1C-Bitrix web environment (BitrixVM) on serverplus

"1C-Bitrix: Virtual Machine" (BitrixVM) is a ready-made server environment for 1C-Bitrix products: Bitrix24 (self-hosted edition) and "1C-Bitrix: Site Management". The whole stack is already assembled and configured: web server, PHP, database, cache and a handy management menu.

On serverplus you do not need to install it manually — the panel has a ready-made image. Just create a server from this image and the environment comes up by itself. Inside is the current BitrixEnv 9 build: nginx + Apache, PHP 8.1–8.5, Percona Server or PostgreSQL, plus Redis, Node.js, RabbitMQ. The OS inside the image is from the RHEL 9 family, so you do not choose it separately.

Recommended configuration

• CPU and RAM. 1C-Bitrix is resource-hungry. For a production site — from 2–4 vCPU and 4–8 GB RAM; for testing — at least 2 GB RAM.
• Disk. From 50 GB (that's what the image takes), type — ssd-universal, under load — nvme-fast (Bitrix works the database hard).
• A public IP — so the site is reachable from the internet and you can issue SSL.

Step 1. Create a server from the Bitrix image

In the cloud.serverplus.uz panel, start creating a new server and, at the image selection step, choose the Bitrix app:

• Location. Choose the region (for example uz-tas1 / RegionOne).
• Image → the "Apps" tab. Select the Bitrix tile and pick the version from the dropdown (for example 9.0.6 or newer).
• Configuration. Set vCPU and RAM per the recommendations above and a disk from 50 GB (ssd-universal/nvme-fast).
• Network and access. Enable a public IP and set the login method — an SSH key (recommended) or a root password.
• Create the server and wait for it to boot — the image already contains the configured environment.

Besides Bitrix, the "Apps" tab has other ready-made images (for example Zabbix). The principle is the same: pick the app and version — get a configured server.

Step 2. First login and changing passwords

After boot, connect to the server — over SSH as root or via the web console (>_ Console) in the panel. On the BitrixVM image the default password for the root superuser is bitrix.

• On first login the system requires changing the passwords. First root, then the bitrix user (the current password in both cases is bitrix, then the new one twice). Set strong passwords.
• After that the BitrixVM management menu opens. To call it again — the command:

/root/menu.sh

If you set an SSH key or your own root password when creating the server — use them to log in. In any case, do not leave the default bitrix password on a server with a public IP.

Step 3. Create the server pool

In the BitrixVM menu, choose 1. Create Management pool of server and create the pool. This is a mandatory step even if you have a single server — through the pool you then configure sites, the database, SSL and updates without editing configs by hand. Exit the menu with 0. Exit or Ctrl+C.

Step 4. Install the product (BitrixSetup)

The environment is ready — now we install the product itself: Bitrix24 (self-hosted) or "Site Management".

• 1. Download the bitrixsetup.php script from the product page on 1c-bitrix.ru.
• 2. Connect to the server over SFTP as the bitrix user and put bitrixsetup.php in the site root — /home/bitrix/www/.
• 3. Open http://your_server_IP/bitrixsetup.php in a browser — choose the edition (including a free trial), and the wizard downloads the distribution and deploys it.
• 4. Go through the Bitrix web installer: license, database (the environment creates it), administrator, final setup.

Migrating an existing site? Put a restore.php file from a Bitrix backup into /home/bitrix/www/ — the environment will deploy the dump and files automatically.

Step 5. Domain and free SSL

Point the domain at the server (A record @ and www → your VPS IP). Then issue a certificate right from the BitrixVM menu:

• In /root/menu.sh, open pool site management and choose certificate setup — the environment issues and renews a free Let’s Encrypt certificate automatically.
• Check that the domain points to the server: dig +short example.com.

Setup and security

• Change the default passwords: the bitrix user, the Bitrix admin and the database.
• Firewall. Outward — only 80/443 and SSH. Do not expose the panel/menu port to the internet.
• Updates. Update the Bitrix core and modules normally from the admin panel, and the environment via the BitrixVM menu (the update item).
• Backups. Keep copies separate from the server: a snapshot in the serverplus panel + upload to S3 object storage.
• SSH key login instead of a password — see the "Basic server protection" article.

About performance. Bitrix likes a fast disk and memory. For real load take nvme-fast for the database and add RAM — it noticeably speeds up the admin panel and hits.

FAQ

Do I need to install the OS, web server, PHP and database by hand?

No. The Bitrix image from the panel already contains the whole environment: a RHEL 9 system, nginx+Apache, PHP, Percona/PostgreSQL, Redis, RabbitMQ. You just create a server from the image and work.

Which environment version is in the image?

The version is chosen in the panel at creation (on the "Apps" tab, the Bitrix tile has a dropdown, for example 9.0.6). This is the current BitrixEnv 9 line.

Can I install it manually instead of from the image?

Yes, as an alternative: on a clean AlmaLinux/Rocky/CentOS Stream 9 run the official bitrix-env-9.sh script. But from the ready image in the panel it's faster and with no manual steps.

Can I use Ubuntu or Debian?

The official 1C-Bitrix environment runs only on the RHEL 9 family. The image in the panel is already built on such an OS, so the question does not arise — just choose the Bitrix image.

How many resources are needed?

For testing — 2 vCPU and 2 GB RAM. For a production site — from 2–4 vCPU and 4–8 GB RAM, an ssd-universal or nvme-fast disk. The larger the catalog/traffic, the more memory for the cache and database.

What passwords are there and where are they set?

On the BitrixVM image the default root password is bitrix; on first login the system forces you to change the root and bitrix passwords. The bitrix user runs the environment and SFTP access to the sites in /home/bitrix/www/. Keep the passwords in a password manager.

Where on disk was the site installed?

The default site root is /home/bitrix/www/. With several sites, each has its own directory (/home/bitrix/www/s1, /home/bitrix/www/s2, etc.), configured through the BitrixVM menu.