Location of logs and how to restart services in Plesk

In this post we will explain where the logs (log files) are located and how to restart the different services that make our server work. All this information has been taken from the Plesk KB. Many services can also be managed by running systemctl stop/start/restart/status service_name.

Plesk Panel

• Log files
  • Error logs: /var/log/sw-cp-server/error_log and /var/log/sw-cp-server/sw-engine.log
  • Access log: /usr/local/psa/admin/logs/httpsd_access_log
  • Panel log: /usr/local/psa/admin/logs/panel.log
• Manage services
  • Stop: /etc/init.d/psa stop
  • Start: /etc/init.d/psa start
  • Restart: /etc/init.d/psa restart
• Configuration files
  • PHP config: /usr/local/psa/admin/conf/php.ini
  • Panel config: /usr/local/psa/admin/conf/panel.ini
  • Web server config: /etc/sw-cp-server/conf.d/plesk.conf

Web Presence Builder (Website Editor)

• Log files
  • Error log: /usr/local/psa/admin/logs/sitebuilder.log
  • Installation or update logs: /usr/local/sb/tmp/
• No service control (runs via the sw-cp-server service)
• Configuration files
  • /usr/local/sb/config
  • /etc/sw-cp-server/conf.d/plesk.conf
  • /usr/local/psa/admin/conf/php.ini

SSO (Single sign-on)

• Log files
  • Error log: /var/log/sw-cp-server/error_log
  • SSO log: /var/log/sso/sso.log
• Manage services
  • No service control (runs via the sw-cp-server service)
  • Configuration management: /usr/local/psa/bin/sso
• Configuration files
  • /etc/sso/sso_config.ini
  • /etc/sw-cp-server/conf.d/sso.inc

Backup Manager

• Log files
  • Backup log file: /usr/local/psa/PMM/logs/backup-<datetime>
  • Restore log: /usr/local/psa/PMM/logs/restore-<datetime>
• No service control (runs via the sw-cp-server service)
• Configuration files
  • /etc/psa/psa.conf

Plesk Migrator

• Configuration files
  • /usr/local/psa/var/modules/panel-migrator/conf/
• Log files
  • /usr/local/psa/var/modules/panel-migrator/logs/

Migration Manager

• Log files
  • /usr/local/psa/PMM/logs/migration-<datetime>
• No service control (runs via the sw-cp-server service)

Health Monitor Manager (server health monitoring)

• Log files
  • /usr/local/psa/admin/logs/health-alarm.log
• Manage services
  • Stop: /etc/init.d/sw-collectd stop
  • Start: /etc/init.d/sw-collectd start
  • Restart: /etc/init.d/sw-collectd restart
• Configuration files
  • /usr/local/psa/admin/conf/health-config.xml
  • /usr/local/psa/var/custom-health-config.xml
  • /etc/sw-collectd/collectd.conf

Health Monitor Notification Daemon

• Log files
  • /usr/local/psa/admin/logs/health-alarm.log
• Manage services
  • Stop: /etc/init.d/psa-health-monitor-notificationd stop
  • Start: /etc/init.d/psa-health-monitor-notificationd start
  • Restart: /etc/init.d/psa-health-monitor-notificationd restart
• Configuration files
  • /usr/local/psa/admin/conf/health-config.xml
  • /usr/local/psa/var/custom-health-config.xml

MySQL or MariaDB

• Log files
  • /var/log/mysqld.log
  • /var/log/mariadb/mariadb.log
  • /var/log/mysql/error.log
  • /var/log/messages or /var/log/syslog
• Manage services
  • Stop: /etc/init.d/mysqld stop or /etc/init.d/mysql stop
  • Start: /etc/init.d/mysqld start or /etc/init.d/mysql start
  • Restart: /etc/init.d/mysqld restart or /etc/init.d/mysql restart
  • MariaDB: systemctl stop/start/restart mariadb
• Configuration files
  • /etc/my.cnf
  • /etc/mysql/my.cnf (Ubuntu/Debian)

PostgreSQL

• Log files
  • /var/lib/pgsql/pgstartup.log
• Manage services
  • Stop: /etc/init.d/postgresql stop
  • Start: /etc/init.d/postgresql start
  • Restart: /etc/init.d/postgresql restart
• Configuration files
  • /var/lib/pgsql/data/postgresql.conf

Apache

• Log files
  • Global error and access logs: /var/log/httpd/ or /var/log/apache2 
  • Domain logs: /var/www/vhosts/system/<domain>/logs
• Manage services CentOS/Fedora
  • Stop: /etc/init.d/httpd stop
  • Start: /etc/init.d/httpd start
  • Restart: /etc/init.d/httpd restart
• Manage services Ubuntu/Debian
  • Stop: /etc/init.d/apache2 stop
  • Start: /etc/init.d/apache2 start
  • Restart: /etc/init.d/apache2 restart
• Configuration files
  • /etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf or /etc/apache2/apache2.conf
  • /etc/httpd/conf.d/zz010_psa_httpd.conf (includes configuration files generated from the server configuration and from the rest of the virtual hosts)

