Pro Pack?

I am glad I wasn't the first person to post about this. I know I tend to be. I share a lot of the same thoughts as many here. I will try not to beat a dead horse here...;). I will try not to talk to much about money.

I think the feedback section is great for this stuff. Glad DA put that up. However some things come to mind. Regardless of the feedback the company needs to have a plan to improve and maintain their software. This is constant and always. If you want to make new packs, plugins, wizdings great... Never forget the core has to be First.
You need to keep in mind your competition. If you want new customers the core software has to have similar features. To that end DA needs certain things if they want to pull more people over from anywhere. So let's look at the list

I dont need or care about most of those items in the Pro pack. I say this because I don't really have a good idea what the feature really are. I need more info. Going on what is noted IMHOs are.
  • WordPress manager. | Don't need. Most use Softaculous or Installatron. So unless you are replacing softaculous or installatron that I would not work on this. If this is some super cool Wordpress fad thing for marketing I get it put it in Pro Pack. Note: if it replaces Installatron I am interested.

  • GIT manager. | Don't need. I dont care about a git manager. GitHub is owned by MS. Put it in its own Plugin I wouldn't want this in a Pro Pack. Maybe a DEV pack..

  • Python/Java/Ruby/Perl/NodeJS support/. | Don't need I would say Python might be good. Maybe DEV pack.

  • Additional features for Nginx (automatic CMS templates, WordPress+FastCGI cache support). | This seems to be under Wordpress / Softaculous above might want this not really sure. Need more info. Is this part of the Wordpress manager? If this is to improve Nginx support overall?

Of the list these are the best. These 2 should have always been in the software.

  • Advanced backup manager. | Incremental, multiple storage paths, number of backups to keep. Here is the issue with this being addon. Your customers have been asking for years for this. Long before loudmouth me... It needs to already be as good as cpanel, plesk, and interworx function in the base system. It's not there. Backup and recovery is a CORE function not a addon. If Backup and recovery is not core they why is in even in the current system? because it is Core. The only reason 3rd parties exist is because of NEED. Which is driven by the main companies inability to listen to its customers and deliver.

  • Advanced GUI for account migrations. | Should totally be in the Core system. All your competitors have had this for years. If you want someone to come to your product and pay for a license. You need to be able to say click here and do it like this for cpanel, interworx, and plesk. If they can't do it easy they they will look elsewhere.. it just that simple.

These 2 are nice to think about.
  • DNS synchronization with external providers such as CloudFlare. | Not really sure what this is. BIND already has afxer. Is this going to be like plesks Slave Sync? Is this like MSS for externals? Pro pack might make sense here. I hate cloudflare but that is a personal issue.. I think you all should add PowerDNS support native and make it a optional DNS server BIND or PowerDNS.
  • Ability to throttle resources per-user (CPU/RAM/IO etc.) | I would like this as long as its outside of Cloudlinux. I see this as a great feature for Pro pack.
Sounds like you need 2 packs one for DEVs and one for big time Pros...Neither of which are me...I am just a Regular guy.

I mentioned support above so I will expound a bit..

First reason I dont buy support from DA.
I dont know what it is. What is Support? With some real guidelines.. We do this. We dont do this. We will do this if you pay this extra.. Where is the documentation/policy on support?

Second its way to expensive. It should cost way less about a 4th of the listed price per year. Keep in mind I am not buying anything until I know what it is.. So even if its a nickel and I have no clue what I am getting not buying.

I think there will always be certain types of support DA as a software company will have to provide. I think this could be a revenue stream possibly. A Lot of old timers dont really need help unless they get stumped only then it is an adhoc need. I think the new personal users,and non admin types need it more. So maybe adhoc rates could help some.

Also so there is no confusion Bug fixing and Support are 2 different things. Bug fixing is always given and should be open to all. Support is a an extra service like installing the software, migrations, configuration, and the like.

Sorry I rambled a lot..
 
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bdacus01 said:
Advanced backup manager. | Incremental, multiple storage paths, number of backups to keep. Here is the issue with this being addon. Your customers have been asking for years for this. Long before loudmouth me... It needs to already be as good as cpanel, plesk, and interworx function in the base system. It's not there.
Click to expand...
Fully agree, this must be in the core and not as some add-on IMHO
 
bdacus01 said:
These 2 should have always been in the software.

