How to Use Server Profiles

Overview

Server profiles let you set up servers to perform specific tasks or functions. They also manage roles that enable or disable task-specific services. For example, the Mail server profile disables most non-mail services. This server hosts accounts that only need mail features and not other services.

• You can configure your server’s profile with WHM’s Server Profile interface (WHM » Home » Server Configuration » Server Profile).
• Server profiles hide some cPanel & WHM interfaces and block some associated API functions.
  • This feature doesn’t block you from manually installing software.
  • Attempts to customize this feature are not supported and can cause unwanted results.

Important:

The system uses the dynamicui.conf files’s roles and services values to display and hide features in the interface. Don’t modify this file or these values. We don’t support this behavior.

Server profiles and licenses

Your cPanel & WHM license may determine your server’s profile.

• You can buy a cPanel Solo® License for a server that uses any profile, but that server’s cPanel & WHM access will only allow one user.
• For more information, read the Profiles section below.

Roles

Important:

• If a role disables a service, the system disables the role’s related modules and functions.
• If a server profile enables a service, the system will also enable service monitoring. To disable this, use WHM’s Service Manager interface (WHM » Home » Service Configuration » Service Manager).

Roles are collections of one or more services. Profiles use roles to provide specific server functionality. A server profile may consist of one or more of the following roles:

Role	Description	Module name	Services
Calendars and Contacts	Allows users to access CalDAV and CardDAV services and features.	CalendarContact	cpdavd
DNS	Allows users to create and edit Domain Name System (DNS) zone files. Important:This role doesn’t convert your server to a cPanel DNSOnly® server.	DNS	bind, named, pdns, powerdns
File Storage	Allows users to access cPanel’s File Manager and Git™ Version Controlfeatures. Note:When a profile disables this role, you can’t enable the Shell Accesssetting when you create a new cPanel account.	FileStorage	There are currently no services for this role.
FTP	Allows users to manage their account’s files with an FTP client.	FTP	ftpd, pureftp, proftpd
Local Mail	Allows the control of local mail delivery and related features.	MailLocal	exim, dovecot
MySQL Client	This role checks whether the MySQL/MariaDB client access exists locally or remotely. Note:You cannot directly enable or disable this role. The system enables or disables this role depending on the MySQL configuration.	MySQLClient	None.
MySQL/MariaDB	Allows users to create and manage MySQL® or MariaDB databases.	MySQL	mysql
PostgreSQL	Allows users to create and manage PostgreSQL databases if cPanel & WHM manages the server’s PostgreSQL. Note:You must install PostgreSQL to enable this optional role.	Postgres	postgresql
Receive Mail	Allows users to receive mail from external sources.	MailReceive	cpanel_dovecot_solr, cpdavd, cpgreylistd, dovecot, imap, mailman, pop
Relay Mail	Allows the server’s Message Transfer Agent (MTA) to forward mail from one remote host to another.	MailRelay	exim, exim-altport
Send Mail	Allows users to send mail and control the features necessary for sending mail.	MailSend	exim, exim-altport
Spam Filter	Allows users to use Apache SpamAssassin™ to identify, sort, and delete unsolicited mail.	SpamFilter	spamd
Webmail	Allows users to access webmail services and features.	Webmail	There are currently no services for this role.
Web Disk	Allows users to manage their account’s files with a WebDAV client.	WebDisk	cpdavd
Web Server	Allows users to create and manage websites for their domains. Important:When a profile disables this role, the system takes specific actions. For more information, read the Disabled Web Server role section below.	WebServer	httpd

Disabled Web Server role

When a profile disables this role, the system applies two restrictions:

• You can’t enable the CGI Access setting when you create a new cPanel account.
• The cpsrvd daemon takes over service for the standard HTTP ports 80 and 443.
  • This ensures that cPanel & WHM features that depend on these ports continue to function. For example, the AutoSSL, Mailman, and BoxTrapper features depend on these ports.
  • To prevent the cpsrvd daemon from serving ports 80 and 443, enable the Prevent cpsrvd from serving standard HTTP ports setting in WHM’s Tweak Settings interface (WHM » Home » Server Configuration » Tweak Settings).

Profiles

Important:

Server profiles provide performance improvements, not necessarily additional security.

Distributed accounts have the same level of access on the child node as they do on the parent node. This access allows linked nodes to work smoothly with existing systems. We are researching methods to transition to a reduced access security model in a future version.

You can select from one of the following profiles:

Standard

This profile provides all services and has access to all cPanel interfaces. This is the default server profile for a full cPanel & WHM license.

Roles

This profile provides all services and has access to all cPanel interfaces.

Disabled services

This profile doesn’t disable any cPanel & WHM services.

Interfaces

• This profile enables all WHM interfaces.
• This profile allows cPanel users access to all cPanel interfaces.

DNS

This profile allows the system to serve Domain Name System (DNS) zones.

Important:

• If you purchase a DNS license, the system defaults to this profile.
  • You can’t select a different profile.
  • You must upgrade to a full cPanel & WHM license to select a new profile.
  • Only cPanel partners can purchase DNS licenses.
• Selecting this profile doesn’t convert your server to a cPanel DNSOnly server.

Roles

This profile has the following role configuration:

Role	Enabled	Disabled	Optional
Calendars and Contacts
DNS
File Storage
FTP
Local Mail
MySQL/MariaDB
PostgreSQL
Receive Mail
Relay Mail
Send Mail
Spam Filter
Webmail
Web Disk
Web Server

Disabled services

This profile disables the following services:

Interfaces

Mail

This profile allows the system to serve mail. Certain cPanel & WHM features, such as AutoSSL and GNU Mailman, require HTTP service. On a Mail server profile, the server disables the web server but enables the cpsrvd service to handle the TCP ports 80 and 443. This ensures that HTTP-dependent cPanel & WHM features continue to function.

Warnings

Warning:

You must comply with all of the instructions below.

Roles

This profile has the following role configuration:

Role	Enabled	Disabled	Optional
Calendars and Contacts
DNS
File Storage
FTP
Local Mail
MySQL/MariaDB
PostgreSQL
Receive Mail
Relay Mail
Send Mail
Spam Filter
Webmail
Web Disk
Web Server

Disabled services

This profile disables the following services:

Interfaces

Database

By default, this profile allows the server to only serve databases.

Warning:

This profile is experimental, and we do not recommend it for production environments.

Roles

This profile has the following role configuration:

Role	Enabled	Disabled	Optional
Calendars and Contacts
DNS
File Storage
FTP
Local Mail
MySQL/MariaDB
PostgreSQL
Receive Mail
Relay Mail
Send Mail
Spam Filter
Webmail
Web Disk
Web Server

Disabled services

By default, this profile disables the following services:

Interfaces

The cphttpd service

The system uses the cphttpd service on DNSOnly, MailNode, and other non-web hosting server profiles as a method to provide hostname SSL certificates. This process listens and responds to requests on ports 80 and 443 so that the AutoSSL service can run for your hostname.