Deploying 1C-Bitrix on Selectel: A Complete Guide

You chose Selectel for 1C-Bitrix, followed the documentation, but a week later MySQL begins to crash under load and the site slows down. A misconfiguration can cost up to 30% of your infrastructure budget. We deploy Bitrix on Selectel turnkey, accounting for every nuance: from server selection to backups. Selectel is a good choice thanks to its own data centers and flexible pricing, but without proper configuration, high performance is unattainable. With 5 years in the market, we've completed 50+ projects—from small shops to high-load portals.

How to Choose a Server for Bitrix on Selectel

For most projects, the optimal architecture is split: a cloud server for the web, a separate database (MySQL on another VM) and S3 for files. If you're unsure about the choice, contact us—we'll select the optimal configuration for your budget.

Why Separate Database and Web Server?

Separating the web server and database increases fault tolerance: if MySQL goes down, the site doesn't completely break—it only temporarily loses dynamic functionality. Additionally, you can scale each component independently: add memory to the database without restarting the web server. Redis for caching is 3x faster than file caching, reducing response time from 50 ms to 10 ms. On a recent e-commerce project with 15,000 daily products, our approach reduced page load times from 4.5 seconds to 1.2 seconds.

Deploying Infrastructure: Step-by-Step Plan

1. Create a cloud server in the Selectel panel or via CLI. Use Ubuntu LTS (22.04 or newer). Configuration: from 2 vCPU / 4 GB RAM, SSD local-fast (NVMe) disk. Add a public IP and a private network for database communication.
2. Set up the web environment: nginx + PHP-FPM 8.1.
3. Deploy MySQL on a separate server, configure parameters for Bitrix.
4. Connect Redis for cache and sessions.
5. Install an SSL certificate via Certbot.
6. Configure object storage and mount the upload/ directory.
7. Configure the firewall and security groups.
8. Schedule backups and monitoring.

Following this order guarantees a stable infrastructure without surprises.

Software Stack: nginx + PHP-FPM

apt update && apt upgrade -y
apt install -y nginx
add-apt-repository ppa:ondrej/php -y
apt install -y php8.1-fpm php8.1-mysql php8.1-curl php8.1-gd \
  php8.1-mbstring php8.1-xml php8.1-zip php8.1-bcmath \
  php8.1-intl php8.1-soap php8.1-redis php8.1-opcache php8.1-imagick

For the nginx configuration, we use the official bitrix-nginx.conf from 1C or build one manually. Here's a working config with access to service directories denied:

server {
    listen 443 ssl http2;
    server_name example.ru;
    root /var/www/bitrix/public_html;
    ssl_certificate     /etc/letsencrypt/live/example.ru/fullchain.pem;
    ssl_certificate_key /etc/letsencrypt/live/example.ru/privkey.pem;
    ssl_protocols TLSv1.2 TLSv1.3;
    client_max_body_size 100m;
    client_body_timeout 120s;
    location ~* \.(css|js|png|jpg|gif|ico|svg|woff2)$ {
        expires 30d;
        add_header Cache-Control "public, immutable";
    }
    location ~ /bitrix/modules/ { deny all; }
    location ~ /bitrix/php_interface/ { deny all; }
    location ~ /bitrix/tools/ { deny all; }
    location ~ \.php$ {
        fastcgi_pass unix:/run/php/php8.1-fpm.sock;
        fastcgi_param SCRIPT_FILENAME $document_root$fastcgi_script_name;
        fastcgi_read_timeout 120;
        include fastcgi_params;
    }
}

Recommendations from 1C-Bitrix for nginx configuration

How to Configure MySQL for High Loads?

Since Selectel does not offer a managed MySQL service, we install MySQL 8.0 on a separate cloud server. After installation, we create the database and user with the required privileges:

mysql -e "CREATE DATABASE bitrix CHARACTER SET utf8mb4 COLLATE utf8mb4_unicode_ci;"
mysql -e "CREATE USER 'bitrix'@'10.0.1.%' IDENTIFIED BY 'PASSWORD';"
mysql -e "GRANT ALL ON bitrix.* TO 'bitrix'@'10.0.1.%';"

Key my.cnf parameters for Bitrix performance:

[mysqld]
innodb_buffer_pool_size = 2G
innodb_log_file_size    = 512M
innodb_flush_log_at_trx_commit = 2
query_cache_type        = 0
max_connections         = 300
slow_query_log          = 1
long_query_time         = 2
character-set-server    = utf8mb4
collation-server        = utf8mb4_unicode_ci

Proper buffer tuning and disabling the query cache reduce database load by up to 40%.

