note: Skip this step if you aren't going to create reseller accounts. Standard H-Sphere installations perform this step automatically, so most likely you don't need to perform it.

The first thing in creating resellers is to create a Reseller CP Alias Template. It generates Reseller CP Aliases, temporary addresses that are used to access reseller control panels until they are changed to resellers' own URLs. Reseller CP Alias Template is one for all resellers.

1. Select DNS Manager in the E.Manager menu.
2. On the form that shows, click the Edit icon under the Action field.
3. In the middle of the page that shows, click the Add reseller cp alias link.
4. Enter prefix, for instance"u".
   Note: This prefix helps to distinguish which DNS zone will service the temporary reseller CP alias when you proceed to creating reseller plans.
5. Click Submit.


3. Configure Mail Notification Addresses

To subscribe your staff to receive copies of user e-mail notifications:

1. Go to the Settings menu - > Notifications - > Notification Recipients.
2. On the page that appears add subscribers to mailing lists you choose.

More on configuring notification recipients.



4. Disable Unwanted Resources and Server Groups
Note: Skip this step if you're not going to disable any resources, hosting platforms or logical servers.


H-Sphere version 2.3 and higher allows disabling global resources or hosting platforms you do not provide your customers with for the entire system. On your control panel, you can either disable resources for the entire system or disable them only for specific plans.

To disable resources and hosting platforms for the entire system, do the following:

1. Log into your admin control panel.
2. Select the Globals in the Plans menu.
3. On the page that shows, uncheck the resources and/or hosting platform you want to be entirely disabled in the system.
4. Click Submit Query.
   Now all changes need to be applied in all plans, e.g: custom plans, reseller plans and plans created by your resellers inside their CPs. After that the changes will take effect throughout the system.
5. Select Plans in the INFO menu.
6. On the plans page that appears, click the name of the existing plan. Plan Edit Wizard page shows.
7. Go through Plan Edit Wizard and submit it step by step without changing prices.
   Note: It's preferable to repeat the procedure of step 7 in plans created by your resellers under your reseller plans. Alternatively, ask your resellers to do it.



If you want to disable resources and platforms only for specific reseller plans, you should:

• Start with step 5 and go through step 6.
• On the Plan Edit Wizard page, uncheck global resources, platforms and logical server groups to disable them for this plan.
• Submit changes through all steps without changing the prices.

More on disabling global resources and logical servers



5. Set up a Domain Registrar

Domain registrars need to be added and configured to allow customers to register second level domains directly from their control panels.

1. Select Domain Registrar in the Settings menu.
2. Select a domain registrar in the Add New Registrar drop down box and click Add.
3. Enter this domain registrar properties. Check with Domain Registrar Manager for detailed instructions.
4. In the Set Active drop down box, select this domain registrar.
5. In the TLD drop down box, select the top level domain you would like to associate with this registrar.
6. Click the Activate button.
7. Click Define Terms/Prices button for the new record that appeared.
8. Enter prices for each time period and click Submit Query.

More on domain registrar manager



6. Set up Payment Settings

On this step you can configure H-Sphere to process credit cards, accept check payments and perform online web payments for the services you provide.

To configure credit card processing through Merchant Gateway Manager:

1. Go to the Settings menu ->Payment Settings -> CC Brands.
2. Add necessary CC brands
3. Go to the Settings menu ->Payment Settings -> Merchant Gateway.
4. Select a merchant gateway in the Add New Gateway drop down box and click Add.
5. In the Set Active drop down box, select this merchant gateway. You can have only one active merchant gateway at a time.
6. In the Payment Type drop down box, select the CC brand you would like to process with this merchant gateway.
7. Click the Activate button.

