Orbiter — Frequently Asked Questions

General

What is Orbiter? Orbiter is a Plesk extension that isolates each website in its own Docker container with dedicated PHP-FPM, web server (Nginx or Apache), and optional MariaDB. It transforms a standard Plesk server into a containerized hosting platform without changing where files are stored.

How does Orbiter work under the hood? Orbiter creates a lightweight Docker container per domain. Plesk's native Nginx proxies traffic into the container. Website files stay in the standard /var/www/vhosts/ directory — they are bind-mounted into the container, not copied. SSL, DNS, FTP, and file manager continue to work normally via Plesk.

Does creating a container cause any downtime? No. The switch to Docker mode is seamless. Nginx is reconfigured without interruption and the site stays online throughout.

Are my files and databases safe? Yes. Orbiter never modifies original files. Sites remain on disk exactly where Plesk placed them. Databases are stored in dedicated Docker volumes. Automatic backups are available for additional protection.

What happens if I uninstall Orbiter? Orbiter creates a snapshot before uninstalling. All domains automatically revert to standard Plesk mode. No data is lost.

How do I update Orbiter? Updates are applied through the Plesk extension manager. Containers and configurations are preserved during updates. After a major update, a Docker image rebuild may be suggested.

Containers

How do I create a container for a domain? Go to the Sites tab, click "New container", select the domain, choose a PHP version, web server (Nginx or Apache), and optionally enable MariaDB. The container is created in seconds.

What happens when I delete a container? The Docker container is removed and the domain reverts to standard Plesk mode. Website files are never deleted. You can choose to keep or delete the database volume during deletion.

What happens when I restart a container? A restart stops and starts the container cleanly. All services (PHP-FPM, Nginx/Apache, MariaDB if enabled) are restarted. The site experiences a brief interruption of a few seconds. Database data is preserved.

Do containers start automatically after a server reboot? Yes. Containers use Docker's unless-stopped restart policy by default. You can toggle autostart on/off per container from the domain actions.

Can I limit CPU and RAM per container? Yes. Each container supports granular resource limits: CPU cores, RAM, I/O bandwidth, IOPS, max PIDs, and network connection limits. Set them from the sliders icon on each domain row.

Does Orbiter consume a lot of server resources? Idle containers consume almost nothing. Resource limits are configurable per site with CPU, RAM, and I/O controls.

How are containers isolated from each other? Each container runs in its own Docker namespace with separate network, process, and filesystem isolation. One container cannot access another container's files or processes.

What is the anti-delete lock? The lock prevents accidental deletion of a container. When locked, the delete button is disabled and the server-side handler blocks the operation. Unlock the container first before deleting.

PHP

Which PHP versions are available? Orbiter supports PHP 7.4, 8.0, 8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 8.4, and 8.5. All versions are pre-installed in the Docker image — switching is instant with no download or compilation needed.

How do I switch PHP versions? Use the PHP version dropdown in the domain row or the PHP configuration panel. The switch is instant and does not require a full container restart.

Can I customize php.ini settings? Yes. The PHP panel lets you edit key directives: memory_limit, upload_max_filesize, max_execution_time, and more. Changes are written to a custom config file mounted into the container and applied without restart.

Can I enable or disable PHP extensions? Yes. The PHP configuration panel shows all available extensions with toggle switches. Changes are applied immediately by reloading PHP-FPM inside the container.

Database (MariaDB)

Can I add MariaDB to an existing container? Yes. If you created a container without MariaDB, enable it later by clicking the "+ MariaDB" button in the database column. MariaDB is activated, configured, and phpMyAdmin set up automatically.

How do I access phpMyAdmin? phpMyAdmin is available in the Database panel under the phpMyAdmin tab. Each container has its own phpMyAdmin instance with a unique, randomized URL (e.g. /pma-a7f3e9b2/) for security. Use the root password shown in the Connection tab to log in.

Is phpMyAdmin secure? Yes. Each phpMyAdmin instance uses a unique randomized URL slug that is not guessable. Access requires authentication. You can also restrict access by IP address through the Security tab.

Can I connect to the database from outside the container? Yes. Each MariaDB instance is mapped to a unique host port shown in the Connection tab. You can connect remotely using that port. Use IP Access Control in the Security tab to restrict access.

How do I import an existing database? Open the Database panel for the domain, go to the Databases tab, and use the Import button. You can upload .sql or .sql.gz files. Orbiter automatically filters out dangerous system-level SQL statements.

How are backups handled? Orbiter includes automatic database backups with configurable schedules. You can also export and restore manually from the Database panel at any time. Backups can be synced to external destinations (S3, SFTP, FTPS).

Monitoring & Console

What real-time metrics are available? The dashboard shows live CPU, RAM, network I/O, and disk usage per container. Data refreshes automatically every few seconds.

What are MRTG graphs? MRTG provides long-term resource graphs (daily, weekly, monthly, yearly) for each container, showing bandwidth, CPU, and memory trends over time.

What can I do in the web Console? The Console provides full terminal access inside the container. You can run commands, check processes, debug issues, manage files, and interact with MariaDB directly — like SSH but through the browser.

How do I view container logs? The Logs panel shows real-time container output: PHP errors, Nginx access/error logs, and MariaDB logs. You can filter, search, auto-scroll, and download logs.

Security

Does Orbiter work alongside Plesk features? Yes. SSL certificates, DNS, file manager, and FTP continue to work normally. Files stay in the standard Plesk vhosts directory.

Can I get shell access to a container? Yes. The built-in web Console gives a terminal directly inside the container from the Orbiter interface. It runs as the domain owner's user for proper file permissions.