# server_pref.exe: System and Interface Preferences

The `server_pref.exe` utility is used to manage server-wide settings. Using this utility, one can perform the following operations:

- Set up default Plesk control panel interface preferences, such as locale, skin and interface template.
- Retrieve lists of available locales, skins and interface templates.
- Set up host name for the Plesk server.
- Set up server-wide preferences for traffic and disk space usage statistic.
- Set up server-wide database preferences.
- Allow/prohibit users to create DNS subzones in other users’ DNS zones.
- Include customer password in files which keep WebMatrix publication settings.

## Location

`%plesk_cli%`

## Usage

    server_pref.exe <command> [
    <option_1> [<param>]
    [<option_2> [<param>]]
    ... [<option_N> [<param>]]

## Example

The following command sets the Plesk server host name to host.example.com `,` enables inclusion of mailboxes in the disk space usage calculation, and enables inclusion of only outbound traffic in the traffic calculation.

    plesk bin server_pref.exe --update -hostname host.example.com -include-mailboxes true -traffic-direction out

## Commands

Command | Parameter | Description | Example
--- | --- | --- | ---
`--set-default` or `-sd` |  | Sets default server-wide parameters. Requires `-locale`, `-skin`, `-template` options in any combinations. | To set Plesk default locale to English (United States) and default skin to Aqua Compact:
    plesk bin server_pref.exe --set-default -locale en-US -skin "Aqua Compact"
or
    plesk bin server_pref.exe -sd -locale en-US -skin "Aqua Compact"
`--locales-list` or `-ll` |  | Displays the list of available supported interface languages (locales). | To view the list of available interface languages (locales):
    plesk bin server_pref.exe --locales-list
`--skins-list` or `-sl` |  | Displays the list of available Plesk control panel skins. | To view the list of available skins:
    plesk bin server_pref.exe --skins-list
`--templates-list` or `-tl` |  | Displays the list of available interface customization templates. | To view the list of available interface customization templates:
    plesk bin server_pref.exe --templates-list
`--update` or `-u` |  | Updates Plesk server preferences. The corresponding options are in the list of options below. | To set the host name to host.example.com:
    plesk bin server_pref.exe --update -hostname host.example.com
`--show` or `-s` |  | Displays the currently configured server preferences. | To see the currently configured server preferences:
    plesk bin server_pref.exe -s
- `--set-iis-app-pool-settings` |  | Set up the CPU usage settings of the default shared IIS application pool. Used with the options: `-cpu-usage-state`, `-cpu-usage-value`, `-cpu-usage-action`, `-cpu-usage-interval`. | To set up the following CPU usage settings for the default shared IIS application pool: limit CPU usage by worker processes to 10%, reduce CPU time for processes if they have exceeded the limit:
      plesk bin server_pref.exe --set-iis-app-pool-settings -cpu-usage-state true -cpu-usage-value 10 -cpu-usage-action Throttle
`--load-customizations` |  | Loads default Plesk settings from Plesk Partner Central and saves them to `/opt/psa/admin/conf/customizations.conf` When you have several Plesk servers, it may be convenient to customize Plesk setting once through Partner Central and then download the settings to each Plesk server. | To load customization settings from Plesk Partner Central:
    plesk bin server_pref.exe --load-customizations
`--help` or `-h` |  | Displays help on the use of the utility. |
    plesk bin server_pref.exe --help
or
    server_pref.exe -h
`--set-ftp-passive-port-range` |  | Sets port or port range for passive FTP mode connections. | To set port 50000 for passive FTP connections:
    plesk bin server_pref.exe --set-ftp-passive-port-range 50000