NGINX

• Log files
  • Error log: /var/log/nginx/error.log
  • Access log: /var/log/nginx/access.log
  • Domain logs: /var/www/vhosts/<domain>/logs/proxy_access*_log
• Manage services
  • Stop: /etc/init.d/nginx stop
  • Start: /etc/init.d/nginx start
  • Restart: /etc/init.d/nginx restart
  • Important: to disable nginx, go to "Tools & Settings > Services Management" and stop nginx from there.
• Configuration files
  • /etc/nginx/nginx.conf
  • /etc/nginx/conf.d/zz010_psa_nginx.conf (includes configuration files generated from the server configuration and from the rest of the virtual hosts)

Tomcat

• Log files
  • /var/log/tomcat8/*
• Manage services
  • Stop: /etc/init.d/tomcat8 stop
  • Start: /etc/init.d/tomcat8 start
  • Restart: /etc/init.d/tomcat8 restart
• Configuration files
  • /etc/tomcat8/server.xml

FTP

• Log files
  • /usr/local/psa/var/log/xferlog
  • /var/log/secure or /var/log/auth.log
• No service control (runs via the xinetd service)
• Configuration files
  • /etc/xinetd.d/ftp_psa
  • /etc/proftpd.conf
  • /etc/proftpd.include

Xinetd

• Log files
  • /var/log/messages or /var/log/syslog
• Manage services
  • Stop: /etc/init.d/xinetd stop
  • Start: /etc/init.d/xinetd start
  • Restart: /etc/init.d/xinetd restart
• Configuration files
  • /etc/xinetd.conf
  • /etc/xinetd.d/* (files containing "." in the name are ignored)

BIND

• Log files
  • /var/log/messages or /var/log/syslog
• Manage services CentOS/Fedora
  • Stop: /etc/init.d/named stop
  • Start: /etc/init.d/named start
  • Restart: /etc/init.d/named restart
• Manage services Ubuntu/Debian
  • Stop: /etc/init.d/bind9 stop
  • Start: /etc/init.d/bind9 start
  • Restart: /etc/init.d/bind9 restart
• Configuration files
  • /etc/named.conf or /etc/bind/named.conf

Courier-IMAP

• Log files
  • /usr/local/psa/var/log/maillog
• Manage services
  • Stop: /etc/init.d/courier-imap stop
  • Start: /etc/init.d/courier-imap start
  • Restart: /etc/init.d/courier-imap restart
• Configuration files
  • /etc/courier-imap/imapd
  • /etc/courier-imap/imapd-ssl
  • /etc/courier-imap/pop3d
  • /etc/courier-imap/pop3d-ssl

Dovecot

• Log files
  • Logs could be found by running the command /usr/sbin/dovecot log find
• Manage services
  • Stop: /etc/rc.d/init.d/dovecot stop
  • Start: /etc/rc.d/init.d/dovecot start
  • Restart: /etc/rc.d/init.d/dovecot restart
• Configuration files
  • /etc/dovecot/dovecot.conf
  • /etc/sysconfig/dovecot
  • /etc/dovecot/conf.d/11-plesk-security-ssl.conf

Postfix

• Log files
  • /usr/local/psa/var/log/maillog
• Manage services
  • Stop: /etc/init.d/postfix stop
  • Start: /etc/init.d/postfix start
  • Restart: /etc/init.d/postfix restart
• Configuration files
  • /etc/postfix/master.cf
  • /etc/postfix/main.cf

Qmail

• Log files
  • /usr/local/psa/var/log/maillog
• Manage services
  • Stop: /etc/init.d/qmail stop
  • Start: /etc/init.d/qmail start
  • Restart: /etc/init.d/qmail restart
• Configuration files
  • Control files in /var/qmail/control/
  • /etc/xinetd.d/smtp_psa
  • /etc/xinetd.d/smtps_psa
  • /etc/xinetd.d/submission_psa

Horde

• Log files
  • Error log: /var/log/psa-horde/psa-horde.log
• No service control (runs via the Apache web server)
• Configuration files
  • /etc/psa-webmail/horde/horde.conf
  • /etc/psa-webmail/horde/horde/conf.php

Roundcube

• Log files
  • Error log: /var/log/plesk-roundcube/errors
• No service control (runs via the Apache web server)
• Configuration files
  • /etc/psa-webmail/roundcube/*

Mailman

• Log files
  • /var/log/mailman/*
• Manage services
  • Stop: /etc/init.d/mailman stop
  • Start: /etc/init.d/mailman start
  • Restart: /etc/init.d/mailman restart
• Configuration files
  • /etc/httpd/conf.d/mailman.conf
  • /usr/lib/mailman/Mailman/mm_cfg.py
  • /etc/mailman/sitelist.cfg

