Method 1: Using the Plesk Control Panel (Recommended for most services)

This is the most common and easiest way to manage services on a Plesk server.

Log in to your Plesk control panel. You typically access it by going to your_server_ip:8443 (for HTTPS) or your_server_ip:8880 (for HTTP) in your web browser and entering your administrator credentials.

Navigate to Tools & Settings. You’ll usually find this option in the left-hand sidebar of the Plesk interface.

Click on “Services Management” under the “Server Management” section.

Locate the desired service. You will see a list of various services running on your server, such as:

Apache (Web server)

Nginx (Web server/proxy)

MySQL/MariaDB (Database server)

Mail services (e.g., Postfix, Dovecot)

DNS services (e.g., BIND, PowerDNS)

FTP services (e.g., ProFTPD, Pure-FTPd)

And many others.

Use the action icons:

Start: Look for a green “Play” or “arrow” icon.

Stop: Look for a red “Stop” or “box” icon.

Restart: Look for a yellow “Restart” or “replay” icon.

Click the appropriate icon next to the service you want to manage.

Note: If an icon is greyed out, it means that function is currently inactive for that service, or the service might not be installed or configured correctly.

Method 2: Using SSH/Command Line (for advanced users or specific Plesk services)

For some specific Plesk services or if you prefer command-line management, you can use SSH.

1. Connect to your Plesk server via SSH as the root user or a user with sudo privileges. You’ll need an SSH client (like PuTTY on Windows or the terminal on Linux/macOS).
   
2. To restart Plesk services (e.g., Plesk Management Service, Web Admin Panel): On Linux, you can often use:

service sw-engine restart && service sw-cp-server restart

Note: The service psa stopall or service psa restart

Commands were used in older Plesk versions but are now deprecated and may not reliably restart all Plesk-related services.

3. To manage other system services (e.g., Apache, Nginx, MySQL): On Linux systems (CentOS, Ubuntu, Debian, etc.), you typically use systemctl

(for Systemd-based systems, which most modern Linux distributions use) or service (for older SysVinit systems).

Using systemctl (Recommended for modern Linux):

• Start a service:

systemctl start <service_name>

Example: systemctl start httpd (for Apache on CentOS/RHEL) or systemctl start apache2 (for Apache on

Ubuntu/Debian) Example: systemctl start mariadb

(for MariaDB) Example: systemctl start nginx (for Nginx)

Stop a service:

• systemctl stop <service_name>
  
  
  
• Example: systemctl stop httpd

Restart a service:

• systemctl restart <service_name>
  
  
  
• Example: systemctl restart httpd

Check service status:

• systemctl status <service_name>
  
  
  
  
• Example: systemctl status httpd
  
  
  

Using service (for older Linux or specific scripts):

Start a service:

service <service_name> start

Stop a service:

service <service_name> stop

Restart a service:

service <service_name> restart

On Windows Servers (via RDP):

Connect via RDP.

Plesk Services Monitor: Start Plesk Services Monitor from the tray > Select “Plesk Management Service” under the “Plesk Run-Time” section > Click Restart.

Command Prompt (as Administrator):

net stop plesksrv

net start plesksrv

Services MMC: Go to Windows Start > All Programs > Windows Administrative Tools > Services. Right-click on “Plesk Management Service” and click “Restart.”

Important Considerations:

• Impact: Stopping or restarting critical services like your web server (Apache/Nginx) or database server (MySQL/MariaDB) will cause temporary downtime for your websites and applications.
• Dependencies: Some services depend on others. If you stop a critical service, other dependent services might also stop or malfunction.
• Troubleshooting: If you’re restarting a service to resolve an issue, check the service’s logs for error messages after the restart to ensure it’s functioning correctly.
• Plesk Repair Utility: For more complex issues where services aren’t starting or behaving correctly, Plesk has a powerful Plesk Repair Utility that can often diagnose and fix problems with various components. You’d typically run this via SSH.

By following these steps, you can effectively start, stop, and restart system services on your Plesk server.