Caching, SSL, and Object Storage

For cache and sessions, install Redis: apt install redis-server. Bind to the internal IP, set a password, limit memory (e.g., maxmemory 1gb), and choose the allkeys-lru policy. Obtain an SSL certificate via Certbot: certbot --nginx -d example.ru -d www.example.ru and add auto-renewal to cron.

Selectel Object Storage (S3) is mounted via s3fs. Endpoint: s3.storage.selcloud.ru. After mounting the upload/ folder, Bitrix automatically saves files to the cloud.

Firewall and Security

Configure security groups in the Selectel panel. Minimum rules:

Inbound:
80/tcp  — 0.0.0.0/0  (HTTP, redirect to HTTPS)
443/tcp — 0.0.0.0/0  (HTTPS)
22/tcp  — Your office IP

Between servers (private network):
3306/tcp — only from the web server
6379/tcp — only from the web server

Monitoring and Backups

Daily MySQL dump to Object Storage is a best practice. This automation script saves time and money:

#!/bin/bash
BACKUP_DIR="/tmp/db_backup"
DATE=$(date +%Y%m%d_%H%M)
mkdir -p $BACKUP_DIR
mysqldump -h 10.0.1.10 -u bitrix -pPASSWORD bitrix | gzip > "$BACKUP_DIR/db_$DATE.sql.gz"
s3cmd put "$BACKUP_DIR/db_$DATE.sql.gz" s3://bitrix-backups/db/
find $BACKUP_DIR -mtime +1 -delete

In addition to dumps, we recommend Selectel disk snapshots—they allow quick VM recovery in case of failure.

What's Included in Our Deployment

• Server setup (Ubuntu, nginx, PHP 8.1)
• Installation and optimization of MySQL tailored to Bitrix specifics
• Connection of Redis, object storage, and SSL
• Configuration of backups and monitoring (dashboards available)
• Firewall and security group setup
• Documentation for access and recovery procedures

After deployment, you get a production-ready infrastructure. Order a deployment—we'll assess your project and propose the optimal configuration. Contact us for a consultation.

1C-Bitrix Module Development and Setup

The main trap of Bitrix is init.php. You add an OnBeforeIBlockElementUpdate handler there, then another one — a year later the file is 2000 lines, and on every hit all that code executes. We move business logic into full-fledged modules with D7 ORM, custom tables, and administrative interface. The module can be disabled, transferred to another project, covered with tests — none of that is possible with init.php. Our team has 10+ years of Bitrix experience, certified specialists, and a 6-month code guarantee. Request a consultation — we'll explain how to migrate legacy code to a modular architecture.

Why is init.php the worst place for business logic?

Init.php does not support class autoloading, lacks an isolated namespace, cannot be unit tested, and cannot be disabled without editing the file itself. Every handler written there runs on every request, even if not needed. In a module, you register handlers through EventManager, and they only execute when the event occurs. Performance difference: up to 3x with 10+ handlers.

Standard Modules: Typical Problems and Solutions

Information blocks. IBlock architecture is the first thing we review on any project. A classic mistake: one catalog infoblock with 80 properties, 30 of which are multiple. The b_iblock_element_property table swells to millions of rows, and CIBlockElement::GetList with filtering on three properties does a full scan. We move reference data to Highload-blocks, eliminate multiple properties where possible, and design the structure for 5x growth.

e-Store (sale). Cart business rules are a separate story. We set discount priorities to prevent two campaigns from giving 60% instead of 30%, connect payment handlers, and write custom validation via OnSaleOrderBeforeSaved.

Search. The built-in search module with morphology works up to 10–15 thousand elements. Beyond that — Elasticsearch. We configure it via the Bitrix search module API, indexing through CSearchFullText or custom indexers.

Highload-blocks for dictionaries, logs, user data — instead of bloated IBlocks. Direct queries via Bitrix\Highloadblock\HighloadBlockTable, custom tables instead of the EAV structure of standard infoblocks. A million records — no degradation.

Mail events. Configuration is not just templates in b_event_message. The key is SPF, DKIM, DMARC on the DNS, otherwise transactional emails go to spam. We check deliverability and set up bounce handling.

How to Design Infoblocks for Performance?

We use Highload-blocks for reference data (colors, sizes, manufacturers) that are not involved in complex queries. For SKUs — a separate infoblock with linking via IBLOCK_ELEMENT_PROPERTY. Enable INDEX_PROPERTY for frequently filtered properties. Tagged caching: when an element changes, only the related cache is cleared. Highload-blocks process up to 10x faster than infoblocks with multiple properties on volumes of 100,000 records.

