1. Parallels Plesk Panel. RoadMap and Update
Good afternoon everybody and thank you very much for coming to these final sessions of Parallels Event.
The sessions devoted to Parallels Plesk products.
My name is … and I am acting as Chief Architect for this product family
Today we will discuss and answer your questions on how the existing Parallels Plesk Panel and its upcoming evolution can help expand your business.
Andrey Andriatis
Chief Architect, Parallels Plesk Panel

2. Agenda Product Vision Feature Planning Parallels Plesk Panel 9.0
Parallels Plesk Panel Roadmap
Parallels Panel Suite
Parallels Plesk Panel Planned Features
Parallels Panel SMB Edition
Questions
We will show you our overall vision of Parallels Plesk ecosystem.
How do we choose the features to be implemented
Then we’ll show how this planning was applied to define the key features of recently released Parallels Plesk Panel 9
After that we’ll discuss our roadmap, and upcoming features
And we’ll specifically stop on the new edition of the product targeting IT environments of small and medium businesses
So, let’s take a look at the place of Parallels Panel in the hosting environment

3. Parallels Panel Technology: Big Picture
External Services
APS Catalog
Parallels Marketplace
Payment Gateway
Domain Registrar
Use
Provisioned Services
Provision
Locally provisioned
100s of APS Applications and Services
Externally provisioned
APS Applications and Services
Apache
IIS
SSL
ASP.NET
Tomcat
DNS, Firewall
Web Statistics
FTP
Mail (AV/AS)
Web Mail
VPN
and more …
Manage
Internal Functions
Control Panel
Resellers
Customers
Network
Installation / Update
Licensing
Backup/Migration
Events/Notification
Scheduler
Customization Branding/Localization
Parallels Plesk
Panel
Billing
Sitebuilder
Let’s take a look at the big picture how we envision the overall Parallels Plesk products ecosystem.
As many of you probably know we started from independent products listed in the middle of this circle. But with each major release we are trying to integrate these products closer and closer to make them seen as natural components of one product called Parallels Panel
The Panel runs on the internal infrastructure, which primary responsibility is making product operation more automated, and efficient. I am talking about the Control Panel itself and its different views for different user categories, standard administrative operations, such as installation, backup, migration, customization, and so on. These features are also responsible for integration into your provisioning environments.
The set of hosting services the Panel provisions and manages is meant to meet the demand of the user community for wider services variety, settings flexibility and conformance to the industry standards and latest technologies. And here we are talking not only about the traditional hosting services such as web, ftp, dns servers, mail, firewall, etc., but also about the new wave of SaaS services provisioned either on the same environment, or hosted externally.
To enable the SaaS program we use the APS packaging format and external systems that provide catalog services for APS packages, and licensing.
We also use a number of services for the billing needs, domain registrars and SSL certificate authorities interfaces.
On the platform side we integrate with external billing and provisioning systems Parallels Automation being one of them, and virtualization platforms. This integration also helps to automate your datacenter environments offering Parallels Panel.
Having this big picture in mind, let’s take a look at our approach to the product features planning
External Systems
Parallels Automation
Parallels Virtuozzo Containers
Billing
Integrate
Parallels Server

4. Feature Planning – Who Uses PPP
Shared Hosting and SMB users 4 types of Parallels Plesk Panel users
Datacenters – 1000s
Shared Hosting Administrators – 10,000s
SMB IT Administrators – 100,000s
End Users – 10,000,000s
End Users – 1,000,000s
Resellers – 1000,000s
Clients – 1,000,000s
And first of all let’s see who uses Parallels Plesk Panel
We have Hosting Providers running datacenters and offering Parallels Panel environments.
These Panel environments are purchased by two kinds of businesses. It is either used to run shared hosting business,
or purchased to enable web presence for small businesses
The shared hosting providers can involve Reseller channel programs to expand their sales capabilities
The Clients are the primary consumers of the hosting services, managing websites and mail for themselves and/or their end users
Who in the case of SMB are regular employees of the small companies

