Introduction

The following methods of Bitrix Site Manager installation exist:

• For evaluation of Bitrix Site Manager at a local machine, install Bitrix Environment which deploys all the required software like web server, database etc. (see Installing the trial version using Windows installer).
• If you have all the required helper software installed (Apache, PHP, database, for trial version - Zend Optimizer), refer to Installing Bitrix Site Manager for installation guidelines.
• To install the required helper software required by Bitrix Site Manager (Apache, PHP, database, for trial version - Zend Optimizer), you can download and install Bitrix Environment (see Installing Bitrix Web Environment). In this case, you will have to install Bitrix Site Manager from a downloadable archive file (see Installing Bitrix Site Manager).
• To install the system at a remote server, use a special script: BitrixInstall, see Installation using BitrixInstall. Alternatively, you can still install from a downloadable archive file (see Installing Bitrix Site Manager).

Should you have any questions installing the system, you can always ask them at the technical support service.

System requirements

Server software requirements

PHP enabled web server

Apache (recommended) – the Bitrix software was developed for Apache 1.3.x. However, the system will successfully run on Apache 2.x.

IIS (Internet Information Server) (also supported) – the system is able to run on IIS 5 and IIS 6. Internet Information Server requires additional setup to fully support Bitrix Site Manager.

Eserv (also supported) – the system was tested for compatibility with Eserv.

PHP

Bitrix Site Manager requires PHP version 5.0. or higher. It is recommended that you use the latest stable release of PHP to prevent PHP failures and to provide the maximum security at the server side.

The following PHP extensions are required:

• GD – image handling library. Required for building graphs and charts which is essential for the Statistics, Advertising and Helpdesk modules. The library is also used with CAPTCHA.
• PHP XML – used by the update system. This library is inluded in the standard installation package of PHP. The Windows version of PHP has a built-in XML support.
• FreeType – required for the correct functioning of CAPTCHA.
• Regular Expression support (POSIX and Perl compatible) – the system requires the regular expression support at the core level.
• Zlib compression – the compression library is required by the Compression module and the update system to decrease the amount of transferred data.

Database server support

MySQL

Since the version 5.0, the system requires the MySQL version at least 4.1.11 or higher. MySQL 5 is supported starting from the system version 4.1.6. However, certain fixes has been made later, in versions 5.0.

To support MySQL, the system requires the MySQL support for PHP to be installed.

Oracle and Oracle XE

The system is shipped with full support for the Oracle database engines. The system requires Oracle 10g or higher (or a stable release of Oracle XE) to be installed.

At the installation time, the system does not check the Oracle database engine edition (i.e. whether a full edition is installed, or XE). However, this check is performed at the update system run time. If the Oracle version on which the system runs does not match your license key, the update system will be disabled.

To fully support Oracle, your installation of PHP must include the appropriate support library. This means that the following extension is to be installed: php_oci8.dll.

MSSQL and MSSQL Express Edition

The system is shipped with full support for the MSSQL database engines. The system requires MSSQL 9.0 (2005) or higher (or MSSQL 2005 XE) to be installed.

At the installation time, the system does not check the MSSQL database engine edition (i.e. whether a full edition is installed, or Express Edition). However, this check is performed at the update system run time. If the MSSQL version on which the system runs does not match your license key, the update system will be disabled.

Web server configuration

For proper functioning, Bitrix Site Manager requires the following parameters to be set.

PHP settings

The following PHP parameters are essential.

1. memory_limit = 64M;

   Maximum amount of PHP memory required by the system core.

   Note: this parameter can be changed:

   • by editing the file php.ini directly;
   • from within a script by calling ini_set("memory_limit", "64M");
     This call is added to /bitrix/php_interface/dbconn.php at the installation time using the user-supplied value;
   • in the file .htaccess using the directive: php_value memory_limit 64M
   • in the file httpd.conf using the directive: php_admin_value memory_limit 64M
   Note: parameters can be altered from within the .htaccess file if the following conditions are met:

   • Apache (or compatible) web server is used;
   • .htaccess files are processed by a web server, which means that the web server configuration file (httpd.conf) contains the directive AllowOverride set to All or any value other than None;
   • PHP is installed as an Apache module (if PHP runs as CGI all the required parameters must be set when compiling PHP)

2. file_uploads = On;
   The parameter defines whether files can be uploaded to a server or not.

   Additionally, the following variables are also to be set:

   • upload_tmp_dir = <folder name>
   • upload_max_filesize = <required file size limit>
   Important! It is essential that the specified directory exists, and a current user (under which the web server runs) is granted the write permissions for this folder.

