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Shared SSL: using SharedSSL on 3Essentials Windows plans

Article ID: 129

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This article discusses the SharedSSL function as implemented on 3Essentials Windows hosting plans.   Please also see these relevant articles:

If you require HTTPS/SSL access to your site to use your own domain name exclusively, aslo called "Dedicated SSL" (i.e., https://www.mydomain.com instead of the https://webX/yourdomain-virt-dir), then you need to upgrade your hosting plan to provide for your own SSL certificate.  This requires:

  • adding a static/unique IP address to your site
  • purchase of an SSL certificate.

Please submit a support ticket indicating you wish to do this, and we'll advise you of pricing and options, and assist you through the process.  


 For details on enabling SharedSSL on 3Essentials Windows hosting plans (and if it's available to you on your server), please find your server listed below, and review the instructions provided there.  If you're not sure which server your hosting plan is hosted on, please submit a support request.

  • WEB2 and WEB4
    • The Shared SSL functionality is not available on these servers.  Please submit a support request indicating you are interested in this functionality, and the support team will coordinate with you to move you to a hosting plan and server which supports this function.
  • WEB6 and WEB8
    • The shared SSL function is available to any and all customers, no changes are necessary by the customer or by us, no settings have to be made. 
    • The shared SSL url is: https://webX.3essentials.com/customerdomain.com
      • where webX = your web hosting server, either Web6 or WEB8.
      • and "customerdomain.com" = your domain name.
    • This Shared SSL URL points to your httpdocs directory... so, for example, a file called myfile.html can be accessed in two different ways:
      • http://www.yourdomain.com/myfile.html
      • https://webX.3essentials.com/yourdomain.com/myfile.html
  • WEB10, WEB12, WEB14
    • Log into your control panel, click on your domain, click on the SHARED SSL icon
    • Click the ENABLE SHARED SSL checkbox, and add a Virtual Directory name, click ok.
      • the virtual directory name can contain dashes "-" or underscores "_" but cannot contain a period ".". If you attempt to create virt dir with a "." in the name, you'll get an error that it contains an improper value.
      • If your domain name is mysite.com, you may want to use a virtual directory name like: "secure-mysite" or "mysite_secure".
    • The https URL you will use will be https://webX.3essentials.com/virt_dir_name where:
      • webX = your webserver (web10, web12, etc.)
      • virt_dir_name = the virtual directory name you specified in the "shared ssl" section of the control panel
    • Important Notes
      • This "shared ssl virtual directory" does not point to the HTTPDOCS folder on your site... instead, it points to the HTTPSDOCS directory (notice the difference: httpdocs vs httpsdocs).   As such:
        • All of your regular site content will go into your httpdocs folder, and be assessible via http://www.yourdomain.com
        • All of your secure site content will go into your httpsdocs folder, and be accessible via https://webX.3essentials.com/your_virt_dir
      • Currently, you cannot use ASP.NET content in the SharedSSL/HTTPSDOCS folder on these servers. This is due to an incompatibility between the Plesk implementation of this feature, and ASP.NET security requirements.  Our engineering team has resolved this on newer built servers - see ASP.net and SharedSSL incompatibility
  • WEB16 
    • Log into your control panel, click on your domain, click on the SHARED SSL icon
    • Click the ENABLE SHARED SSL checkbox, and add a Virtual Directory name, click ok.
      • the virtual directory name can contain dashes "-" or underscores "_" but cannot contain a period ".". If you attempt to create virt dir with a "." in the name, you'll get an error that it contains an improper value.
      • If your domain name is mysite.com, you may want to use a virtual directory name like: "secure-mysite" or "mysite_secure".
    • The https URL you will use will be https://ssl16.3essentials.com/virt_dir_name where:
      • virt_dir_name = the virtual directory name you specified in the "shared ssl" section of the control panel
    • Important Notes
      • This "shared ssl virtual directory" does not point to the HTTPDOCS folder on your site... instead, it points to the HTTPSDOCS directory (notice the difference: httpdocs vs httpsdocs).   As such:
        • All of your regular site content will go into your httpdocs folder, and be assessible via http://www.yourdomain.com
        • All of your secure site content will go into your httpsdocs folder, and be accessible via https://ssl16.3essentials.com/your_virt_dir
  • WEB18 
    • Log into your control panel, click on your domain, click on the SHARED SSL icon
    • Click the ENABLE SHARED SSL checkbox, and add a Virtual Directory name, click ok.
      • the virtual directory name can contain dashes "-" or underscores "_" but cannot contain a period ".". If you attempt to create virt dir with a "." in the name, you'll get an error that it contains an improper value.
        • If your domain name is mysite.com, you may want to use a virtual directory name like: "secure-mysite" or "mysite_secure".
