Overview
This document describes linked nodes, server profiles, how they work together, and the future plans for the linked nodes project.
Linked nodes
In cPanel & WHM version 86, we introduced WHM’s Link Server Nodes interface (WHM >> Home >> Server Configuration >> Link Server Nodes). This interface allows you to link two servers together, a parent node and a child node. The parent node can offload certain functionality to the child node (for example, mail).
Server profiles
In cPanel & WHM version 76, we introduced WHM’s Server Profile interface (WHM >> Home >> Server Configuration >> Server Profile). Server profiles optimize servers to perform specific tasks or functions. Each profile enables and disables a set of roles. Each role allows or disallows certain services related to the server’s task. For example, a server that runs a Mail server profile only enables services essential to mail. The profile disables all other services, such as Web Disk and FTP.
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.
Implementation
Together, these two interfaces allow you to optimize each server for separate, distinct functionality. This combination frees up resources on the parent node and allows you to optimize the hardware for each server.
- For information about linked nodes, read our cPanel Linked Nodes Guide documentation.
- For more information about server profiles, read our How to Use Server Profiles documentation.
A visual representation of the phases.
Phases
This project has several phases. Each phase will deliver more improvements, functions, and controls. You can read about each phase in the following section:
| Phase | Description | Notes | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Introduce server profiles |
|
Complete |
| 2 | Improve email deliverability |
|
Complete |
| 3 | Manage API Tokens in cPanel |
|
Complete |
| 4 | Standalone DNS server profile licensing | Support of DNS server profile licenses. | Complete |
| 5 | Link a new Standard parent node to a new Mail child node |
|
Complete |
| 6 | Transfer existing linked cPanel accounts between nodes |
|
Complete |
| 7 | Modify a cPanel account to offload mail | Offload a cPanel account’s mail storage to a linked node in WHM’s Modify an Account interface (WHM >> Home >> Account Functions >> Modify an Account). | Complete |
| 8 | Modify a cPanel account to host mail locally | Modify a distributed cPanel account to use only the local server in WHM’s Modify an Account interface (WHM >> Home >> Account Functions >> Modify an Account). | Complete |
| 9 | Production Ready | Support a linked child node server with a Standard or Mail server profile in a production environment. | Complete |
| 10 | Future plans | Performance and optimizations. | In progress |
