DirectAdmin and Plesk Plugins

Server Scout automatically detects and monitors popular control panels including DirectAdmin and Plesk, providing detailed insights into your hosting environment without requiring manual configuration.

What the Control Panel Plugins Monitor

Both DirectAdmin and Plesk plugins track essential hosting metrics that help you manage your server resources effectively:

• User accounts - Total number of hosting accounts and their status
• Domains - Active domains, subdomains, and domain aliases
• Email accounts - Mailboxes, forwarders, and mailing lists
• Databases - MySQL/PostgreSQL databases and their sizes
• Disk usage - Per-account disk consumption and overall usage trends
• Bandwidth consumption - Monthly transfer statistics for accounts
• SSL certificates - Certificate status and expiry dates

Automatic Detection and Enabling

Server Scout automatically detects installed control panels during the initial setup process. The monitoring agent scans common installation paths and processes to identify:

1. DirectAdmin - Detected via the /usr/local/directadmin/ directory and running processes
2. Plesk - Identified through /opt/psa/ or /usr/local/psa/ paths and the sw-engine service

Once detected, the relevant plugin is automatically enabled without requiring additional configuration. The agent uses the control panel's existing database and configuration files to gather monitoring data, ensuring minimal system impact.

Viewing Data in the Dashboard

After enabling, control panel data appears in dedicated dashboard sections:

Overview Cards

The main dashboard displays summary cards showing:

• Total number of active accounts
• Current disk usage percentage
• This month's bandwidth consumption
• Any accounts approaching quota limits

Detailed Metrics

Navigate to the Control Panel section for comprehensive breakdowns:

1. Account listing with individual disk and bandwidth usage
2. Domain management overview showing active domains and SSL status
3. Email statistics including mailbox sizes and message counts
4. Database monitoring with size tracking and connection statistics

Historical data is preserved, allowing you to track growth trends and identify accounts requiring attention.

Differences Between Control Panel Plugins

DirectAdmin Plugin

• Focuses on simplicity with essential metrics clearly presented
• Integrates with DirectAdmin's backup system for restoration monitoring
• Provides skin/theme usage statistics
• Monitors reseller account hierarchies effectively

Plesk Plugin

• Offers more granular service monitoring (Apache, nginx, MySQL status)
• Includes WordPress Toolkit integration metrics where available
• Provides extension and component status monitoring
• Tracks subscription-based account structures with detailed plan information

Key Distinctions

The main differences lie in how each plugin presents data structure:

• Account hierarchy - DirectAdmin shows admin/reseller/user relationships, whilst Plesk focuses on subscription-based organisation
• Service integration - Plesk plugin provides deeper service-level monitoring due to Plesk's integrated approach
• Backup monitoring - DirectAdmin integrates with built-in backup features, whilst Plesk offers more third-party backup solution compatibility

JetBackup Integration

Server Scout also includes JetBackup monitoring capabilities for servers using this popular backup solution. When detected, the plugin tracks:

• Backup job success/failure rates
• Storage usage and retention policies
• Schedule adherence and completion times
• Restore operation history

This integration works alongside control panel plugins, providing comprehensive backup status tracking regardless of your chosen control panel.

Performance Impact

All control panel plugins are designed with minimal system impact in mind. They:

• Query databases efficiently using read-only connections
• Cache frequently accessed data to reduce system load
• Run monitoring checks during low-usage periods
• Automatically throttle data collection if system load is high

The plugins respect your control panel's existing security configurations and never modify settings or perform administrative actions.

These automated monitoring capabilities ensure you maintain complete visibility over your hosting environment whilst allowing Server Scout to integrate seamlessly with your existing infrastructure.