Deploying Plesk Servers by Cloning

The most efficient way to quickly create virtual servers with Plesk on
demand is cloning virtual servers with Plesk already installed and
properly configured. The basic workflow looks like this:

1. Install Plesk on a virtual server

2. Prepare Plesk for cloning, this involves configuring a number of
   parameters using command line interface

   For instructions on how to prepare a Plesk instance for cloning, see
   Preparing Plesk for Linux for Cloning or Preparing
   Plesk for Windows for Cloning.

3. Stop the virtual server and create a snapshot

4. Use the snapshot to create new virtual servers

This technique is suitable for any modern virtualization solution:
Virtuozzo, Amazon Web Services, KVM, Xen, and so on.

Data Reset During Cloning

In order to ensure that no sensitive information is copied and
disseminated when new Plesk servers are created from a snapshot, all
such data is automatically reset in the course of preparing Plesk for
cloning.

The following data items are reset in the course of cloning a Plesk
server:

• IP addresses are remapped,
• GUIDs for clients, domains, service plans, subscriptions, and other
  database entities,
• Initial configuration information,
• Plesk certificate created,
• SSL certificates deleted (only the default certificate, cloning does
  not change user-defined certificates),
• Backup signature generated,
• Sessions,
• Administrator’s password and other passwords (all passwords are
  decrypted, new symmetric key generated, and passwords encrypted again
  with new key),
• Last check for update time,
• (Optionally) License key.

The rest of the data remain intact.

Cloning and Plesk Licensing

When deploying new Plesk instances by cloning, you have two options:

1. Deploy new Plesk instances without a product license key. In this
   case, choose to reset the license when preparing Plesk for cloning.
2. Have new product license keys issued automatically for the new
   instances. In this case, do not reset the license. Then, before you
   start cloning Plesk, please contact our sales representatives and
   provide the range of IP addresses within which your Plesk instances
   will be installed. Our licensing system will activate Plesk servers
   from this range only.