5. Parallels Plesk Panel: What is Important
Automate Your Hosting Business: Easy, Profitable, and Complete.
Easy
Easy – for you (hoster), your resellers, your end-users
Easy for dedicated company to provision and license
Easy to work with Parallels overall
Profitable
Profitable for you
Profitable for dedicated company
Profitable for end-users
Complete
Complete all around:
back office, applications, services, features, API
For you, your customers, and resellers
What we are trying to achieve while developing the product? It should be Easy, Profitable and Complete for all user categories
Easy
Easy for all user levels
Easy for dedicated server providers
Easy to work with Parallels overall – obtain licenses, submit feedback, get help.
It should allow for easy integration into the provisioning environments
Should provide easy clients administration for the panel owners and resellers
Should allow for easy hosting services setup and maintenance
Profitable:
Profitable for you (we focus a lot on the additional services you can deliver; on the density of accounts, etc)
Profitable for end-users (it saves them time to do other things – goes hand in hand with easy)
To be profitable the Panel enables a variety of hosting plans, including SaaS service delivery;
Provides high density of virtual environments and hosting services
Enables channel marketing via resellers programs
Complete
Complete all around: back office, applications, services, features, API, etc
Complete means end-to-end solution for the hosting business, including hosting plans online store with billing, hosting services configurations via the Panel and content management solution

6. How do we plan features? Your feedback How it’s evaluated:
90% of features are coming from our users
How it’s evaluated:
Who is the feature for – one of our user category
Does it matches our paradigm
Make product Easier to use
Make it more Profitable
Make the solution more Complete
And now comes the answer how do we plan the features
First al all the vast majority of the features come from you – our partners and user community
The feature requests are evaluated against the user groups – we answer the question which user category the feature is targeted for
And we evaluate if the features makes the product Easier, more Profitable, more Complete

7. Parallels Plesk Panel 9.0
We have released Parallels Plesk Panel 9.0 in December. I am sure many of you have not deployed it yet.
That’s why I’d like now to go over its major features and see how the strategy I am talking about was applied in that release.

8. Easy: New! Interface and Home Pages
New Home pages for each user role
More menu items in left navigation for easy access common functions.
Configure all settings from a single screen
Easier navigation between objects
New Vista-like skin
The user interface and user workflow is extremely important to make the product easy to use
And we are constantly working on it.
Historically there were major changes in Plesk 7, then some improvements in Plesk 8 series.
And now comes Parallels Plesk Panel 9 with completely new navigation adjusted for specific user categories
Server administrator, reseller, client, domain owner, mail account owner – each have their own home page and navigation from it to functional screens
The new interface provides one click access to all major operations
The Object Switcher located right in the navigation bar allows for immediate retrieval of the required objects – users / domain / mail accounts
System configuration settings are also concentrated on a single screen
You had an opportunity to see it in our hands-on lab, and you are still welcome to stop by after these presentations

9. Profitable: New! Reseller Role
Offer New Reseller Plans
Same functionality as Parallels Plesk Panel Admin.
Separate billing management
Customizable look and feel for control panel branding
Full API Backward Compatibility
DOMAIN
CLIENT
Domain
Administrator
RESELLER
PARALLELS
PLESK
PANEL
ADMIN
A principally new feature of this release is the Reseller user role.
For a long time the client role was used in shared hosting environments for reselling resources to the domain owners
Now we explicitly identified the reseller role and created a specialized panel for this role
The reseller has the same functionality as the administrator in the accounts management
A reseller can have its own billing application attached
Reseller can have its own panel branding
At the same time a Reseller can act as a regular client, managing its own domains and mail accounts
By the way, at the same time we eliminated an artificial client to represent the server administrator. Now the administrator can directly manage its own domains
The existing Parallels Panel customers can be upgraded to the reseller accounts,
and domain owners can be upgraded to the client role.

10. Profitable: New! Integration with APS Catalog
Offer and deploy 100s of applications with a single click
Everything from
Address SaaS Market
Manage application updates
Mass provision applications to clients
The key break through to the SaaS program in Parallels Plesk Panel 9 is direct access to the APS publishing site
The Panel interface allows you to browse through the Catalog, select applications and install them to the Application Vault on the server
You can also define application bundles, which Panel administrators can install in one action
You can also restrict and/or redefine the catalog categories and applications associated with each of the category.
The system provides online checks for the updates of installed applications and uploading the upgrades.

