a few questions before purchasing...

[apryan]

Hello,

Just had a few questions about the program..

a) is the source code editable or is it encrypted?
- if its encrypted, are modifications to menu or text able to be made? and is there any way to get an unencrypted version?
b) Does your program support: Bind, Sendmail, Apache? I think i noticed you had bind/apache but wasn't sure about sendmail.
c) Does the control panel have to run on a dedicated port or can it be integraded into apache to run on :80?
d) Is your program compatable with ClientExec billing software?
e) Are DNS functions able to be edited so we can make sure the DNS configuration is added exactly how we want it? (ie: proper tab spacing and design etc)

thanks!

 

[apryan]

In additon...
I noticed DA installs programs for you by default. I already have my system configured the way I want it... I really just need a good control panel to handle it all. Is it possible to configure DA to work with the programs I already installed or does it need to install its own programs and such like plesk does?

Also...

IF modifcations are made on the unix side, does the DA server need to be restarted or stopped so that it doesn't automatically delete modified data? I know that plesk use to do this all the time. Any changes made in a unix environment wouldn't be saved unless Plesk was shut down and then restarted after the updates were added.

 

[nobaloney]

a) is the source code editable or is it encrypted?

It's a statically-compiled C program.

- if its encrypted, are modifications to menu or text able to be made?

For the most part, yes, as it's a skinnable system. However some prompts and text are hardcoded into the C program. Some people who have created foreign language skins have reported (elsewhere on these forums) problems in getting all text translated for this reason.

and is there any way to get an unencrypted version?

My guess would be no, but the best place to ask is the DA sales department.

b) Does your program support: Bind, Sendmail, Apache? I think i noticed you had bind/apache but wasn't sure about sendmail.

DA supports BIND, and the latest 1.x version of apache; it does NOT support apache 2.

DA does NOT support sendmail; it integrates exim. Do to the complexity of the integration it may be impossible to make it work with sendmail.

c) Does the control panel have to run on a dedicated port or can it be integraded into apache to run on :80?

DA does not use apache; it runs it's own webserver on port 2222. There have been some discussions on these forums on how to create tunnels and/or proxies so folk can access DA on port 80; I have no idea if any of these attempts have seen success.

d) Is your program compatable with ClientExec billing software?

There's nothing on the ClientExec site that would indicate that they include any provisioning system or integrate with any control panel; you'd have to ask them.

e) Are DNS functions able to be edited so we can make sure the DNS configuration is added exactly how we want it? (ie: proper tab spacing and design etc)

You can edit the DNS template (we have, extensively), but DA controls which fields it allows you to manage; it's not as flexible as some other systems; for example the only way you can control SOA records or adjust TTL is by changing the template.

Jeff

 

[nobaloney]

I noticed DA installs programs for you by default. I already have my system configured the way I want it...

DA is designed to be installed on a new system that's not currently in use for hosting. While you may be able to install it on a system on which you're already hosting or on which you've already installed software, you'd be on your own. DA does remove software it finds that's in conflict with the software it manages, before it installs the software it manages. It's designed to be a complete hosting solution.

I really just need a good control panel to handle it all.

The only such control panel I know of is Webmin. Psoft, the company that writes H-Sphere, has developed a commercial version which may be usable for you.

Is it possible to configure DA to work with the programs I already installed or does it need to install its own programs and such like plesk does?

DA is much more flexible than is Plesk (we know; we were formerly a Plesk Gold Partner), in that it it's statically compiled, not a script or a set of scripts, and is therefore independent of much of the system. Also, it does not store it's own data in a database, but rather in flat files which are not often dependent on one another.

However it does expect to find the software it controls (though it can often use newer versions), and the files it needs, and the directory structures it needs. And there's no place for you to define paths or file or directory names; it needs to find them where it expects them.

IF modifcations are made on the unix side, does the DA server need to be restarted or stopped so that it doesn't automatically delete modified data? I know that plesk use to do this all the time. Any changes made in a unix environment wouldn't be saved unless Plesk was shut down and then restarted after the updates were added.

In general I'd say no, but it's easy enough to stop and restart it.

What kind of modifications are you writing about?

Jeff

 

[apryan]

Thanks for the extensive reply... I did send an email to DA sales as well but havent heard back.

DA seems like a nice system but the minor issues might make it difficult to operate around. Guess we'll see where this leaves us.
Thanks again
-anth