Plesk is one of the multi-sided solutions for server administration. Hosting service providers, IT specialists, developers, or content managers all profit from the management of web, DNS, mail, and other server services – as well as from the clear user interface of the control panel. Plesk enables control of individual services via a single interface, and so enormously reduces the administrational effort required. For example, if you create a WordPress project with the management tool, all queries are automatically forwarded to the desired server – which in turn automatically adds a virtual host.
Plesk also has an available file sharing function that makes it possible to implement the advantages of online storage on your own server. Find out in this guide what exactly is hiding behind this feature and which steps are required to be able to operate Plesk file sharing.
Plesk Onyx (previously Parellels Plesk) is a cross-platform management software for running, automating, and developing applications, websites, or hosting structures. Since the early 2000s, the program has simplified daily tasks for system administrators, small and medium-sized businesses, and infrastructure providers. It doesn’t matter whether you want to control entire server functions, set up new user profiles, or create domains – Plesk provides the perfect basis. Using an interface accessed by the internet browser of your choice, any number of web services can be operated, controlled, and made available to user groups.
The Plesk developers place particular emphasis on security: In addition to the integrated SSL/TLS encryption, features such as the KernelCare tool (protection and updates for the system core), the Datagrid VCTR scanner (vulnerability check and software update), or the Google Authenticator (login protection via 2-factor authentication) ensure the protection of all managed services. It’s no coincidence that the management software runs on more than 377,000 servers worldwide, hosting more than 11 million websites and 19 million e-mail inboxes. Around half of the top 100 service providers rely on the merits of the Onyx product, which is available in more than 30 languages and 140 countries.
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Regardless of whether a hosting provider supplies web infrastructure on a large scale or whether an SME administrator is responsible for the functionality of in-house services: Both building the structures and managing them take considerable effort. Plesk acts as a supporting connection between the responsible organizer of the infrastructure and the users. The management software automates various processes and helps administrators keep all programs up to date and regulate the distribution and utilization of hardware resources. Detailed profiles can be also created through user management which grant users different permissions.
Users of the services profit in various ways, primarily by the simple access to necessary components. Through the web interface, the desired applications can be configured and managed – for example, you can install popular CMS such as WordPress, Drupal, or Joomla! with just one click. Developers find interfaces for services like Docker or Git and can back up their projects at any time on a local directory or via GitHub, Bitbucket, or Travis and Co.
Plesk makes it possible to organize the access to managed infrastructure with the help of service packages and subscriptions. A service package is characterized by a definable combination of available hardware resources and services. The user then subscribes to the respective package and receives access to the specified components – such as, for example, storage space, traffic, or particular applications.
The file sharing function of Plex Onyx makes it possible to save data on your own server and retrieve it the same way you would from cloud services like Dropbox, OneDrive, or Google Drive. In addition, the uploaded files can be made available to selected user groups so that they can also access them. But the upload is only possible for administrators and additional users created under subscriptions belonging to the administrator. Third parties, such as customers, can only download files via provided download links. The advantages of Plesk filing sharing are obvious:
Publicly-shared files are always shared with all users who have access to file sharing through their subscriptions. In this case, no authorization is required for downloading via direct link. If content should only be available to particular user groups, then the corresponding files can be given a password.
To set up Plesk file sharing, you need the current version of Plesk as well as a server on which you can install it. A requirement for installation and setup is that you also have root permissions for the server, as well as at least the following hardware conditions:
| Linux | Windows |
|---|---|
| 512 MB RAM plus 1 GB swap (storage space) | 2 GB RAM |
| 10 GB hard drive storage | 30 GB hard drive storage |
If you’ve installed and configured the administration software on your server, then set up file sharing as follows:
After you’ve created the folders for file sharing, you or all authorized users can upload files to the respective directories. To access the corresponding menu, click on either the “File Sharing” button in the navigation list (as an administrator) or open a subscription belonging to the server administrator and select the “File Sharing” tab there.
In the accessed Plesk file sharing section you can now upload one or more files simultaneously to one of the following locations:
You have various possibilities for sharing files in different directories, though they all differ slightly from one another. The following short instructions explain in detail how to proceed.
To upload files in your personal folder, simply click on the “Upload Files” button and select “Personal Files” in the list. You can also use “Browse” to specify where the desired upload file is located in your local system. If you want to upload multiple files simultaneously, you can use the “Add file” button. Check the box for “E-mail links to the uploaded files” if you want to send the matching links for the download of the file. Clicking on “Upload” starts the upload process.
If you want to share files with all authorized users, you have two options: For the first, you proceed as with the upload of personal files, but instead select “Shared Files” in the list. The second option is to simply move a file from your personal directory to the shared folder. To do this, select the corresponding file in the “Personal Files” folder and click on the “Share” button. Confirm the share by clicking “OK” in the dialog window that pops up.
If you want to make files available to all website visitors, you also have two options, which differ only slightly from the “Shared Files” approach: On the one hand, you can use the standard way described above via “Upload Files”, in which case you select the third button, “Public Files”. On the other hand, you have the option to publish previously saved personal and shared files by clicking the “Publish” button.
For password-protected file sharing with Plesk, first upload files as “Shared Files” and then – like with sharing public files – use the “Publish” button. In the window that opens, check the box next to “Protect access to files with a password” and then confirm the publication with “OK”. The username and password for accessing the files correspond to the information you provided when you set up file sharing (step 4).
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