11. Complete: New! Integrated w/Parallels Plesk Billing
Seamless end-to-end integration with Single Sign On
Sell, Provision, and Manage Service Plans
Automate your shared hosting business
Moving towards complete hosting solution, we integrated the UI navigation of the Panel with Parallels Plesk Billing interface.
Now in a single user session you can go back and forth between the Panel and the billing screens.
Some billing data, such as outstanding balances are shown directly on the user list of the Panel
Both Panel Administrator and Panel Client have their own navigation paths between two components.
More detailed information on the Parallels Plesk Billing you will hear in the next presentation from Jonathan McCarrick
Jonathan McCarrick
Parallels Plesk Billing
Technology Track 2:45 - 3:30 pm

12. Complete: New! Multi-Level Backup
Allow users to create full or partial backup for their accounts
Backup just configuration or include services content
Store backups locally or outside the Parallels Plesk server
PARALLELS PLESK
PANEL ADMIN
DOMAIN
RESELLER
CLIENT
Web User
Mail User
LOCAL DISK /
WORKSTATION
PROVIDER’S FTP /
USER’S FTP
Backup
The new backup facility now provides similar functionality for all user levels
The backups can be done in full or partly
Storage can be local or on an external FTP server
The domain backup can be done wither for virtual hosts only, mail only or both
The converters are provided to make backup files from previous versions compatible with the new format

13. Complete: New! Dozens of other features
PHP over CGI/FastCGI
Faster execution of PHP scripts
Safe execution of PHP scripts
Choice of PHP version (Windows only)
lighttpd for Control Panel server
Easier configuration
Increased Parallels Virtuozzo Container density
Multiple MTA Options
Postfix
Multiple webmail on Unix
Atmail support
New OS Support
OpenSuSE 11
Oversell
Administrator, Reseller, Client can oversell their resources
Overuse
Administrator and Reseller can allow their clients exceeding the resource limits assigned to them
Notification can be issued before a resource limit is reached
Easy account migration
From domain admin to client, from client to reseller.
Parallels Plesk Panel 9 comes with a number of the new features in the internal functions and provisioned services

14. Parallels Plesk Panel Roadmap
Now after we covered what we have already, let’s turn to the future and speak about the Parallels Plesk panel team plans

15. Split between Shared Hosting and SMB
Shared Hosting and SMB business requires different approaches
SHARED HOSTING
SMALL BUSINESSES
PARALLELS PANEL
SMB EDITION
PARALLELS PLESK PANEL
While moving along the Easy, Profitable and Complete coordinates it becomes obvious that two different modes of product usage require different approaches in UI navigation, feature sets, product composition, etc.
We are going to split the product line into two different products.
Parallels Plesk Panel or just Parallels Panel will continue serving shared hosting business
While new branch of Parallels Panel SMB Edition will target the market of small and medium businesses
Let’s look at the two branches separately

16. Parallels Plesk Products Roadmap
Parallels Panel Evolution
Support APS 1.1 Applications
Parallels Panel Clients get new services by installing APS applications
Interface Hosting Services
Expand your offering with special APS packages providing integration with externally hosted services
Parallels Marketplace for Panel Customers
Grow your Marketplace revenues now available for the entire Parallels Plesk Panel customer base
Deep Integration between Parallels Plesk Products
Provide a complete shared hosting platform featuring hosting plan sales and billing, automated provisioning, easily managed web sites with built in content management solution
Improvements in Hosting Capabilities
Offer wider variety of hosting features and capabilities, including IPv6, clustering,
and more….
Parallels Panel SMB Edition
Easy Server Administration Provide a complete easily managed IT for small businesses
APS 1.1 Services for Company Employees Easily enhance your server capabilities by adding more APS 1.1 business applications, which become immediately available to the employees based on their roles
Parallels Marketplace Integration
Benefit from reselling 3rd party licenses in Parallels or your own online store hosted by PBA solution
End Users – Company Employees
Easily manage company employee accounts. Assign their roles, system services and business application access
File Manager and File Sharing
Manage server file system from the control panel UI. Own your private home directory. Share files within organization and with the external consumers
and more…
Here are the key features of two product branches that we are planning for the upcoming releases.
Just in a minute we’ll talk about each of these items separately.

