It would be nice to be able to have another attached storage or EBS (AWS EC2) that we could define in the cPanel settings for all email storage. This way I could add storage as needed without effecting the main Server Storage. If i ran out of space on the storage device holding only the email boxes then i could attach a larger storage volume to the server and copy all of the emails over to it and then point the email to that volume in the cPanel settings.
Store Email on a different partition.
Open Discussion
IMAP mail has become the norm, with customers needing more and more space for messages. At the same time, SSD drives are now common, which provide a great performance boost for websites and databases but at a lower capacity and a premium cost.
In the current situation, messages are stored in the home partition at /home/username/mail which means that web hosts using cPanel have to store large volumes of mail on the same drives used for websites.
It would make sense to allow the /home partition to run from SSD's but have a separate /mail partition for Email storage that could utilize higher capacity, slower drives.
The proposal is simply to change the location of mail from /home/username/mail to /mail/username - or to specify the mail partition in the basic WHM settings. This would allow the web host to provide more space for Email and to locate it on separate, more appropriate storage. It would also improve performance.
I like this idea 
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This can be done with hooks and/or mail service configuration changes. For the most part, this is not needed unless the server is severely overloaded, in which case there are other options to consider.
This can be done with hooks and/or mail service configuration changes. For the most part, this is not needed unless the server is severely overloaded, in which case there are other options to consider.
I would also like to see the ability to store emails, especially the archives on a separate partition. This way, expensive SSD's can be used to service content (Web / SQL / IMAP / etc), while cheaper SATA HDD's can be used as storage.
Usting hooks todo this will probably break things like backups, moving accounts to another server, etc.
I would also like to see the ability to store emails, especially the archives on a separate partition. This way, expensive SSD's can be used to service content (Web / SQL / IMAP / etc), while cheaper SATA HDD's can be used as storage.
Usting hooks todo this will probably break things like backups, moving accounts to another server, etc.
I think the larger benefit to something like this is actually preventing something like a wordpress exploit from allowing hackers to siphon a user's email. In addition to SoftDux's note re: storing mail on larger partitions.
Either way, I think this, coupled with some sort of native email clustering would be extremely pertinent.
I think the larger benefit to something like this is actually preventing something like a wordpress exploit from allowing hackers to siphon a user's email. In addition to SoftDux's note re: storing mail on larger partitions.
Either way, I think this, coupled with some sort of native email clustering would be extremely pertinent.
This is a great idea and just what we were looking for. With products like this in the market ( [link omitted] ) we would be able to utilse the SSD for web and HDD for email.
Moderator note: Removed link to external commercial site
This is a great idea and just what we were looking for. With products like this in the market ( [link omitted] ) we would be able to utilse the SSD for web and HDD for email.
Moderator note: Removed link to external commercial site
As soon as this is implemented i will be migrating to cPanel/WHM for all services.
In my experience, 90% of clients cPanel space is dedicated to emails.
This suggestion together with mailbox compression (this feature is in pre-release) would improve storage flexibility, scalability and performance when using HDD for emails and SSD for everything else.
As soon as this is implemented i will be migrating to cPanel/WHM for all services.
In my experience, 90% of clients cPanel space is dedicated to emails.
This suggestion together with mailbox compression (this feature is in pre-release) would improve storage flexibility, scalability and performance when using HDD for emails and SSD for everything else.
This is similar to what I posted here:
https://features.cpanel.net/topic/set-different-mail-storage-path-for-specific-plans
In my case I don't mind hosting email for all users on the regular storage for most users, but there should be an option to use another partition like you said for different plans or accounts (business email). This way, you could have a cPanel hosting plan with bigger email accounts, and normal users upgrade to those plans and now they are using the cheaper storage.
I absolutely 100% agree with you. You can't offer decent email accounts from cPanel today and I suspect cPanel is losing customers based on this. Alot of customers are just migrating to Gmail or Office 365 because they offer huge sizes for email account. Email storage is budget storage, not high performance SSD on RAID setups.
Or at least another solution for now, if this is way too complicated for cPanel to implement, is archiving older emails to another partition. That way, regular emails that need frequent access are still on the regular storage, but very old emails that usually are not accessed frequently go to a cheaper storage automatically.