  • Advanced backup manager. | Incremental, multiple storage paths, number of backups to keep. Here is the issue with this being addon. Your customers have been asking for years for this. Long before loudmouth me... It needs to already be as good as cpanel, plesk, and interworx function in the base system. It's not there. Backup and recovery is a CORE function not a addon. If Backup and recovery is not core they why is in even in the current system? because it is Core. The only reason 3rd parties exist is because of NEED. Which is driven by the main companies inability to listen to its customers and deliver.

  • Advanced GUI for account migrations. | Should totally be in the Core system. All your competitors have had this for years. If you want someone to come to your product and pay for a license. You need to be able to say click here and do it like this for cpanel, interworx, and plesk. If they can't do it easy they they will look elsewhere.. it just that simple.
Click to expand...
1) I've checked https://features.cpanel.net/topic/more-selective-backup-restore-options and https://plesk.uservoice.com/forums/...s/suggestions/15852874-backup-and-restoration. None of these have it in "core" at this time. I'm not sure why "should have always been" was used there? :) We are not removing anything from our backup system. It is getting improvements like ztsd, and more improvements in the future. Per-file and per-database restores were emphasized there. I've checked 2 most commonly commented 'other' panels there.

2) "Advanced GUI for account migrations." is not equal to "easier import of accounts from non-DA control panels".

When people write their own interpretation (you 'cited' the first one), it does not mean that these things were the things mentioned in 'expected' features in the Pro pack.
 
Active8 said:
Fully agree, this must be in the core and not as some add-on IMHO
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I'd be fine with this:
  • basic system (but still more advanced as the current setup, so also incremental back-ups) for regular licences, that's just the same restore process as now, where you can just restore back-ups that are automatically made (ideally an option on the user-level for this too).
  • and a more-advanced system, that allows per-file and per-database back-ups.
 
Ok more OS related service and support for updating those and kind of snapshot / reversing functions
Maybe such as http://snapper.io/

Could be handy or?

Also as in DA custombuild GUI overview of OS related updates form OS packages, where you can see in simple overview yes or no security related. :love:
 
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smtalk said:
1) I've checked https://features.cpanel.net/topic/more-selective-backup-restore-options and https://plesk.uservoice.com/forums/...s/suggestions/15852874-backup-and-restoration. None of these have it in "core" at this time. I'm not sure why "should have always been" was used there? :) We are not removing anything from our backup system. It is getting improvements like ztsd, and more improvements in the future. Per-file and per-database restores were emphasized there. I've checked 2 most commonly commented 'other' panels there.

2) "Advanced GUI for account migrations." is not equal to "easier import of accounts from non-DA control panels".

When people write their own interpretation (you 'cited' the first one), it does not mean that these things were the things mentioned in 'expected' features in the Pro pack.
Click to expand...
You and DA is looking in the wrong place. You need to be researching the competition.
smtalk said:
I'm not sure why "should have always been" was used there?
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DA doesn’t have similar Core/Base features for backup as the competition. These companies are NOT charging extra for these features. If you want more customers it's simple be as good or better than your competition. The only way to do it is make the core product better. Don't make it all complicated. List out all the features you competition has and go after those features and do it quickly... It doesn't need to be about a Pro pack, a Dev pack or any pack.
smtalk said:
more improvements in the future
Click to expand...
I never said you all were not making improvements. Based on some simple research you just not making them in the correct places. This is the future and DA is already behind.

I am not speaking of one off features like zstd. I am speaking of basic standard features all panels have.
bdacus01 said:
Incremental, multiple storage paths, number of backups to keep.
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Incremental backup | s3, google, scp | Days to Keep settings.
Plesk, cPanel,InterWorx and even some free panels already have this and have for years.
bdacus01 said:
Advanced GUI for account migrations
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Plesk, cPanel,InterWorx and even some free panels already have this and have for years.

So making a addon and charging when the current product is not even close to standard is IMHO not a good idea.

