An Introduction To CPanel And WHM

CPanel And WHM Introduction
CPanel is one of the most popular online control panels that are designed to allow Webmasters complete control over their web presence. This not only includes the website itself but also email accounts, domain name server information, MySQL databases and anything else associated with a hosting account. If a Webmaster also uses the Fantastico scripts that are generally included with cPanel then configuration options for these scripts may also be available through your cPanel graphical interface. WHM, the abbreviation for Web Host Manager is the accompanying portal that is designed for hosting resellers.

Finding CPanel Hosting Accounts
CPanel is a product that is designed and sold to web hosts and not to individual users. As such, there is no individual user license or single commercial license available. If you are a Webmaster and you want to use the cPanel control panel then you will have to look for a hosting account that offers it as part of their hosting package. The same is also true of WHM for hosting resellers. However, the search for appropriate hosting accounts won’t take long because cPanel and therefore WHM are the two most popular additions to hosting reseller accounts respectively.

CPanel Features And Uses
Essentially, what cPanel does is allow the changing of server side coding without necessitating knowledge of the command line. Without a control panel like cPanel it would be virtually impossible for the vast majority of Webmasters to perform the array of tasks that cPanel offers.

Email Management
As well as providing a graphical web based email client, cPanel enables hosting clients to create and manage an unlimited number of email accounts. This includes the setting up of a new account to be used for any purpose, the establishment of a catchall account if one is offered by your host, the deletion of accounts, and the usual array of email based activities.

Domain Management
CPanel users have the ability to manage their own domain as well as their own site. For hosting accounts that offer the hosting of numerous domains this can be particularly useful and cut down on a lot of administration time that would ordinarily be required. It is possible to set up sub-domains for each hosted domain giving you a much greater level of site structure. This, in turn, provides your site visitors with a much greater user experience.

Website Management
It is possible to create a site from scratch using cPanel. Fantastico is generally included as an added extra with cPanel unless your host has disabled this feature and only allows it for specific levels of hosting package. Fantastico contains a template installation script that gives you quick and simple access to numerous professional looking templates for your website. This feature is invaluable to the inexperienced designers and programmers among us and this means that it isn’t even necessary to start learning HTML. The site editor that is usually included with cPanel is also very useful indeed and allows for complete and regular changes to your site.

Site Add-ons
Fantastico offers a vast range of open source scripts that can be freely added to your website. With tens of different scripts currently included in this literally fantastic interface it is little wonder that it has gained the reputation it has and helped to make cPanel the most popular control panel available. You can add forums, galleries, blogs, surveys, polls, and a lot more to your website.

Statistics
Every Webmaster finds a time when they become almost besotted with website statistics. How many unique page views has your site had today? How many visitors have returned thanks to the new blog and RSS feeds you added a couple of days ago. CPanel includes various statistic sets that are very useful to the numerically and statistically obsessed Webmaster.

You should be aware that while cPanel does indeed offer all of these functions, your host has the ability to include or exclude as many or as few of these features as they like. Generally you will find that they offer fewer features for the less expensive hosting accounts that they offer and full, unrestricted access for the premium account holders.

WHM
Web Host Manager is created and distributed by the same people and usually in the same package as cPanel. It is only offered by hosts to their resellers because this is the job it was designed to do.

Account Management
Running a reseller account can become difficult if you manage to resell several accounts. You will need to micromanage them to ensure that nobody is abusing the limits placed on their accounts and also to ensure that everyone receives the right level of service. With WHM you are able to manage all of your client’s accounts, domains, and subdomains. You can also manage suspended accounts, which is a valuable addition should the need arise.

Further WHM Features
Server information is available at the drop of a hat and you also have the capability to manage extensions including FrontPage extensions. Because WHM has all the details of all of your customers you can also send out urgent emails to all of your hosting customers in one very simple go.

CPanel And WHM Conclusion
Both cPanel and WHM are leaders in their industry. Very few control panels offer the incredible intuitiveness that the graphical based cPanel offers and few reseller account management tools are able to offer the feature set that WHM can offer its users. If you are looking for hosting that is simple to use and offers a good level of features then look for cPanel hosting but remember that your host has the capability to disable any features they like depending on your service plan.