This is similar to what I posted here:
https://features.cpanel.net/topic/set-different-mail-storage-path-for-specific-plans
In my case I don't mind hosting email for all users on the regular storage for most users, but there should be an option to use another partition like you said for different plans or accounts (business email). This way, you could have a cPanel hosting plan with bigger email accounts, and normal users upgrade to those plans and now they are using the cheaper storage.
I absolutely 100% agree with you. You can't offer decent email accounts from cPanel today and I suspect cPanel is losing customers based on this. Alot of customers are just migrating to Gmail or Office 365 because they offer huge sizes for email account. Email storage is budget storage, not high performance SSD on RAID setups.
Or at least another solution for now, if this is way too complicated for cPanel to implement, is archiving older emails to another partition. That way, regular emails that need frequent access are still on the regular storage, but very old emails that usually are not accessed frequently go to a cheaper storage automatically.
While I like this request a lot ..chances are it will never get implemented. However there is a silver lining ... this is coming in the 11.66 release due in a couple of weeks https://features.cpanel.net/topic/add-option-to-compress-mdbox-in-v58
Basically native Dovecot mail compression which should save up to 90% of the disk space occupied by email storage.
While I like this request a lot ..chances are it will never get implemented. However there is a silver lining ... this is coming in the 11.66 release due in a couple of weeks https://features.cpanel.net/topic/add-option-to-compress-mdbox-in-v58
Basically native Dovecot mail compression which should save up to 90% of the disk space occupied by email storage.
This feature is very much needed as more and more users keeps hundreds of GB's worth of email on cpanel hosting. I have a setup where I have a 480GB SSD and 4TB HDD. I would very much like the websites to leverage the speed SSD provides and the storage the HDD provides for emails.
This feature is very much needed as more and more users keeps hundreds of GB's worth of email on cpanel hosting. I have a setup where I have a 480GB SSD and 4TB HDD. I would very much like the websites to leverage the speed SSD provides and the storage the HDD provides for emails.
I'd like to see some input from cpanel on this one.
I'd like to see some input from cpanel on this one.
Wow! I'm so sorry to see that we hadn't contributed at all here. I swear I'd said something, but it certainly appears not!
This is definitely one of those things that we have in mind going over the next few years of strategic planning. While I can't provide any solid insight for you right now, I can tell you that the motivations behind this request (specifically wanting to separate the hardware costs of different services from each other) is being considered in all of our decisions right now.
Wow! I'm so sorry to see that we hadn't contributed at all here. I swear I'd said something, but it certainly appears not!
This is definitely one of those things that we have in mind going over the next few years of strategic planning. While I can't provide any solid insight for you right now, I can tell you that the motivations behind this request (specifically wanting to separate the hardware costs of different services from each other) is being considered in all of our decisions right now.
Essential feature, without it cPanel is not fully prepared to compete with its rivals (e.g. they offer option to store mails on different partition/mounted disk etc.).
Essential feature, without it cPanel is not fully prepared to compete with its rivals (e.g. they offer option to store mails on different partition/mounted disk etc.).
I'm stucked on this, because I need same solution. In my case 85% client storage is for mails, while as little as slow for web because of use of the same HDDs.
Please Benny. try to solve his soon!
Thx
I'm stucked on this, because I need same solution. In my case 85% client storage is for mails, while as little as slow for web because of use of the same HDDs.
Please Benny. try to solve his soon!
Thx
100% agree this is a very important must have. We can't compete with other email service providers who offer large email storage. IMAP emails from clients are eating up much of my precious SSD space, while the huge HDD is unutilized.
Can cPanel please fast-track this option pls?
100% agree this is a very important must have. We can't compete with other email service providers who offer large email storage. IMAP emails from clients are eating up much of my precious SSD space, while the huge HDD is unutilized.
Can cPanel please fast-track this option pls?
This really is a fundamental, requirement now and should be treated with high importance.
