# Moving a 1C-Bitrix Site to New Hosting Without Errors

> Moving a 1C-Bitrix site to new hosting: a backup with the BackUp module and configuring dbconn.php.

1C-Bitrix is moved differently from most CMS platforms: the system has a built-in backup module that packages files and the database into one archive. This is more reliable than manual copying because the module automatically excludes temporary files and cache.

## How moving Bitrix differs from other CMS platforms

Bitrix stores database connection settings in `bitrix/php_interface/dbconn.php` rather than a single config file, and makes heavy use of the `main` module for disk caching in the `bitrix/cache` directory. You do not need to move this directory — it is rebuilt automatically and can be several gigabytes in size.

## Preparing the new server

Check that the new server has the versions from the table below — Bitrix is sensitive to mismatched PHP versions and extensions:

| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PHP | 8.1 | 8.3 |
| MySQL | 5.7 | 8.0 |
| mysqli module | required | required |
| Free disk space | x2 of site size | x3 of site size |

You need extra free space because the backup archive will temporarily take up as much space again as the site itself.

## Creating a backup with the BackUp module

In the site control panel, open "Settings" → "Backup" → "Create backup" and choose the option to split into 100-500 MB volumes when the site is larger than 2 GB — this makes uploading the archive over FTP easier. With SSH access to the server, it is faster to run the backup from the console:

```
php bitrix/modules/main/tools/backup.php
```

Download the finished archive (or the set of .tar.gz volumes) to your local computer, or transfer it straight to the new server with rsync, as described in the article [moving site files](https://www.zevshost.net/en/kb/migratsia-failov-rsync-scp/).

## Restoring on the new server

Upload the archive to the `/upload/backup/` directory of the site on the new server via the "Data Restore" web interface in the Bitrix admin panel. The restore wizard unpacks the files itself and offers to create a database — enter the new MySQL login and password you set up in advance on the new server.

Restoring from the console without the web wizard — import the database with:

```
mysql -u bitrix_user -p bitrix_db < backup_db.sql
```

The general algorithm for exporting and importing MySQL, including working with large dumps, is covered in the article [moving a MySQL database](https://www.zevshost.net/en/kb/perenesti-bazu-dannykh/).

## Configuring dbconn.php and checking the license

After restoring, open `bitrix/php_interface/dbconn.php` and check that the `$DBHost`, `$DBName`, `$DBLogin` and `$DBPassword` constants point to the new server. Then clear the cache from the admin panel: "Settings" → "Auto-caching" → "Clear cache", or delete the contents of the `bitrix/cache` directory manually.

The Bitrix license is tied to the domain, so changing the IP address without changing the domain needs no reactivation. The domain changes too — go to "Product Settings" → "License Keys" and update the binding.

## Switching the domain without downtime

Before switching the A record, open the site on the new server by IP, overriding the host in the local `/etc/hosts` file, and make sure the catalog, cart and admin panel at `/bitrix/admin/` work. Lower the record's TTL to 300 seconds a day before the switch so changes propagate quickly across DNS servers. A detailed scheme is in the article [switching hosting without downtime](https://www.zevshost.net/en/kb/migratsia-dns-bez-prostoya/).

## Bitrix migration checklist

- PHP and MySQL versions on the new server meet the requirements.
- The backup was created with the BackUp module, not manually.
- The bitrix/cache directory was excluded from the transfer.
- The dbconn.php file points to the new database.
- The cache was cleared from the admin panel after restoring.
- The site was tested by IP before the DNS switch.

After switching the domain, go through the general checklist in the article [post-migration site checklist](https://www.zevshost.net/en/kb/migratsia-proverka-posle/).

---

Source: https://www.zevshost.net/en/kb/migratsia-bitrix/