Custom Module Development

Each module follows the structure /local/modules/vendor.modulename/:

• install/index.php — setup class, create tables via $DB->RunSQLBatch()
• lib/ — D7 ORM classes, extending Bitrix\Main\ORM\Data\DataManager
• admin/ — administrative pages using CAdminList, CAdminForm
• include.php — autoloading, event handler registration via EventManager::getInstance()->registerEventHandler()
• REST API endpoints via \Bitrix\Rest\RestManager

The module registers in the system, appears in the "Installed Solutions" list, and has its own settings at /bitrix/admin/settings.php?mid=vendor.modulename. It can be enabled, disabled, and updated through UpdateSystem or custom migration mechanics.

Examples of implemented tasks:

• Campaign management — visual condition builder via CAdminCalendar, timers via agents (CAgent::AddAgent), analytics linked to the sale module
• Cost calculator — React widget on the frontend, REST API in the module, formulas stored in a Highload-block
• Booking system — real-time calendar, locking via $DB->StartTransaction() / $DB->Commit() on concurrent requests, integration with channel manager via webhook

Components and Composite Cache

Component customization via result_modifier.php and component_epilog.php, not by editing template.php of the standard template. This way core updates are painless.

Composite cache ("Composite Site" technology) — the server sends ready HTML, bypassing PHP routing. Dynamic areas (cart, authorization) are loaded via CBitrixComponent::setFrameMode(true) and AJAX. TTFB drops to 30–50 ms. But there are caveats: not all components are compatible, $APPLICATION->ShowPanel() breaks composite, and careful markup of <div id="bx-composite-..."> is required.

What to Check Before Installing a Marketplace Module?

Before installing a module from the marketplace, an audit is mandatory. We check: SQL queries without prepared statements (hello SQL injection), direct use of $_REQUEST without filtering, use of outdated kernel API instead of D7, conflicts with the composite cache module. A module with no updates for over a year and a few dozen installations is likely a problem on the next PHP update. A typical case: a module calls CIBlockElement::GetList with no cache reset — the site crashes with 5000 elements.

Migration to D7

When upgrading PHP or switching to a new edition — refactor outdated calls:

• CIBlockElement::GetList() → Bitrix\Iblock\Elements\ElementTable::getList()
• CSaleOrder::GetList() → Bitrix\Sale\Order::getList()
• CModule::IncludeModule() → Bitrix\Main\Loader::includeModule() Testing on staging, rollback via git on issues.

According to official 1C-Bitrix documentation, D7 ORM is the recommended tool for working with data, providing type safety and automatic query generation.

Comparison: Init.php vs Module

Module Development Scope and Cost

What is included in module development?

• Technical specification and architectural plan
• Code following PSR-4 and Bitrix code style
• Unit tests (PHPUnit) for business logic
• Integration tests for events and REST API
• Installation, configuration, and API documentation
• Repository and documentation access
• Administrator training for module usage
• 6-month warranty support

Estimated timelines and complexity:

Cost is calculated individually — contact us for a project estimate.

Module Testing

Unit tests via PHPUnit cover business logic: discount calculation, validation, document generation. Mocks for Bitrix\Main\Application::getConnection() allow tests to be DB-independent. Integration tests verify event handlers on a real database — OnAfterIBlockElementAdd, OnSaleOrderSaved, etc. REST API endpoints are tested via curl or PHPUnit HTTP client. Critical for modules working with b_sale_order, b_catalog_price — where errors cost money.

Compatibility is checked on PHP 7.4, 8.0, 8.1, 8.2 and editions: Standard, Small Business, Business. We check conflicts with popular marketplace modules — they often intercept the same events. Load testing: measurements on 10K, 100K, 1M records, profiling via Xdebug for memory leaks and N+1 queries.

Practical Examples

Campaign module for an electronics chain. The built-in sale module discounts did not cover scenarios like "2+1", a gift with purchase over a certain amount, or combined conditions. We built a visual builder: marketers create rules via drag-and-drop without development tickets. Campaign calendar, auto-deactivation via agents, analytics linked to b_sale_order — conversion, average check, usage count. Time to launch a new campaign dropped from two days to half an hour.

Calculator for builders. Parameters (area, materials, number of floors) → formula → preliminary estimate → lead to CRM via CRest::call('crm.lead.add'). Regional coefficients and seasonal markups from a Highload-block, material prices from 1C exchange. The number of target leads increased by a third: clients see a breakdown before calling a manager.

Booking for a hotel chain. Real-time availability via AJAX requests to a custom table vendor_booking_slots, seasonal tariff calculation, synchronization with Booking.com via channel manager API. Room locking on concurrent booking via SELECT ... FOR UPDATE in transactions. Timezones handled via \DateTimeZone — a guest from Vladivostok and a manager from Moscow see the same picture.

We will evaluate your project within one day. Write to us — we'll tell you what is included in turnkey development. Contact us for a consultation on your project. Order a custom module development — get a ready solution with documentation and support.