SpamAssassin

• Log files
  • /usr/local/psa/var/log/maillog
• Manage services
  • Stop: /etc/init.d/spamassassin stop
  • Start: /etc/init.d/spamassassin start
  • Restart: /etc/init.d/spamassassin restart
• Configuration files
  • /etc/mail/spamassassin/local.cf
  • /var/qmail/mailnames/<domain>/<mailbox>/.spamassassin/user_prefs

Parallels Premium Antivirus

• Log files:
  • /usr/local/psa/var/log/maillog
  • /var/drweb/log/*
• Service control:
  • Stop: /etc/init.d/drwebd stop
  • Start: /etc/init.d/drwebd start
  • Restart: /etc/init.d/drwebd restart
• Configuration files:
  • /etc/drweb/*

Kaspersky Antivirus

• Log files:
  • /usr/local/psa/var/log/maillog
• Service control:
  • Stop: /etc/init.d/kavehost stop
  • Start: /etc/init.d/kavehost start
  • Restart: /etc/init.d/kavehost restart
• Configuration files:
  • /opt/kav/sdk8l3/etc/kav-handler.cfg
  • /etc/kavehost.xml

phpMyAdmin

• Log files:
  • Error log: /var/log/sw-cp-server/error_log
• No service control (running via the sw-cp-server service).
• Configuration files:
  • /usr/local/psa/admin/htdocs/domains/databases/phpMyAdmin/libraries/config.default.php

phpPgAdmin

• Log files
  • Error log: /var/log/sw-cp-server/error_log
• No service control (running via the sw-cp-server service).
• Configuration files:
  • /usr/local/psa/admin/htdocs/domains/databases/phpPgAdmin/conf/config.inc.php

Logrotate

• No service control. Executed by the daily maintenance task: /etc/cron.daily/50plesk-daily
• Configuration files
  • /usr/local/psa/etc/logrotate.conf
  • /usr/local/psa/etc/logrotate.d/*

Webalizer

• No service control. Executed by the daily maintenance task: /etc/cron.daily/50plesk-daily
• Configuration files
  • /srv/www/vhosts/system/<domain>/conf/webalizer.conf

AWstats

• No service control. Executed by the daily maintenance task: /etc/cron.daily/50plesk-daily
• Configuration files
  • /usr/local/psa/etc/awstats/awstats.<domain>-*.conf

Watchdog (monit)

• Log files:
  • /usr/local/psa/var/modules/watchdog/log/wdcollect.log
  • /usr/local/psa/var/modules/watchdog/log/monit.log
• Service control:
  • Stop: /usr/local/psa/admin/bin/modules/watchdog/wd --stop
  • Start: /usr/local/psa/admin/bin/modules/watchdog/wd --start
  • Restart: /usr/local/psa/admin/bin/modules/watchdog/wd --restart
• Configuration files:
  • /usr/local/psa/etc/modules/watchdog/monitrc
  • /usr/local/psa/etc/modules/watchdog/wdcollect.inc.php

Watchdog (rkhunter)

• Log files:
  • /var/log/rkhunter.log
• Service control:
  • Start: /usr/local/psa/admin/bin/modules/watchdog/rkhunter
• Configuration files:
  • /usr/local/psa/etc/modules/watchdog/rkhunter.conf

Plesk Firewall

• Service control:
  • Stop: /etc/init.d/psa-firewall stop
  • Start: /etc/init.d/psa-firewall start
  • Restart: /etc/init.d/psa-firewall restart
• Configuration files:
  • /usr/local/psa/var/modules/firewall/firewall-active.sh
  • /usr/local/psa/var/modules/firewall/firewall-emergency.sh
  • /usr/local/psa/var/modules/firewall/firewall-new.sh

Plesk Firewall (IP forwarding)

• Service control:
  • Stop: /etc/init.d/psa-firewall-forward stop
  • Start: /etc/init.d/psa-firewall-forward start
  • Restart: /etc/init.d/psa-firewall-forward restart
• Configuration files:
  • /usr/local/psa/var/modules/firewall/ip_forward.active
  • /usr/local/psa/var/modules/firewall/ip_forward.saved

IP address banning (Fail2Ban)

• Service control:
  • Stop: /etc/init.d/fail2ban stop
  • Start: /etc/init.d/fail2ban start
  • Restart: /etc/init.d/fail2ban restart
• Configuration files: A set of IPTables rules. By default:-
  • iptables -N fail2ban-plesk-login
  • iptables -A fail2ban-plesk-login -j RETURN
  • iptables -A INPUT -p tcp -m multiport --dports 8880,8443 -j fail2ban-plesk-login

If you have any questions that are not fully answered in this article, remember that you can always contact support.