## Options

Option | Parameter | Description | Example
--- | --- | --- | ---
`-locale` | `<language code>` | Sets the default interface language for Plesk interface. The argument of the option must be a valid four-letter language code derived from the language code described in ISO-639-2 and the corresponding country code described in ISO-3166. For example, the Plesk code for the Italian language code is `it-IT`; the Plesk code for the American variant of English is `en-US`; the Plesk code for the British variant of English is `en-GB`. Used with the `--set-default` only. | To set the default interface language for Plesk administrator’s interface to Italian:
    plesk bin server_pref.exe -sd -locale it-IT
`-skin` | `<skin name>` | Sets the default interface skin for Plesk interface. Used with the `--set-default` only. | To set the skin WinXP Olivegreen as the default skin:
    plesk bin server_pref.exe -sd -skin "WinXP Olivegreen"
`-template` | `<template name>` | Sets the default interface customization template to Plesk interface. Used with the `--set-default` only. | To apply customization template Interface Customization Template to administrator’s control panel interface:
    plesk bin server_pref.exe -sd -template "Interface customization template"
`-hostname` | `<string>` | Sets the full host name of the server. | To set the host name to host.example.com:
    plesk bin server_pref.exe -u -hostname host.example.com
`-include-logs` | `true|false` | Enables/Disables including log files in the disk space usage calculation. | To enable including log files in the disk space usage calculation:
    plesk bin server_pref.exe -u -include-logs true
`-include-mysql-databases` | `true|false` | Enables/Disables including disk space allocated to MySQL databases in the disk space usage calculation. | To count MySQL databases disk space in the overall statistics:
    plesk bin server_pref.exe -u -include-mysql-databases true
`-include-mssql-databases` | `true|false` | Enables/Disables including disk space allocated to Microsoft SQL databases in the disk space usage calculation. | To count Microsoft SQL databases disk space in the overall statistics:
    plesk bin server_pref.exe -u -include-mssql-databases true
`-include-remote-databases` | `true|false` | Enables/Disables including remote MySQL databases in the disk space usage calculation. | To enable including remote MySQL databases in the disk space usage calculation:
    plesk bin server_pref.exe -u -include-remote-databases true
`-include-mailboxes` | `true|false` | Enables/Disables including mailboxes in the disk space usage calculation. | To enable including mailboxes in the disk space usage calculation:
    plesk bin server_pref.exe -u -include-mailboxes true
`-include-webapps` | `true|false` | Enables/Disables including Tomcat Java web applications in the disk space usage calculation. | To enable including web applications in the disk space usage calculation:
    plesk bin server_pref.exe -u -include-webapps true
`-include-maillists` | `true|false` | Enables/Disables including mailing lists in the disk space usage calculation. | To enable including mailing lists in the disk space usage calculation:
    plesk bin server_pref.exe -u -include-maillists true
`-include-domaindumps` | `true|false` | Enables/Disables including domain backup files in the disk space usage calculation. | To enable including domain backup files in the disk space usage calculation:
    plesk bin server_pref.exe -u -include-domaindumps true
`-include-admindumps` | `true|false` | Enables/Disables including backup files created by the Administrator in the disk space usage calculation. | To enable including backup files created by the Administrator in the disk space usage calculation:
    plesk bin server_pref.exe -u -include-admindumps true
`-stat-keep` | `<months>` | Limits the number of months to retain traffic statistics. Is `3` by default. | To retain traffic statistics for 6 months:
    plesk bin server_pref.exe -u -stat-keep 6
`-traffic-direction` | `both|in|out` | Specifies a type of calculating traffic. The following types are available: inbound and outbound (`both`) inbound (`in`) outbound (`out`) | To include only outbound traffic in the traffic calculation:
    plesk bin server_pref.exe -u -traffic-direction out
`-force-db-prefix` | `true|false` | Enables/Disables adding database owner login name (customer or reseller) to database names as prefix `<<client|reseller>_login>_`. Is `false` by default. | To enable creating databases with names <customer|reseller login>_<database name>:
    plesk bin server_pref.exe -u -force-db-prefix true
`-force-db-user-prefix` | `true|false` | Enables/Disables adding database owner login name (customer or reseller) to database user names as prefix `<<client|reseller>_login>_`. Is `false` by default. | To enable creating database users with names <customer|reseller login>_<database user name>:
    plesk bin server_pref.exe -u -force-db-user-prefix true
`-db-user-length` | `<integer>` | Limits the number of characters in database user name. | To limit database user name to 25 characters:
    plesk bin server_pref.exe -u -db-user-length 25
`-multiple-sessions` | `true|false` | Allows/Prohibits having several simultaneous sessions under administrator’s login. Deprecated, use `admin` utility instead. | To allow multiple sessions under administrator’s login:
    plesk bin server_pref.exe -u -multiple-sessions true
`-low-priority` | `true|false` | Enables/Disables running scheduled backup processes with low priority. | To enable running scheduled backup processes with low priority:
    plesk bin server_pref.exe -u -low-priority true
`-do-not-compress` | `true|false` | Disables/Enables backup files compression. | To disable backup files compression:
    plesk bin server_pref.exe -u -do-not-compress true
`-max-backup-processes` | `<int>` | Limits the maximum number of simultaneously running scheduled backup processes. | To restrict the maximum number of simultaneously running scheduled backup processes to 5:
    plesk bin server_pref.exe -u -max-backup-processes 5
`-allow-siteapp-local-db` | `true|false` | Allows local hosting of databases for web applications that do not support remote databases. | To allow local hosting of databases for web applications that do not support remote databases:
    plesk bin server_pref.exe -u -allow-siteapp-local-db
`-aps-catalog-url` | `<url>` | Specifies URL of the APS Catalog service. | To make Plesk work with APS Catalog accessible by the URL http://apscatalog.com:
    plesk bin server_pref.exe -u -aps-catalog-url http://apscatalog.com
`-aps-force-updates` | `true|false` | Turns on force automatic updates for all installed applications. Users will be unable to turn off the updates. | To set force updates for all installed applications:
    plesk bin server_pref.exe -u -aps-force-updates true
`-aps-suggest-updates` | `true|false` | Turns on automatic updates for all newly installed applications. If `true`, the option “Automatically update this app” will be turned on by default in the settings of each newly installed app. Users will be able to turn the updates off unless the force updates are turned on by the Administrator. | To set automatic updates turned off by default for newly installed applications:
    plesk bin server_pref.exe -u -aps-suggest-updates false
`-iis-app-pool-mode` | `shared|mixed|dedicated` | Configures the IIS Application pool assignment and placement policy. | To configure the IIS Application pool assignment and placement policy to shared.
    plesk bin server_pref.exe -u -iis-app-pool-mode shared
`-max-worker-processes` | `<number>` | Sets the maximum number of worker processes permitted to service requests for IIS application pool. | To set the maximum number of worker processes permitted to service requests for IIS application pool to 5:
    plesk bin server_pref.exe -u -max-worker-processes 5
`-idle-timeout` | `<minutes>` | Sets the amount of time a worker process will remain idle before it shuts down. | To set the amount of time a worker process will remain idle before it shuts down to 5 minutes:
    plesk bin server_pref.exe -u -idle-timeout 5
`-managed-pipeline-mode` | `Integrated|Classic` | Configures ASP.NET to run in classic mode as an ISAPI extension or in integrated mode where managed code is integrated into the request-processing pipeline. | To configure ASP.NET to run in classic mode:
    plesk bin server_pref.exe -u -managed-pipeline-mode Classic
`-forbid-create-dns-subzone` | `true|false` | Disables/Enables users to create DNS subzones in other users’ DNS superzones. Is `false` by default. | To prohibit users from creating DNS subzones in other user’s DNS superzones:
    plesk bin server_pref.exe -u -forbid-create-dns-subzone true
`-disable-mail-ui` | `true|false` | Hides from Control Panel all controls related to managing e-mail services and adding new mail accounts. This option does not actually switch off the Plesk-managed mail server, but only removes the following items from the Control Panel accessed by hosting service customers and their users: Mail tab. Home tab > Mail group. Users tab > user name > Create an e-mail address under your account option. | To hide from Control Panel all mail-related controls:
    plesk bin server_pref.exe -u -disable-mail-ui true
`-cpu-usage-state` | `true|false` | Switches IIS application pool CPU usage monitoring on or off. | To set up CPU usage settings for the default shared IIS application pool:
    plesk bin server_pref.exe --set-iis-app-pool-settings -cpu-usage-state true -cpu-usage-value 10 -cpu-usage-action KillW3wp -cpu-usage-interval 3
    -recycling-by-time 60 -recycling-by-requests 1000 -recycling-by-virtual-memory 5120 -recycling-by-private-memory 10240