17. Profitable: APS 1.1 Format Support
Provisions APS applications from Parallels Marketplace, APS Catalog, provider’s online store, ISVs directly
Generates new types of services based on APS meta-data
Makes services assignable to end users
Puts application entry points to users’ home pages
USER’S HOME
SERVICE
Parallels Panel
MARKETPLACE
APPLICATION
SERVICE
USER’S HOME
SERVICE
APS CATALOG
I am sure many of you have attended the APS session. But taking into account the importance of the changes brought in by the new APS 1.1 format, I’ll spend a few more minutes on it.
One of the biggest differences between APS 1.0 and 1.1 is that the new format brings in a notion of service.
Each APS package declares one or more services provided by the application it carries
The services can be shared and personal. Shared services are more like in the APS 1.0 site applications, where the users have common entry point to the application
Personal services are new. A typical personal service could be a mail account in a webmail application, or a private administrative login into a eCommerce application.
Installation of an APS 1.1 package in the system creates additional services the system can deliver to the end users.
Now the task of the control panel is to distribute personal service accounts to the appropriate users, initialize them with the applications, and configure the service links on the users’ home pages.
Another important feature of the APS 1.1 format that it enables installation of the server-wide applications. As you probably remember, APS 1.0 covers site applications only.
There two major enhancements bring in principally new capabilities of service delivery to the end users.
PROVIDER’S STORE
APPLICATION
SERVICE
USER’S HOME
SERVICE
ISV

18. Profitable: Enabling Hosted Services
Uses APS format to build interfaces between hosted applications and the control panel user accounts
Allows for services hosted by providers or ISVs directly
External Services
APS Catalog
Parallels Marketplace
Use
Parallels Plesk
Provisioned Services
One of the important opportunities is access to the externally hosted services
The idea is that an APS package can carry not the application itself, but an interface module that would connect the Panel to an application hosted by the service provider.
The module would provide means of provisioning panel user accounts in the external system and to redirect panel users to the external service.
A typical example of such external service is the Open-Xchange with APS interface module that uses OX remote APIs to provision collaboration and personal accounts.
Panel
Externally provisioned
APS Applications and Services
Provision
Billing
Sitebuilder

19. Profitable: Parallels Marketplace Integration
Provides participating applications promotion from the control panel pages
Forwards Parallels Panel clients to Parallels Marketplace
Automates purchased application license management
Automates purchased SSL certificates provisioning
External Services
Parallels Marketplace
CA Authority
Contact:
Soeren von Varchmin
Use
Provisioned Services
SSL
Yesterday you were presented the new Parallels project called Parallels Marketplace, which will enable a number of reseller programs for the partners.
Let’s see how Parallels Plesk Panel participates in this project.
The project is designed to enable commercial APS applications distribution among the clients of Parallels control panels.
The panel UI provides visual promotions for Marketplace applications and takes users directly to the online store.
The Panel uses APS standard to install applications in user environment
It also automates license provisioning after it was purchased.
Parallels Plesk
Locally provisioned
100s of APS Applications and Services
Panel
Provision
Billing
Externally provisioned
APS Applications and Services
Sitebuilder

20. Parallels Partner Marketplace – How it Works?
Your Brand Storefront via Parallels Business Automation
User’s Parallels Plesk Panel
Application Portal 1 2 3 5 4
Customer Environment
Parallels Partner Marketplace 20
Customers view your Brand on Storefront leading to the Marketplace
Buy Now Links Inside Parallels Plesk Panel Lead to Marketplace
End-Customer Purchases Application on Marketplace
End-Customer Returns to Parallels Plesk Panel After Purchase
Licenses and Applications are Automatically Installed on Plesk CP Server
Here is a slide borrowd from the Parallels Partner Markeplace presentation.
Let’s quikly go through its steps
1. Customers
Enters
Your Store
2. Adds App(s)
to Shopping
Cart
3. Customer
Makes
Purchase
4. Customer
Leaves
Your Store
5. App &
License are
Auto Installed

