Frequently Asked Questions
Can I connect SQL Server Management Studio on my PC to my
hosted database?
We take the security of our systems and our customer's data very
seriously and as such run a segregated and firewalled network to
ensure that only the minimum services are exposed to the internet
and its potential threats. Our SQL servers are firewalled and not
accessible from the internet, so it means that you can't connect to
your database directly from a management tool such as SQL
Management Studio. You can however perform database backup and
restores, delete and recreate the database and perform user
administration from our site control panel. Details of how to
access this are included in your welcome email, sent when your site
was first commissioned.
Can I migrate an existing Umbraco website to your Umbraco
Hosting?
Yes! A large number of our existing customer have successfully
migrated existing sites to our Umbraco hosting. Unfortunately we
can't guarantee full compatibility as we don't know how your site
has been configured and what custom code or server setting etc. are
required for your site to function. A 'standard' Umbraco 4.x or
later site should have a very high chance of migrating
successfully. The recommended approach to migration is to restore a
database backup via the website control panel and upload your site
to our hosting via FTP. In the majority of cases updating the
web.config file is then all that is required to make your site
operational. Our support team are on hand to assist if
required.
Are there any restrictions on the Umbraco packages that I can
install?
None that we can think of although we haven't tested them all as
there are hundreds available. We run a full trust .net 4 based
environment so check the compatibility of any package you intend to
use against this and the version of Umbraco you are running.
My Umbraco site uses multiple domain names, is this
supported?
Yes but only on our Gold package. You can actually run multiple
websites running the Umbraco multisite technology (you still only
get one Umbraco instance) or simply point multiple domains at your
website. Any domains you point at our hosting (use the IP address
in your welcome email) will need setting up as 'aliases' via the
online management site.
Are older versions of Umbraco supported?
Yes, the version automatically deployed when you sign up is
shown during the sign up process and on our plans page. It is
usually the latest one available or close to it. You can however
overwrite this version if you wish with an existing website based
on a previous version or with a vanilla installation of a previous
release obtained from the Umbraco download page and uploaded to
your hosting space via FTP.
I'm not in the UK, can I still use your Umbraco hosting?
Our servers are based in the UK but are accessible from anywhere
in the world. All billing is handled through PayPal so if PayPal
support your currency and payment method then you can purchase our
hosting.
How do I change my billing details?
All billing is handled via PayPal so log into your PayPal
account and update your your payment details there.
How do I cancel my Umbraco hosting?
We'd hate to see you go but if you really must simply log in to
your PayPal account you use to pay for your hosting, find the
recurring Payment to us and select 'cancel'. We'll get notified by
PayPal and delete your hosting space (we'll drop you an email first
to confirm this is what you intended). There are no tie ins, you
are free to leave at anytime and your hosting will cease
immediately. It should be noted we can't offer refunds of any
payments made to date in the event you cancel.
You are offering a free period on your Umbraco hosting, what's
the catch?
There isn't one! We've worked hard to build a hosting
environment that performs well, isn't overloaded and is a doddle to
set up. We want as many people as possible to try it as we're
convinced you'll love it. There are no catches to the trial, unlike
most similar offers there is no lock in or commitment, simply sign
up, use the service and if you like it do nothing and your first
payment will be taken at the end of the free trial period. If you
don't wish to continue, simply cancel (you do this yourself by
cancelling your PayPal payment so no complicated cancellation
process) and no money will be taken.
I don't have a domain, do I need one or do you sell them?
All our Umbraco hosting packages are instantly available on a
carbonsoft subdomain from the moment your site is commissioned on
our servers. This is fully functional, will work over https if
required and can be used as your permanent domain. If however you
would prefer to use a custom domain you can't currently buy this
from us but any domain purchased from a third party can be used so
long as the registrar lets you update the DNS settings (we've never
come across one that doesn't).
I already have a domain name registered with another provider,
can I use your Umbraco hosting?
Yes, simply enter your domain name when prompted when you sign
up and update the A name record of your domains DNS records to the
IP address provided to you in your welcome email (this is easier
than it sounds, your domain registrar will how documentation on how
to do it).
Which version of Umbraco will I get if I sign up for your
Umbraco hosting?
The version of Umbraco that will be automatically installed into
your hosting space will be show on our plans page and when you sign
up. It is usually the latest available version of within 1 or 2
released of it. You can upgrade in future however the process of
doing this will depend on the changes between the relevant Umbraco
releases and crucially the customisations you have made to your
site. Therefore we do not provide an automated upgrade process.
What do you do about backups?
We have multiple approaches to backing up our environment to
cover a number of eventualities. We perform virtual machine level
backups in combination with incremental file backups. Both are
performed to local infrastructure and them to an offsite location.
It should be stressed though that we do this for our disaster
recovery plans, we don't offer a backup restore facility for our
customer who have accidentally deleted a file for example. Instead
we encourage customers to take their own regular backups using the
built in backup functionality of the online management portal. Its
very easy to do and gives you complete control over your files and
data.