Ready for your own dedicated server?? Here are the tweaks that I make to all new servers that I set up.

What YOU need to do first:
For the nameservers for your main domain, you’ll need to both ‘register’ them at GoDaddy and point the domain at itself.

To register them, go into your GoDaddy account and into Domain Manager, and find that domain and scroll down to the Host Summary section.  Click on Add:

Add one host entry for ns1 and match it the correct IP.

Save that and then do one for ns2.  Sometimes you have to wait 10 or 15 seconds in between each.

After that, you’ll need to go up the nameservers (for that same domain) and point them to the same ns1.yourdomain…. and ns2.yourdomain….
Sometimes, you will have to wait a bit before you can do this part.  If you try and get the message that the nameservers aren’t registered, then just try again 30 minutes or so.  I’ve had it take 5 minutes, and I’ve had it take 5 hours.

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Here’s what is next:

Once the nameservers (instructions above) have been set up, go into your WHM and “create a new account’.  It can just be the default options.  Just fill in the domain name (your main server domain), a username (don’t make this the same as any of your current accounts that you might have Servint migrate over), a password and  your email.   Under DNS settings, click “Use the nameservers specified at the Domain’s Registrar” – make sure the nameservers beneath that show the nameservers you just created in GoDaddy.  Click create.

Make sure MySQLi and a Php add-on called GD are installed. I have noticed that recently this has been done, but these are important.  If you prefer to check this yourself, click on Easy Apache in the left menu.  Continue through the options (it’s a step 1, step 2, step 3 type thing) until you get to Exhaustive Options.   These option should be checked.  If not, check them and continue through the process.  You will need to “rebuild php” at the end.  This will take about 20 minutes.    If you are not comfortable with this, you can put in a ticket with Servint and they can check it for you – shouldn’t take but a few minutes.

Another thing Mage requires is suphp – most servers are set up by default at dso.  That’s done on the “Configure PHP and SuExec menu.”  Click on that option in the left column.  Change the drop-down box to SuPhp and then Save New Configuration.

The firewall should be enabled as well.  Pretty simple – just scroll all the way down in the menu til you see the Firewall option.  Click on that, and you’ll see on the screen the Enable button.

And then finally, a proper “package” needs to be set up for creating cpanel accounts, because if you use the default, it’s usually set to 0 addons and CPMage can’t make sites like that. To do this, click on “Add a Package”.  Set everything to ‘unlimited’ in the top section.  Click Dedicated IP, turn off Shell Access and Frontpage Extentions and then click “Add”.  I usually name this unlimited-mage and then save.

In WHM in the Server Configuration section click on Stats and Logs. Find the “Keep monthly log files” option and turn it On. Hit Save and you are done.  This is essential for EPN accounts.

Tweak php time to 300s.  That’s done under Tweak Settings->Php tab.  Look for “cPanel PHP max execution time”. Change it to300s.  This will just keep the server from timing out if you have a really large keyword list.

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When you start using your server:
For CPmages, you’ll use the secure 2083 port to do the install.

When you get ready to start a new cpanel account, in WHM go to:
Create account – fill in what it asks for – basically the domain and then you can use the random password feature if you want
On that screen, you’ll choose a package.  I’ve created a package called Mage Unlimited – just select that one.   I have it set to automatically assign a new IP , but if you want that account to NOT have a dedicated IP, click on the “select options manually” and then just unclick ‘dedicated IP’.
Scroll on down and finish it up.

Then go to List Accounts – and you’ll see the new account.  You’ll see the cpanel icon as well – you can use that to log in to the new cpanel.  From there on out, you are in the same spot as a typical shared Hosting.

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Anytime you run into problems with your server, feel free to visit Servint’s support desk and put in a ticket.  They are fantastic to work with!  Tickets are usually replied to quickly (10 minutes to an hour).