Newby questions I can't find answers to!

[steveharman]

Hi There,

 

WHMCS seems like just what we've been looking for & more besides. I've had loads of questions and managed to find many of the answers here in the forums but a few I couldn't get to the bottom of so would be grateful for any help or suggestions.

 

 

1)

Would I be correct in saying that WHMCS supports multiple-reseller configurations? For example we could host our own WHMCS, but re-sell VPS service with two or more hosting providers, one in Europe and one in the US perhaps, which would be decided at client sign-up time depending on where clients chose to have their hosting.

 

2)

We're probably going buy a license outright and run WHMCS unbranded on our own VPS, while using other hosting provider(s) for the VPS' we sell for clients. In peoples experience are hosting / reselling companies comfortable with this approach? I notice a number of them either include WHMCS as part of their reseller package or offer it as an add-on but couldn't find any that state they allowed 'own-hosted WHMCS' as it were. Suggestions of suitable hosting companies would be most welcome assuming that doesn't go against forum rules!

 

3)

Assuming we find hosting companies that permit point 2, above, how does payment for services usually work with WHMCS? Do we configure it to pass on payment to the hosting provider as soon as a client signs up with us, or is it a case of maintaining a credit balance with the hosting provider which is debited as soon as new service is provisioned when a client signs up with us?

 

4)

Server specification. Are options of hosting packages we make available for sale pulled-in by WHMCS from our specified hosting providers (RAM, HDD, bandwidth, CPU speed etc) or do we create duplicate 'products' in WHMCS that match whatever our providers offer? Basically I'm interested in how our copy of WHMCS would interact with the hosting provider.

 

And finally.... ;-)

 

5)

Action Hooks. As I understand it we could pass relevant new-client information created at sign-up, on to our hosting provider's provisioning system (SolusVM?) which could then create a MySQL database named 'new-client-name' and run through an install script for say Magento or similar, again configuring with values specified during the new client's sign up (website URL, a site admin password etc.)

 

 

Any input would be most gratefully received.

 

Many thanks,

 

Steve

[disgruntled]

1) yes you can, whmcs just needs to know the server to do it on. the configurations themselves are done at the server. WHMCS dicumentation has a great guide on setting up exactly for this.

 

2)Server companies dont care as long as you keep paying them for the server you can host your main site where you want as long as it has curl set up you can then manage the provisioning from it and provision on any server you have set up in whmcs assuming you have set the right server module for it. (assuming it has a control panel supported by whmcs which many do.

 

3) as a general rule with WHMCS all payments are managed in house and you have a seperate payment arrangement with your server providers. Many server providers offer resellers a 1month rolling contract allowing you to terminate if a client refuses a payment and so you dont incur fees for unused servers.

 

4) From my experience (cPanel Servers) these actionhooks are not required, you just tell cPanel from WHMCS to make an account and all the magic happens Automagically. (ofcourse you can create accounts the old fashioned way with a hammer and a chisel (joking) but you dont need to)

 

You can also check the documentation for supported server modules and choose which server companies offer one of those control panels, personally i would go with Parallels virtuozzo(linux vps) and cPanel/WHM

 

These are in my opinion the simplest to manage, Remember also one thing. Your not on your own, your server providers have support teams also and are usually willing to do medial tasks for free, but some also have support agreements that you can sign up for to get the complete bundle should you not have your own experience or administrators to fall back onto.

 

With regards to own hosted, Unless these hosts state in their terms that because they resell you can't use WHMCS then they dont block it. The fact is whmcs even with their license is still self hosted on your server, they just provide the license for it.

 

Buy out right, buy unbranded, and over time buy the live help and whatever other addons you need. And ALWAYS buy the upgrades and support addon. Its annual but you wont regret it.

Edited May 20, 2012 by disgruntled