Difference between revisions of "VPS.Net"

Revision as of 17:17, 21 June 2010

VPS.NET is a VPS Cloud Hosting Service. In what's being called the next generation of web hosting, the cloud gives you access to limitless resources with instant scalability. Combining WHMCS with the VPS.Net module is a great way to sell VPS (or Cloud servers, depending on how you wish to market it) to your customers through a completely white label solution.

This is the first official module, not to be confused with previous third party modules for the VPS.Net service.

Supported Features

Create / Delete VPS
Edit VPS (Upgrade/Downgrade Resources & Cloud/OS Template)
Start / Shutdown / Reboot VPS
Bandwidth Graphs
CPU Usage Graphs
Enable / Disable Backups (chargeable)

Installation

Released in June 2010, if you don't have the module in your installation yet, you can download the files @ http://www.whmcs.com/members/dl.php?type=d&id=51 and these simply need to be uploaded to the /modules/servers/vpsnet/ folder to install. You'll also find a language_file.txt file in the zip download that contains new language file lines specific to this module which need to be added to your active language files.

Setup/Configuration

The first step is to create a server in Setup > Servers. The name can be set to anything you like, module must be set to Vpsnet and then your email & API Key for the VPS.Net account need entering into the Username & Password fields respectively. To generate a key:

Log into your account at the VPS.Net portal (www.vps.net)
Click the Profile link at the top of the page.
On the page that appears, click the Generate link next to the API key field.

Once the server has been setup, you can then proceed to create your first product. The basic steps for this are:

Begin by going to Setup > Products/Services
Click the Create a New Product link
Select VPS/Dedicated Server for the Product Type
Choose the appropriate product group and give the product a name, then click Continue >>

On the next screen that appears, all settings can be left at their defaults
Next move to the Module Settings tab and select the Vpsnet module from the dropdown menu. Server Group should be left at None.
You will then see a screen like the one below where you can enter the Number of Nodes, select the Cloud/Template for this item, and enable/disable Backups aswell as choosing the desired auto setup option.

Method 1: Fixed Products

With this method, you would set the number of nodes you want this product to come with and the Cloud/Template on the Module Settings page itself so the user doesn't get a choice. For example you could set the number of nodes to 2, the cloud/template to "London Zone A - CentOS Optimized" as above and then a monthly price on the pricing tab. You could do this for each configuration of VPS you want to offer and thus have a seperate product for each.

Method 2: Let the User Choose

Alternatively, the Number of Nodes and Cloud/Template options you want to offer can also be provided to the user on the signup form as Configurable Options through a single product. This allows the user to choose exactly what they want and see the price updated based on their selections. Setup of this method involves setting the base product price to zero, and then creating a Configurable Options Group which supports the following option names:

Nodes - Can be a Quantity, Dropdown or Radio Selection option type to allow the user to specify the number of nodes they want. Should be a numeric value.
Cloud Template - Can be a Dropdown or Radio Selection option type to allow the user to choose the Cloud Location & OS Template they desire. Should be in the format CloudID+TemplateID - you can find the ID values on the Module Settings tab Cloud Template dropdown for the module.
Enable Backups - Can be a Yes/No option type to allow the user to choose if they want backups ability

The below screenshots show an example of how the configurable options could be setup:

The important feature of config options to remember is the field format "SystemValue|DisplayValue" for flexibility ie. the part before the pipe symbol is what the system requires and the part after is what you want to display to users and can be more friendly. This is demonstrated in the example above.

Upgrades/Downgrades

Automated product & configurable option upgrades/downgrades are fully supported by the VPS.Net module so if enabled in the product configuration, WHMCS will allow the user to order a change of their VPS Product, or number of nodes/cloud template/backups options and automatically provision it with VPS.Net upon payment.

Admin Area Management Options

The admin area allows for creation & termination of VPS.Net services along with automated package changes, power management, and backup generation as shown in the Module Commands below. The VPS Hostname & IP will also be displayed in the respective fields for the product.

Client Area Management Options

The client area with this module provides clients with an automated management panel for their VPS service all without any admin/staff intervention. This includes the ability to:

Power On, Off, Reboot & Shutdown their VPS
View CPU & Bandwidth Graphs
Generate Backups & Restore Previous Backups

Customisation

The module contains 3 template files - cpugraphs.tpl, networkgraphs.tpl and backuplist.tpl along with numerous language file lines which allow for customisation of the client area pages.