3. Proper PHP session handling is the indispensable condition. You are recommended to check that the folder where the session files are saved exists.

   Note: if the parameter session.save_path is missing from php.ini, the default value of /tmp is used.

   If the server URL's happen to contain the PHPSESSID=... parameter, you hide it as follows:

   • Add the line session.use_trans_sid = 0 to php.ini;
   • In .htaccess, add the following directive: php_flag session.use_trans_sid off
     The demo site has this line included in .htaccess, you can uncomment it if required.

Supported standards. Client software requirements

Bitrix Site Manager uses and supports the following technologies.

HTML/XHTML

The system places no restrictions on templates developed with HTML/XHTML.

JavaScript

The system unconditionally supports the use of JavaScript in the site templates, menus and pages.

AJAX

This technology is widely used in the Control Panel and Components 2.0 to speed up the system response and decrease server-to-client data traffic. The system places no restrictions on using AJAX in the public section.

CSS

The design of each site template can be controlled via separate CSS files. Analogously, separate style sheets can be used with public components as well as module templates (e.g. forum, helpdesk, polls). The Control Panel features the use of visual themes: users can create their own custom visual themes through the cascading style sheets.

Flash

The system has limited support for the Macromedia (now Adobe) Flash technology. Flash plug-ins can be used in the following ways:

• as a part of the site template design;
• as advertising banners;
• as user input controls deliberately designed to interact with the system.

RSS

The system supports RSS versions 0.92 and 2.0. In the core, RSS is used to exchange information between the Information Blocks and Blogs modules.

CSV

The system uses the CSV standard to exchange information between the Information Blocks module and other systems.

Browser support

Bitrix Site Manager was developed to support the most popular browsers. The public section appearance is browser-independent. The Control Panel is optimized for the maximum performance with the following browsers

• Internet Explorer 7.x or higher;
• Firefox 1.5.x or higher;
• Google Chrome 4.1 and higher;
• Opera 9.0 and higher (some features may not be available);
• Apple Safari 3.0 and higher (some features may not be available).

The support for the Konqueror and Safari browsers is limited; the visual editor cannot be used in these browsers.

Known problems

• The visual editor behaviour may somewhat disagree in different browsers (Internet Explorer and FireFox).
• Some API functions and class methods may produce HTML code that do not fully conform with the XHTML standard, and potentially may not pass the W3C validation.

Installing the trial version using Windows installer

The fully functional trial version is available for free and can be evaluated during 30 days. The trial version of Bitrix Site Manager enables users to learn the system architecture and features by the example of a fully functional, ready-to-go web site. The evaluation period allows you to integrate the system with the site design and prepare the site for launching.

Setup operations

If you install the MySQL version using Bitrix Environment, you will not have to install any additional software manually. A simple and easy-to-use installer will automatically install the following applications to your PC:

• MySQL 5.0.51;
• Apache 2.2.15;
• PHP 5.3.2;
• Catdoc - MS Office file indexing;
• xpdf- Adobe PDF file indexing;
• msmtp E-Mail Manager.

Bitrix Environment copies the application files to an isolated folder. Bitrix Environment helper applications will not conflict with any existing installations of MySQL, Apache or PHP.

Your system should meet the following minimum requirements to install and run Bitrix Environment:

• Windows 98/ME/NT/2000/XP/2003/Vista/2008 Server;
• 100 Mb of free disk space;
• Internet connection if you install using the downloaded Bitrix Environment package.

You can always download the latest version at http://www.bitrixsoft.com/download/.

Choose here the required installation version.

• Download an .exe file of the required edition. The package file is in the format xxx_encode_phpN.exe, where xxx is the edition abbreviation and, N is the PHP version, for example: smb_encode_php5.exe.
• Run the downloaded file.

Bitrix Site Manager Installation Wizard

Installation wizard will help you install the system taking as less time and efforts as possible. Use the Next and Back buttons to navigate through the wizard steps. The Back button allows you to return to a previous step if you need to change the installation preferences. If you want to abort the installation, click Cancel.

Step 1. The Initial Installation Screen

The first wizard window informs you that the installation is starting and displays the basic information about the product.

• Click Next. This will open the next step containing the Bitrix Site Manager License Agreement.

Step 2. The License Agreement

Read the Agreement carefully. If you accept the license terms, check the I accept the agreement box. You must accept the License Agreement to continue installation. Click Next to open the next window of the Wizard.