21. Complete: Parallels Panel Suite
Complete Integration between
Parallels Plesk Panel
Parallels Plesk Billing
Parallels Plesk Sitebuilder
Combined PP Billing hosting and PP Sitebuilder CM plans
Subscriptions instead of templates in PPP
Jonathan McCarrick
Parallels Plesk Billing
Technology Track 2:45 - 3:30 pm
Parallels Plesk
Panel
As I mentioned at the beginning, we are constantly working on merging formerly independent products into a single product with functional components – control panel, billing, content management.
Billing
Sitebuilder

22. Parallels Plesk Panel Planned Features
Easy
Complete
Installer
Componentized Windows Installer
Rollbacks of failed upgrades
Flexible DB management.
Attach/detach existing DBs
Assign private and public databases
Single DB user for multiple databases
IPv6 support
Hosting management
DNS templates; Service DNS zone; NAT support
Web clusters support
Linux Virtual Server (LVS) support
Additional FTP accounts
Mail improvements
Greylisting
Smarter spam processing
Archiving mail traffic for specified domains
SMTP Authorization instead of POP3
Mail piping
Password Protected Mailing-Lists
Complete
Security
Site isolation
Mail certificates
Secure FTP support
Apache mod_security support
Notifications
Customized by Resellers
Customize notification subject

23. Parallels Panel SMB Edition

24. Parallels Panel SMB Edition Goals
Parallels Plesk Panel 9
Gained more features supporting shared hosting specifically
Separated server and sites management
Separated UI navigation by user roles
Parallels Panel SMB Edition
Simplifies UI navigation for SMB administrator
Maintains corporate web sites, mail, databases
Installs any APS business applications
Manages SMB employees as service users
Provides system, collaboration and business services
Integrates with Parallels Marketplace
Enables hosting providers selling SMB plans with bundled business applications

25. Why Parallels Panel SMB Edition
Easy
Easy to install, configure, manage company sites, mail, DBs
Easy to service company employees
Easy to add 100s of APS business applications
Profitable
Gain on high density virtual hosted environment
Sell APS applications and their bundles
Profit on licenses sold on Parallels Marketplace
Complete
Dedicated all you need virtual business server
Variety of business applications at hand
Integrated CM solution for the business sites

26. Easy: Simplified Administration
Take advantage of lesser hosting objects
Fewer domains, websites; mail accounts; databases
No traditional client hierarchy
Main functions divided into specialized tabs

27. Easy: SMB Users and Roles
Panel Users – Company Employees
Permissions are set by the Roles
System services are assigned to users and roles
List of Users
Role Settings

28. Easy: End User Panel
User can access all applications and services from a single launch pad

29. Easy: File Manager and File Sharing
Fully functional File Manager application for system administrators
Personal directories access for the employees
File sharing across organizations and within functional groups
External HTTP and FTP access to the designated files and folders

30. Complete: APS 1.1 Applications
Install APS 1.1 applications from APS Catalog, Parallels Marketplace, provider’s store
Application entry points are regarded as new system services
Initial context configuration may done by system administrator
These are all major features of SMB Edition. The rest of traditional hosting management functionality will be inherited from Parallels Plesk Panel.

31. Big Picture: Easy, Profitable, and Complete
APS Catalog
Parallels Marketplace
Payment Gateway
Domain Registrar
Easy
Locally provisioned
100s of APS Applications and Services
Externally provisioned
APS Applications and Services
Apache
IIS
SSL
ASP.NET
Tomcat
DNS, Firewall
Web Statistics
FTP
Mail (AV/AS)
Web Mail
VPN
and more …
Control Panel
Resellers
Customers
Network
Installation / Update
Licensing
Backup/Migration
Events/Notification
Scheduler
Customization Branding/Localization
Use
Parallels Plesk
Panel
Manage
Provision
Billing
Sitebuilder
Integrate
Complete
Billing
Parallels Automation
Parallels Virtuozzo Containers
Parallels Server

32. Questions?

33. Thank You!