To configure Web Payment Processor, like PayPal or 2CheckOut:

1. Go to the Settings menu ->Payment Settings -> Merchant Gateway.
2. Select the payment system from the drop-down menu and click Edit:
3. Enter your account settings. Once you enter correct settings, the web payment system will appear in the list as Active

To configure Processing Check Payments:

1. Go to the Settings menu ->Payment Settings -> Merchant Gateway.
2. Enable Accept Checks.


7. Create Hosting Plans

Now that your control panel is configured, you can create hosting plans.

1. Go to Plans -> Create.
2. On the page that appears, click Select under the plan type you would like to create. The wizard will start.
3. Enter the name of the plan at the top of the page.
4. Select the resources (features) you would like to include in the plan. Make sure to leave Service Domain unchecked.
5. In the last section of the wizard, make sure to enter Credit limit, e.g. 10.
6. Click Next to proceed to the next step.
7. Enter prices and free units for each type of resource. No price equals zero price.
8. Click the Create button at the bottom of the page.
9. Your new plan appears in the list of plans. Turn it on.

More on creating and editing plans



8. Create Billing Periods

Each plan can have several billing periods with different price discounts for each. You can't delete billing periods, but you can change their duration. For instance, if you create a billing period for 1 year and you find out you don't need it, you can change it to 3 months.

To create a billing period for a plan:

1. Go to Plans -> Manage.
2. In the list of plans that appears, click the settings link for the selected plan.
3. Scroll the next page down to the Payment Intervals sign.
4. Click the Add icon.
5. Specify the duration of the billing period. For instance, to make it 3 months long, select MONTH and enter 3 in the Size box.
6. Enter discounts. For instance, if you want to cancel any setup fee for this billing period, enter 100 in the Setup Discount field.
7. Click Submit. This will add the billing period to the list.
8. Use the navigation menu to go elsewhere in the control panel.


9. Configure Support Center

Support Center is the web-based means of providing customer support. To configure your Support Center:

1. Select Tech Support from the Settings menu.
2. Enter the properties of your support e-mail account. They are required for the control panel to collect customers' e-mails and convert them into trouble tickets.
3. Click the Save button.

More on configuring your support center.



10. Enter Your Company Info

Your company information will show in customer e-mail notifications.

1. Go to Settings -> Look and Feel -> Company Info.
2. Enter your corporate details and click Save.
3. Select Misc. Texts in the Look and Feel menu.
4. In the Customer Support Info box, enter the text that will appear in the tooltip area when an action fails with an error (e.g.: "Tech Support was notified").
5. In the Check Information box, enter the address your customers will send checks to.
6. Click Save.


11. Configure Language, Currency, and Regional Settings

The language and the regional settings will affect all your customers' control panels.

1. Go to Settings -> Look and Feel -> Default language.
2. On the page that appears, select the language and click Submit. This language can be overridden by individual customers.
3. Select Regional options in the Look And Feel menu.
4. On the page that appears, enter preferred currency symbol (Note: all other regional settings are still under development). These settings can't be overridden by your immediate end customers, but resellers can set their own currency symbol and regional settings.

More on default language and regional settings



12. Set Your Corporate Logos

This step will show you how to add your corporate logos to the control panel interface.

1. Go to Settings -> Look and Feel -> Corporate Logo.
2. On the page that appears, enter Banner HTML Code for the banner to show up in the control panels of your customers.
3. Enter the location and sizes of the logos. Click the help [ ? ] icon for details.
4. Click Save.

More on images and icons



13. Set Default Control Panel Design

This step will show you how to set the default skin for user control panels.

1. Go to Settings -> Look and Feel -> Design Settings.
2. Select the skin from the Choose Design box and click the Modify button. You will be taken to the design configuration page:



3. Turn on Users can choose this design to make this design available to your users.
   Note: if none of the designs is enabled, H-Sphere sets Left Menu design as default.
4. Turn on New users will get this design as default to set the default skin your users will get.
   Note: it will override the existing default design.

If you want to select another design to modify, use Choose another design drop-down box and click Modify.

More on skins and colors

Now your control panel is ready for signing up users. Please read all documentation before using H-Sphere as a production system.