Step 3. Bitrix Environment and Encoding

If you do not have Bitrix Environment installed on your machine, do the following.

• Enable the Install Bitrix Environment option.

This will download and run bitrix_env.exe, the Bitrix Environment package (see Installing Bitrix Web Environment) which will install all the required third-party software: MySQL 5.0.51, Apache 2.2.15, PHP 5.3.2, Catdoc - MS Office file indexing, xpdf- Adobe PDF file indexing, msmtp E-Mail Manager.

• If you plan to use multiple languages on your site, enable UTF-8 encoding.
• Click Next.

If you have previously installed Bitrix Environment package, uncheck the Install Bitrix Environment option. Confirm that you do not want to download and install it:

This will open the destination folder selection window.

• Specify the folder in which the Bitrix Site Manager files will be unpacked and click Next.

The installation confirmation window will appear.

Review all settings. At this step, you still can change them if required by clicking Back.

• Click Install. The installation progress window will show (step 5).

Step 4. Ready to Install

This window displays a summary of the installation preferences you have specified in the previous steps. Click Back if you need to change settings.

• If you accept the proposed settings, click Install to start installation.

If you have chosen to download and install Bitrix Environment, the web environment installation wizard will start (see Installing Bitrix Web Environment). When it completes, the step 5 will follow.

Step 5. Copying Files

The installation of Bitrix Site Manager is now starting.

When the installation completes, the last window will open notifying that all the files have been copied successfully.

Step 6. Final Step

This window informs that Bitrix Site Manager files have been successfully copied to your machine.

• To run Bitrix Site Manager right after closing the installation wizard, enable the Run Bitrix Site Manager option.
• Click Finish to quit the wizard.

Running Bitrix Site Manager

First Run

If you have left the Run Bitrix Site Manager option checked on the last screen of the installation wizard, the system will be started automatically right after the wizard is closed.

When the system is starting, it opens a browser window in which you will continue the installation and configuration of Bitrix Site Manager. The browser side installation includes two steps. The first step is fully automated and equivalent to the step 6 of the Bitrix Site Manager installation wizard (see Step 6. System installation). After the installation is complete, the system will move to the final step in which the system administrator account is created (see Step 7. Creating an administrator's account) and then runs the Installing Solutions.

Subsequent Runs

You can run Bitrix Site Manager:

• by activating the shortcut on the Desktop (if you have chosen to create it);
• using the Start menu (Start -> Programs -> Bitrix Web Environment -> Bitrix Web Environment);
• by running BitrixEnv.exe located in the system installation folder (e.g. C:\Program Files\Bitrix Environment\)

Using the Taskbar Icon

After the system has been launched, the Bitrix Web Environment icon becomes visible in the system tray.

When visible, this icon indicates that all the applications required by the system are up and running. You can now start working with Bitrix Site Manager.

• Right-click on the icon to bring up the context menu.

The menu includes the following commands:

• Open: opens the public section (i.e. the index page visible to visitors) of the site in your browser;
• About: navigates to the Bitrix company site;
• Exit: closes all the applications required by Bitrix Site Manager (web server, database etc.).

Installing Bitrix Web Environment

The Bitrix Web Environment package is extremely useful for testing the trial versions of Bitrix Site Manager. The Bitrix Web Environment installation wizard deploys the following applications required by the system:

• MySQL 5.1.51
• Apache 2.2.15
• PHP 5.3.2
• Catdoc - MS Office file indexing
• xpdf- Adobe PDF file indexing
• msmtp E-Mail Manager

Preliminary operations

Do the following to download Bitrix Web Environment:

• Open http://www.bitrixsoft.com/download/cms/#tab-bx-environment-link in your browser (the download page).
• Scroll to the Bitrix Web Environment section.
• Click download.

  

• Click Save in the file download dialog box.
• Run the downloaded file. A Bitrix Web Environment installation wizard window will open.

The Bitrix Web Environment Installation Wizard

The installation of Bitrix Web Environment is very simple. It will not take more than 5 minutes.

Use the Next and Back buttons to navigate through the wizard steps. The Back button allows you to return to a previous step if you need to change the installation preferences. If you want to abort the installation, click Cancel.

Step 1. The Initial Installation Screen

The first wizard window informs you that the installation is starting and displays the basic information about the product.

• Click Next. This will open the next step containing the License Agreement.

Step 2. The License Agreement

Read the Agreement carefully. If you accept the license terms, check the I accept the agreement box. You must accept the License Agreement to continue installation.

• