Migrating a website between 1C-Bitrix servers

Website Migration Between Servers 1C-Bitrix

Moving a Bitrix website between servers seems straightforward: copy files, transfer the database, change DNS. In practice, each step contains nuances that cost hours of debugging. Bitrix stores paths, domains, and settings in multiple places simultaneously — some are hardcoded.

Where Paths and Settings Are Stored

Before migration, know where Bitrix stores critical data:

• /bitrix/.settings.php — database connection, host, port, database name
• /bitrix/php_interface/dbconn.php — legacy core, connection parameters (if still used)
• /bitrix/modules/main/include/prolog_before.php and site settings in DB — domain is bound to site in b_lang table
• /bitrix/cache/ and /bitrix/managed_cache/ — cache that needs clearing after migration
• /upload/ — media files, can occupy tens of GB
• License key — bound to domain and server

Migration Process

Step 1. New Server Preparation

New server must meet Bitrix requirements: correct PHP version, extensions (mbstring, curl, gd, zip, xml, json), nginx/Apache with correct rewrite rules. For Bitrix 22+ — PHP 8.0–8.2.

.htaccess file or nginx config is copied with the site — it may contain custom rules necessary for site operation.

Step 2. Backup Files

# Archive files excluding cache and temporary data
tar -czf /tmp/site-backup.tar.gz \
    --exclude='./bitrix/cache' \
    --exclude='./bitrix/managed_cache' \
    --exclude='./bitrix/stack_cache' \
    /var/www/html/

Transfer /upload/ directory separately — it may contain gigabytes of media.

Step 3. Database Dump

mysqldump -u bitrix_user -p bitrix_db \
    --single-transaction \
    --routines \
    --triggers \
    > /tmp/bitrix_db.sql

The --single-transaction flag is critical for InnoDB — ensures consistent snapshot without locks during dump.

Step 4. Deploy on New Server

# Extract files
tar -xzf /tmp/site-backup.tar.gz -C /var/www/html/

# Import database
mysql -u bitrix_user -p bitrix_db < /tmp/bitrix_db.sql

Step 5. Update Configuration

Update /bitrix/.settings.php — database connection parameters:

return [
    'connections' => [
        'value' => [
            'default' => [
                'className' => '\Bitrix\Main\DB\MysqlCommonConnection',
                'host' => 'localhost',     // New DB host
                'database' => 'bitrix_db', // Database name on new server
                'login' => 'bitrix_user',
                'password' => 'new_password',
                'options' => 2,
            ],
        ],
    ],
];

Step 6. Change Domain in Database

Domain is stored in b_lang table:

UPDATE b_lang SET SERVER_NAME = 'newdomain.ru' WHERE LID = 's1';

Also check b_option for hardcoded URLs:

SELECT * FROM b_option WHERE VALUE LIKE '%olddomain.ru%';

And in b_iblock — fields DETAIL_PAGE_URL, LIST_PAGE_URL if absolute paths are used.

Step 7. License Key

After migration to new server or domain — move license key in Bitrix administrative panel (Settings → License). If server changed, may require contacting 1C-Bitrix support to transfer binding.

Step 8. Clear Cache

rm -rf /var/www/html/bitrix/cache/*
rm -rf /var/www/html/bitrix/managed_cache/*
rm -rf /var/www/html/bitrix/stack_cache/*

From administrative panel: Settings → Performance → Clear Cache.

Testing Before DNS Switch

Check via hosts file (without DNS change):

# /etc/hosts (on developer machine)
111.222.333.444  olddomain.ru  # IP of new server

Checklist:

• Homepage loads
• Catalog and product cards
• Cart and checkout
• Personal account
• Administrative panel
• HTTPS — certificate installed and working
• Product images display
• Email notifications send

DNS Switch and Critical Window

DNS switch is done in off-peak hours. Lower TTL to 300 seconds 24–48 hours before migration. After DNS switch, both servers operate in parallel until full DNS update.

For e-commerce: during DNS propagation, orders may come to both servers. Solution — place 301 redirect on old server to new domain after verifying operability.

Execution Timeline

Proper migration ensures zero business downtime and full operability on the new server from day one.