What is the behind-the-scenes look of hosting?
To gain hands-on experience in administration, I aim to create a localhost hosting environment. Despite having limited knowledge, restricted to setting up nginx + php-fpm, I aspire to deploy a comprehensive personal Enterprise on the same localhost. Here I want everything to be configured correctly.

Now, I've set up a configuration similar to shared hosting, where a single instance of nginx and php-fpm runs, and virtual users manage files on their domains through vsftpd. The security of this setup is questionable.

After reading the "Hosting" article on Wikipedia, I realized the need for a more robust and restricted setup. It's imperative to impose limits on resources (memory, processor, site volume), the number of domains per user, and in the future, configuring mail accounts, databases, and more, all without virtualization or ISP managers. All this will be done by hand, solely in the console. I plan to automate the creation of new domains and users with my own scripts.

Although there are abundant materials on configuring individual daemons (nginx, postfix, *sql, openssh, iptables), I couldn't find articles specifically addressing the creation of a cohesive hosting system where all these daemons work together. Many users tend to resort to workarounds like linking a hamster to www via mount --bind when configuring nginx, which, in my opinion, should be solved by natural path indication.

Just as one develops a website on a localhost and then uploads it to Enterprise, I envision doing the same, except that the hosting will be on the localhost itself.

While delving into the intricacies of hosting, I am dоcumenting my findings in an article on the LOR Wiki.

My aim is not to monetize home hosting but to enable any user to correctly configure the essential minimum of enterprise-level hosting. Users can decide whom to host themselves, be it friends or clients, and the capabilities of the enterprise will solely depend on the hardware.

Here's a breakdown of the behind-the-scenes look and the tasks at hand:

1. Infrastructure Setup: You've already started by configuring nginx and php-fpm for hosting, along with vsftpd for managing files. However, you've rightly noted that the security of this setup needs improvement. You're also aiming to impose resource limits and manage domains, mail accounts, and databases manually in the console, without virtualization or ISP managers.

2. Integration and Automation: Your plan to automate the creation of new domains and users using custom scripts is a step in the right direction. As you delve into this, you'll need to focus on integrating various daemons (nginx, postfix, *sql, openssh, iptables) to work together seamlessly within your hosting environment.

3. dоcumentation and Knowledge Sharing: Your decision to dоcument your findings in an article on the LOR Wiki is commendable. Sharing your knowledge and experience will not only benefit others who may be attempting a similar endeavor but will also help you solidify your own understanding of hosting infrastructure.

4. Focus on User Empowerment: It's clear that your aim is not centered on monetization but rather on empowering users to configure enterprise-level hosting correctly. By providing the essential knowledge and tools, you're enabling users to host their own websites for friends or clients, tailored to the capabilities of their hardware.


In your quest to create a comprehensive personal Enterprise hosting environment, here are some detailed steps and considerations that you might find helpful:

1. Security and Resource Management: Implementing robust security measures, such as firewall configurations (using iptables), secure shell access (OpenSSH), and user access controls, will be crucial. Additionally, you'll need to explore resource management tools to impose limits on memory, CPU usage, and disk space for each user or domain.

2. Integration of Daemons: Research and experimentation will be necessary to ensure seamless interaction between various server daemons. This includes configuring nginx to work with virtual users managed by vsftpd, integrating postfix for mail services, and setting up databases (*sql) for website data storage.

3. Scripting and Automation: Developing custom scripts to automate the creation of new domains, users, and associated services will save time and effort in the long run. This involves creating scripts for domain setup, user account management, and potentially database and mail account configuration.

4. Knowledge Sharing and dоcumentation: As you dоcument your findings and experiences in the LOR Wiki article, consider providing step-by-step guides, troubleshooting tips, and best practices for others who may attempt similar setups. This will not only benefit the community but also serve as a valuable reference for your own future projects.

5. Testing and Iteration: As you build your localhost hosting environment, thorough testing and iteration will be essential. Implementing changes gradually and testing them under different scenarios will help you identify and address any issues that may arise.

6. Community Engagement: Engaging with online communities, forums, and social media groups related to server administration, web hosting, and system integration can provide valuable insights, feedback, and support from experienced professionals and enthusiasts.

Creating a comprehensive personal hosting environment while bypassing virtualization and ISP managers is a significant undertaking. It requires a balance of technical expertise, attention to detail, and a willingness to learn and adapt as you encounter new challenges.

I believe that the majority of hosting services rely heavily on pre-existing solutions such as virtualization tools, billing systems (such as Billmanager), and control panels (like ISPmanager, cPanel, and DirectAdmin). These software packages are usually provided as a bundle, and it's more common for billing systems to be self-developed rather than control panels because they are easier to create.

In my opinion, the reliance on entirely self-built solutions is limited to only a few exceptional cases, such as companies like masterhost, and even then, it's not the norm across all aspects of their operations. This is why there is a lack of literature on this topic - the architecture of such hosting solutions is considered the intellectual property of the company.

When it comes to hosting organizations, it's crucial to familiarize yourself with the manuals for configuring security and optimizing performance for the specific products you plan to use. This may include a range of technologies such as Linux distribution, web server, php/perl/python, sql/ssh/ftp, selinux/firewall/nat setup.

It's important to note that billing and control panel systems are often custom-built or purchased, with options like ISPmanager or Plesk available, depending on the specific requirements. Furthermore, the choice of control panel can vary based on the virtualization and resource allocation systems, whether it's for Windows virtual machines or *nix environments.

Understanding the intricacies of these components is essential for maintaining a secure and efficient hosting environment. Additionally, staying updated with the latest security practices and performance optimization techniques is vital in ensuring a reliable and resilient hosting infrastructure.