`-cpu-usage-value` | `<integer number>` | Specifies the maximum percentage of CPU time that worker processes in an application pool are allowed to consume over a period of time (the `-cpu-usage-interval` option). If the limit is exceeded, the event is written to the event log and an optional set of events can be triggered. These optional events are determined by the `-cpu-usage-action` option. |
`-cpu-usage-action` | `<NoAction|KillW3wp|` `Throttle|` `ThrottleUnderLoad>` | Specifies the action that IIS takes when a worker process exceeds the limit on CPU time usage. `NoAction` - no action is taken when the CPU limit is exceeded. A warning is written to the event log. `KillW3wp` - processes that exceed their CPU limit will be forced to shut down. `Throttle` - reduce the CPU consumption to the value set for limit (available only on IIS 8). `ThrottleUndeaLoad` - reduce the CPU consumption to the value set for the limit, but only if there are other processes that demand CPU time (available only on IIS 8). |
`-cpu-usage-interval` | `<minutes>` | Specifies the reset interval for monitoring of CPU usage by worker processes. Is not used for `Throttle` and `ThrottleUnderLoad` actions. |
`-recycling-by-time` | `<minutes>` | The period of time after which IIS application pool recycles. |
`-recycling-by-requests` | `<number>` | The maximum number of requests IIS application pool can process before it recycles. |
`-recycling-by-virtual-memory` | `<KB>` | The maximum amount of virtual memory a worker process can consume before causing the IIS application pool to recycle. |
`-recycling-by-private-memory` | `<KB>` | The maximum amount of private memory a worker process can consume before causing the IIS application pool to recycle. |
`-preview-domain` | `<preview_domain> | ""` | Sets the domain name for the site preview function. Your customers can preview their websites during domain name propagation. For this purpose, the Plesk DNS server registers customer websites as subdomains of the domain you specify. Do not specify a `<preview_domain>` if you do not want to use the site preview feature. | Sets the domain name example.com for the site preview function:
    plesk bin server_pref.exe -u -preview-domain example.com
`-preview-protection` | `true | false` | Turns on/off password protection for website preview. In turned on, a user will have to provide the system user credentials to preview a website created on the server. | To turn on the password protection for website preview:
    plesk bin server_pref.exe -u -preview-protection true
`-subdomain-dns-zone` | `own | parent` | Allows subdomains to have their own DNS zones. Learn more in the Administrator’s Guide > DNS. | To turn on the support for the subdomain zones:
    plesk bin server_pref.exe -u -subdomain-dns-zone own
`-webdeploy-include-password` | `true | false` | Allows to exclude customer passwords from website-specific files that keep WebMatrix publication settings. The default value is false. Learn more in the Administrator’s Guide > Server Settings. | To include the password into the settings files:
    plesk bin server_pref.exe -u -webdeploy-include-password true
`-autoupdates` | `true|false` | If true, Plesk automatically downloads and installs updates. | To turn on automatic updates for Plesk:
    plesk bin server_pref.exe -u -autoupdates true
`-autoupdates-third-party` | `true|false` | Sets automatic installation of updates for third-party Plesk components such as MySQL, PHPMyAdmin, mail servers, antivirus and other software. | To forbid automatic installation of updates for third-party components:
    plesk bin server_pref.exe -u -autoupdates-third-party false
`-release-tier` | `<tier>` | Turns on the notifications about available upgrades. When an upgrade to a next Plesk version with a specified release tier becomes available, Plesk will notify you at the Home page. | To turn on the notifications about testing releases:
    plesk bin server_pref.exe -u -release-tier testing
`-autoupgrade-stable` | `true|false` | Enables or Disables automatically upgrading Plesk to the latest late-adopter release version once it becomes available. | To turn on automatic upgrading to the latest late-adopter release:
    plesk bin server_pref.exe -u -autoupgrade-stable true
`-min_password_strength` | `very_weak|weak|medium|strong|very_strong` | Sets the minimum password strength for all user passwords in Plesk. Users are forced to adjust their new passwords according to these requirements. | To set the “Strong” level of the password strength for user passwords:
    plesk bin server_pref.exe -u -min_password_strength strong
`-forbid-ftp-user-rename` | `true|false` | Forbids customers to change the user name of the system user associated with their subscription. | To forbid customers to change the system user name:
    plesk bin server_pref.exe -u -forbid-ftp-user-rename true