      • Unlike earlier versions of this feature (which pointed this virtual directory to the httpSdocs folder), on web18's Plesk 8 version, you get the choice of whether your sharedSSL virtual directory points to your httpdocs or httpSdocs.  Choose which you prefer when you set this up.  If you're unsure, we'd recommend setting it to "httpdocs".  You'll see below in the "important notes" how your content will be accessed, and we believe it just makes it easier to keep it all in one place.
    • The https URL you will use will be https://ssl18.3essentials.com/virt_dir_name where:
      • virt_dir_name = the virtual directory name you specified in the "shared ssl" section of the control panel
    • Important Notes
      • If you set the "shared ssl virtual directory" to point to your httpSdocs folder:
        • All of your regular site content will go into your httpdocs folder, and be assessible via http://www.yourdomain.com
        • All of your secure site content will go into your httpsdocs folder, and be accessible via https://ssl18.3essentials.com/your_virt_dir
      • If you set the "shared ssl virtual directory" to point to your httpdocs folder:
        • All of your content (files) should go into your httpdocs folder, and be assessible via http://www.yourdomain.com  OR by https://ssl18.3essentials.com/your_virt_dir
        • You should put NO content (files) into your httpSdocs folder, as it will be unused. 
  • WEB20
    • Log into your control panel, click on your domain, click on the SHARED SSL icon
    • Click the ENABLE SHARED SSL checkbox, and add a Virtual Directory name, click ok.
    • the virtual directory name can contain dashes "-" or underscores "_" but cannot contain a period ".". If you attempt to create virt dir with a "." in the name, you'll get an error that it contains an improper value.
    • If your domain name is mysite.com, you may want to use a virtual directory name like: "secure-mysite" or "mysite_secure".
    • Unlike earlier versions of this feature (which pointed this virtual directory to the httpSdocs folder), on Plesk 8 version, you get the choice of whether your sharedSSL virtual directory points to your httpdocs or httpSdocs.  Choose which you prefer when you set this up.  If you're unsure, we'd recommend setting it to "httpdocs".  You'll see below in the "important notes" how your content will be accessed, and we believe it just makes it easier to keep it all in one place.
    • The https URL you will use will be https://ssl20.3essentials.com/virt_dir_name where:
      • virt_dir_name = the virtual directory name you specified in the "shared ssl" section of the control panel
    • Important Notes:
      • If you set the "shared ssl virtual directory" to point to your httpSdocs folder:
        • All of your regular site content will go into your httpdocs folder, and be assessible via http://www.yourdomain.com. 
        • All of your secure site content will go into your httpsdocs folder, and be accessible via https://ssl20.3essentials.com/your_virt_dir . 
      • If you set the "shared ssl virtual directory" to point to your httpdocs folder:
        • All of your content (files) should go into your httpdocs folder, and be assessible via http://www.yourdomain.com  OR by https://ssl20.3essentials.com/your_virt_dir . 
        • You should put NO content (files) into your httpSdocs folder, as it will be unused.
  • WEB22
    • Log into your control panel, click on your domain, click on the SHARED SSL icon
    • Click the ENABLE SHARED SSL checkbox, and add a Virtual Directory name, click ok.
    • the virtual directory name can contain dashes "-" or underscores "_" but cannot contain a period ".". If you attempt to create virt dir with a "." in the name, you'll get an error that it contains an improper value.
    • If your domain name is mysite.com, you may want to use a virtual directory name like: "secure-mysite" or "mysite_secure".
    • Unlike earlier versions of this feature (which pointed this virtual directory to the httpSdocs folder), on Plesk 8 version, you get the choice of whether your sharedSSL virtual directory points to your httpdocs or httpSdocs.  Choose which you prefer when you set this up.  If you're unsure, we'd recommend setting it to "httpdocs".  You'll see below in the "important notes" how your content will be accessed, and we believe it just makes it easier to keep it all in one place.
    • The https URL you will use will be https://ssl22.3essentials.com/virt_dir_name where:
      • virt_dir_name = the virtual directory name you specified in the "shared ssl" section of the control panel
    • Important Notes:
      • If you set the "shared ssl virtual directory" to point to your httpSdocs folder:
        • All of your regular site content will go into your httpdocs folder, and be assessible via http://www.yourdomain.com. 
        • All of your secure site content will go into your httpsdocs folder, and be accessible via https://ssl22.3essentials.com/your_virt_dir . 
      • If you set the "shared ssl virtual directory" to point to your httpdocs folder:
        • All of your content (files) should go into your httpdocs folder, and be assessible via http://www.yourdomain.com  OR by https://ssl22.3essentials.com/your_virt_dir . 
        • You should put NO content (files) into your httpSdocs folder, as it will be unused.



 

 
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