How to Change Your Linux Plesk Server Hostname

This tutorial will guide you toward setting up a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) as your Plesk server hostname.

Important Disclaimer

Prerequisites

• Root or sudo access to your Plesk server
• Administrator access to Plesk interface
• Basic understanding of DNS management
• Planned hostname that meets FQDN requirements

Understanding Key Terms

FQDN (Fully Qualified Domain Name)

A complete domain name that specifies the exact location in the DNS hierarchy (e.g., server.example_domain.com)

Hostname

Your server's unique identifier on the network

DNS Propagation

The time it takes for DNS changes to spread across the internet (typically 24-48 hours)

SSL Certificate

A digital certificate that authenticates your server's identity and enables encrypted connections

Important Considerations

• Your new hostname must be a valid FQDN (e.g., server.yourdomain.com)
• DNS propagation can take 24-48 hours to complete globally
• Services depending on the hostname may require reconfiguration
• SSL certificates may need to be reissued for the new hostname

Method 1: Changing Hostname via Plesk Interface

Steps:

1. Log in to your Plesk control panel with administrator credentials
2. Navigate to Tools & Settings > Server Settings
3. Locate the Full hostname field
4. Enter your new FQDN (e.g., server.yourdomain.com)
5. Click OK to save changes

Post-Change Tasks:

1. Verify the change by checking server information in Plesk
2. Update DNS records to reflect the new hostname
3. Request and install a new SSL certificate if needed

Method 2: Changing Hostname via Command Line (CLI)

Prerequisites:

• SSH access to your server
• Root or sudo privileges

Check Current Hostname

sudo hostname

Change Hostname Using Plesk Command

sudo plesk bin server_pref --update -hostname your-new-hostname.example_domain.com

Alternative: Using SystemD (For Modern Linux Distributions)

sudo hostnamectl set-hostname your-new-hostname.example_domain.com

Restart Required Services

sudo service sw-cp-server restart
sudo service sw-engine restart

Verifying the Change

Command Line Verification

# Check current hostname
hostname -f

# Verify DNS resolution
dig +short your-new-hostname.example_domain.com

# Check reverse DNS
host $(hostname -I | awk '{print $1}')

System Files to Check

# View hostname file
cat /etc/hostname

# Check hosts file
cat /etc/hosts

Troubleshooting Guide

Common Issues and Solutions

Best Practices

• Schedule hostname changes during low-traffic periods
• Document all changes and configurations
• Have a rollback plan ready
• Test mail services after the change
• Update monitoring systems with the new hostname
• Review and update backup configurations

Support

If you encounter any issues during this process, please contact our Plesk support or system administrator.