`-forbid-subscription-rename` | `true|false` | Forbids customers to change the name of the main domain in their subscriptions. By default, the main domain’s name is the same as the subscription’s name. Note that Plesk administrators can modify subscription names even if this option is `true`. By default, for example, after Plesk upgrading or on new Plesk installations, this option is `false`. | To forbid all customers to change the name of the main domain on their subscriptions:
    plesk bin server_pref.exe -u -forbid-subscription-rename true
`-grant-alter-database-to-mssql-users` | `true|false` | Grants the ALTER DATABASE permission to all Microsoft SQL Server database users or revokes it from them. | To grant the ALTER DATABASE permission to all Microsoft SQL Server database users:
    plesk bin server_pref.exe -u -grant-alter-database-to-mssql-users true
`-enable-backup-operator-role-for-mssql-users` | `true|false` | Enables or disables the db_backupoperator role membership for all Microsoft SQL Server database users. | To enable the db_backupoperator role membership for all Microsoft SQL Server database users:
    plesk bin server_pref.exe -u -enable-backup-operator-role-for-mssql-users true
`-disable-upgrade-extensions` | `true|false` | Switches off automatic upgrade of Plesk extensions. | To switch off automatic upgrade of Plesk extensions:
    plesk bin server_pref.exe -u -disable-upgrade-extensions true
`-ftp-over-ssl` | `disabled|enabled|` `required` | Sets up FTPS to protect communication between the FTP server and external FTP clients using SSL/TLS protocol. To allow only secure FTPS connections, use `required`. To allow both FTP and FTPS, use `enabled`. | To allow only secure FTPS connections:
    plesk bin server_pref.exe -u -ftp-over-ssl required
`-support-url` | `<url>` | Sets the URL that opens when clicking the Support button. | To set the URL opening at the press of the Support button to http://example.com:
    plesk bin server_pref.exe -u -support-url http://example.com
`-allow-local-ftp-backup` | `true|false` | Allows or forbids the use of Plesk server as an FTP storage for Plesk backups. If users configure backups for their Plesk accounts to go to their own FTP directories on the same Plesk server, the amount of used disk space will double upon creation of each backup. This can eventually run the server out of free disk space. To prevent this, we recommend that you use this option so as not to allow the use of Plesk server as an FTP storage for Plesk backups. | To prevent users from configuring Plesk so as to save backups to FTP directories on the same server:
    plesk bin server_pref.exe -u -allow-local-ftp-backup false
`-max-backup-files` | `<int>` | Sets the maximum number of backup files to store. | To limit the number of backups users are allowed to have to 5:
    plesk bin server_pref.exe -u -max-backup-files 5
`-keep-local-backup` | `true|false` | Allows or forbids keeping backup in the local storage if upload to FTP failed. | To allow storing backups in the local storage if upload to FTP fails:
    plesk bin server_pref.exe -u -keep-local-backup true
`-panel-certificate` | `<certificate name>` | Specifies the name of the SSL/TLS certificate used to secure Plesk. | To secure Plesk with the SSL/TLS certificate cert1:
    # plesk bin server_pref.exe --update -panel-certificate "cert1"
`-certificate-repository` | `<domain-name>` | Specifies the domain of the SSL/TLS certificate repository. By default, the server repository is used. This option is used with the option `-panel-certificate`. | To secure Plesk with the SSL/TLS certificate cert3 that is stored at the repository of the domain example.net:
    # plesk bin server_pref.exe --update -panel-certificate "cert3" -certificate-repository example.net
`-central-cert-store` | `true|false` | Enables or disables Central Certificate Store support, which allows certificates to be stored in a central location, such as a file share. | To enable Central Certificate Store support on the server using the password certpass for encrypting certificates, configure the network share \CERTSTOREstorage as the location for the Central Certificate Store, and set up authentication using the username store_user and the password store_pass:
    # plesk bin server_pref.exe --update -central-cert-store true -central-cert-store-path \\CERTSTORE\storage -central-cert-store-user-login store_user -central-cert-store-user-password store_pass -central-cert-store-private-key-password certpass
`-central-cert-store-path` | `<path>` | The path to the Central Certificate Store. |
`-central-cert-store-user-login` | `<username>` | Username for authentication if the Central Certificate Store is located on a network. |
`-central-cert-store-user-password` | `<password>` | Password for authentication if the Central Certificate Store is located on a network. |
`-central-cert-store-private-key-password` | `<password>` | Password for encrypting certificates in the Central Certificate Store. |