The post How to Start, Stop or Restart System Services on a Plesk Server? first appeared on Web Hosting Stuff.

Method 1: Server-wide Blacklisting (Blocks email to all mailboxes on the server)

This method ensures that no email from the specified domain will reach any mailbox hosted on your Plesk server.  

1. Log in to your Plesk control panel as the administrator.  
2. Go to Tools & Settings in the navigation menu.
3. Go to the Mail group and click on Mail Server Settings.  
4. Click on the Black List tab.
5. Click the Add Domain button.  
6. Enter the domain name you want to blacklist (e.g., evilspammers.net).
7. Click OK.
8. Repeat steps 5-7 to add more domains if needed.

Method 2: Blacklisting using the Spam Filter (Can be server-wide or per mailbox)

This method utilizes Plesk’s Spam Filter settings. You can configure it to mark emails from specific domains as spam.  

Option A: Server-wide via Spam Filter Settings

1. Log in to your Plesk control panel as the administrator.  
2. Go to Tools & Settings in the navigation menu.
3. Click on Spam Filter.
4. Go to the Black List tab.
5. Click Add Domain.
6. Enter the domain name you want to blacklist. To specify a domain, use the format *@example.com. To block a top-level domain, use *@*.com.
7. Click OK.

There are a few ways to blacklist a domain in Plesk, depending on whether you want to block it at the server level for all mailboxes or for specific mailboxes. Here’s a breakdown of the methods:

Option B: Per Mailbox via Email Addresses

1. Log in to your Plesk control panel.
2. Tap on Domains > to the specific domain name.
3. Click on Email Addresses.
4. Find the specific email address for which you want to configure the blacklist and click on it.
5. Go to the Spam filter tab.
6. Click the Show Advanced Settings link (if available).
7. In the Black list field, specify the domain you want to block. Use the format @example.com to block the entire domain for this mailbox.
8. Click OK.
9. You might also want to configure “What to do with messages classified as spam” on the same tab to “Delete all spam messages” for more effective blocking.

Method 3: Using Plesk Email Security (Server-wide)

This method uses the Plesk Email Security settings.

1. Log in to your Plesk control panel as the administrator.  
2. Tap on Tools & Settings, then click Plesk Email Security > Server Settings.
3. In the Blocklist field, enter the domain you want to blacklist. Use @example.com to specify a domain.  
4. Click Save.

Method 4: Using the Command Line Interface (for Linux-based Plesk)

If you have SSH access to your Plesk server, you can use the command line:

1. You can connect the server with SSH.
2. Use the following command to add a domain to the server-wide blacklist:

plesk bin mailserver –add-to-black-list example.com

Replace example.com with the actual domain you want to blacklist. You can insert various domains by using a comma.

• To view the current blacklist, use:

plesk bin mailserver –info black-list

Important Considerations:

• Server-wide vs. Per Mailbox: Choose the method that best suits your needs. Server-wide blacklisting affects all mailboxes on your server, while per-mailbox blacklisting only affects the specified email address.
• Format: Be careful with the format you use when adding domains (e.g., example.com vs. *@example.com). The *@ wildcard is often used in Spam Filter settings to block all email addresses from a specific domain.
• Testing: After blacklisting a domain, it’s a good idea to test if it’s working correctly by sending a test email from an address within the blacklisted domain to one of your Plesk-hosted mailboxes.
• Review Regularly: Periodically review your blacklist to ensure it’s still relevant and doesn’t accidentally block legitimate emails.
• Effectiveness: Blacklisting is effective at preventing emails from reaching your server or specific mailboxes. However, spammers can sometimes change their sending domains, so it’s just one part of a comprehensive spam prevention strategy. You might also consider using other tools like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.  

Choose the method that best fits your requirements and your level of access to the Plesk server. The most common and generally recommended method for server-wide blocking is through Tools & Settings > Mail Server Settings > Black List. For more granular control over specific mailboxes, the Spam Filter settings for that mailbox are the way to go.

The post How to Blacklist a Domain in Plesk? first appeared on Web Hosting Stuff.