This really is a fundamental, requirement now and should be treated with high importance.
another way would be mutiple home folders
/home1 is ssd
/home2 is hdd
/home1/user/mail alias to /home2/user/mail
OR
allowing best of both worlds centos Only makes /home/user/... however this is ONLY Alias files
/home/user/mail/ - aimed at /home2/user/mail -- HDD
/home/user/public_html - aimed at /home1/user/public_html -- SSD
this way we set in the user account profile the default file paths for the type of accounts and a default the server will make the home folders with permissions in all folders allowing speed and size allocations
issues like this is holding my company back a lot.
another way would be mutiple home folders
/home1 is ssd
/home2 is hdd
/home1/user/mail alias to /home2/user/mail
OR
allowing best of both worlds centos Only makes /home/user/... however this is ONLY Alias files
/home/user/mail/ - aimed at /home2/user/mail -- HDD
/home/user/public_html - aimed at /home1/user/public_html -- SSD
this way we set in the user account profile the default file paths for the type of accounts and a default the server will make the home folders with permissions in all folders allowing speed and size allocations
issues like this is holding my company back a lot.
The idea of doing a symlink seems like the best way to handle this as we have several clients that like having direct access to their mail folders. As a matter of fact it seems this could be done with a simple hook in the account create script to create a new folder on the HDD and then create the symlink on the SSD.
Might be a new topic, but this gives me the idea of pre-made hook scripts that cPanel could offer for situations like this and others. This way it makes it easy to implement and the scripts are officially supported.
The idea of doing a symlink seems like the best way to handle this as we have several clients that like having direct access to their mail folders. As a matter of fact it seems this could be done with a simple hook in the account create script to create a new folder on the HDD and then create the symlink on the SSD.
Might be a new topic, but this gives me the idea of pre-made hook scripts that cPanel could offer for situations like this and others. This way it makes it easy to implement and the scripts are officially supported.
If it really is as simple as a symlink, perhaps the best place for the configuration option would be in the Basic Server Setup page. This variable (being a directory) could then be used by the hook to create the symlink on account creation with the path of your choice. Otherwise, perhaps a Tweak Settings option with a fixed setting - such as "Store email at /home/mail/{user}" and the "mail partition" would need to be always mounted at "/home/mail".
I suppose this would have a knock on effect for backups and for account transfers - and of course, there would need to be a way to convert from the old structure to the new. It doesn't seem too complicated though.
If it really is as simple as a symlink, perhaps the best place for the configuration option would be in the Basic Server Setup page. This variable (being a directory) could then be used by the hook to create the symlink on account creation with the path of your choice. Otherwise, perhaps a Tweak Settings option with a fixed setting - such as "Store email at /home/mail/{user}" and the "mail partition" would need to be always mounted at "/home/mail".
I suppose this would have a knock on effect for backups and for account transfers - and of course, there would need to be a way to convert from the old structure to the new. It doesn't seem too complicated though.
To continue and keep customers not moving to office etc this is a feature cPanel should prioritize.
Having a dedicated server for hosting customers with sites/databases on SSD and email on SATA would keep us as a hosting company able to provide quality hosting and still offer alot of space for a reasonable price!
To continue and keep customers not moving to office etc this is a feature cPanel should prioritize.
Having a dedicated server for hosting customers with sites/databases on SSD and email on SATA would keep us as a hosting company able to provide quality hosting and still offer alot of space for a reasonable price!
This would be useful. We would like to offload mail files from website files. DA already support that, cPanel should follow...
This would be useful. We would like to offload mail files from website files. DA already support that, cPanel should follow...
I find myself in the same dilemma.
With everything being as optimized as possible, I wonder why storing emails on SSDs. Separating the storage of emails and public_html is necessary to optimize costs.
Looking forward to the progress of this feature
I find myself in the same dilemma.
With everything being as optimized as possible, I wonder why storing emails on SSDs. Separating the storage of emails and public_html is necessary to optimize costs.
Looking forward to the progress of this feature
This would be a fantastic feature and would save me tons of storage on my primary SSDs. Most of the storage my servers use is consumed by email. Mailboxes can quickly fill up. Having a more proficient mail storage system I think is a no-brainer.
Many server-hosting providers give options for additional HDD or NVMe storage space (sometimes included for free). Our hosted websites/databases are not very large and mail consumes 75% of the server space.
Hoping to see some sort of feature developed to help hosts in a similar position.
This would be a fantastic feature and would save me tons of storage on my primary SSDs. Most of the storage my servers use is consumed by email. Mailboxes can quickly fill up. Having a more proficient mail storage system I think is a no-brainer.
Many server-hosting providers give options for additional HDD or NVMe storage space (sometimes included for free). Our hosted websites/databases are not very large and mail consumes 75% of the server space.
Hoping to see some sort of feature developed to help hosts in a similar position.
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