All you all need to do is go read the docs on the competitions website. As you read ask yourself do we want more customers and do we have this feature? DA got lucky with cpanel price hike it brought them more business. You all have improved and I am glad for both Me and and DA. However, If you look at some of the other competition the cost is not that different. One of them is taking this opportunity to catch up. Why are they doing this? It's not because the just want to it because they know they have to so they can get more customers...

Maybe this helps.
 
Just for clarity, and so this topic stays on the Pro Pack.. It seems what @smtalk mentioned above is that one specific feature of the Advanced Backup Manager will be the per-file and per-database restores . He demonstrated how other panels don't have that specific feature in their core. If he was in error about that, of course post links to show otherwise. :)

As for feature requests regarding the core DA backup system, that is fine too (not really the point of this specific thread though). For anything you want to see in the core, nothing is really changed. Make sure it goes to feedback.directadmin.com and upvote it as well. For this thread, debating is no problem, but it should be to those specific Pro Pack features. For other things you want to see outside of the Pro Pack, it's better to take it out of this thread. Especially if this thread really balloons and becomes hard to read. Keeping it on topic will help make it more readable I think.
 
I personally don’t get why your backup system gets knocked so much.

I think it’s excellent. You can set it to backup how you want and where you want.

A server restore after a crash is great, it is perfect. Show it your storage, tick the boxes and restore. That’s it! :)

allowing the restoring of individual files and databases is great! It would be good if you supported wasabi, but SSH storage would be a good start. Doing this saves me a lot of work and saves me buying another backup program.
 
Off-topic and I understand how DA file structure is and this will not happen, but I'd love to see a per-domain restore. Like, if a client has 15 domains under their account and accidentally wrecks 1 domain, we/they need to restore every domain - unless we manually untar the backup etc etc.....

Will this Pro thing do this or?
 
rpm/deb upgrades for Apache/PHP would be great as part of a pro pack, along with incremental backup/restore, end user being able to restore folders/files/databases as they can in Jetbackup.
 
In custom build it would be nice to know what is installed and being used and what version the software is that is installed and running.
 
Try these. Unless you mean in the GUI
Code: 
/usr/local/directadmin/custombuild/build used_configs
/usr/local/directadmin/custombuild/build versions
/usr/local/directadmin/custombuild/build version

This is what is installed.
 
bdacus01 said:
Try these. Unless you mean in the GUI
Code: 
/usr/local/directadmin/custombuild/build used_configs
/usr/local/directadmin/custombuild/build versions
/usr/local/directadmin/custombuild/build version

This is what is installed.
Click to expand...
Yeh, I meant in the GUI
 
Is the Pro Pack migration GUI going to include the ability to migrate from cPanel servers, preferably 1-5 accounts at a time?

Any idea when the pro pack comes out?
 
experttechit said:
@smtalk @DirectAdmin Support

OK just wen to try the CPU / MEM / IO limit out, but realized my O/S centos7 isn't supported yet.

Will it be supported please?
Click to expand...
You’d need to manually update kernel to at least 4.2 (elrepo provides RPMs for this) and systemd would need to be updated to at least v229. As these are requirements for the feature to work, CentOS7 is not listed officially there.
 
@smtalk Thank you, will CentOS7 have any official support for it? or do we need to move to centos8 or ubuntu 20.10?
 
bdacus01 said:
  • GIT manager. | Don't need. I could care less about git manager. GIT is owned by MS. Put it in its own Plugin I wouldn't want this in a Pro Pack. Maybe a DEV pack..
Click to expand...

I won't go into much detail about much of this, but I could not, not reply to this.

Git isn't owned by Microsoft. Git is open source. Github is owned by Microsoft and is basically a frontend to git. As is GitLab by the way. See: https://git-scm.com/.

No offence, but I think your tone of voice is pretty harsh. Don't forget DirectAdmin is a control panel used by many companies/people. You can never support everyone. For example, we are very much looking forward to Git, Python and NodeJS support as it allows us to expand our business even further, you clearly aren't, but that's ok. We're using Acronis, so we don't need more advanced backups in DirectAdmin, you do, but that's ok too. I would focus on what you are looking for, not what you don't need.

In the end, we're looking forward to the pro pack. If the price is good, we will purchase it for all of our servers.
 
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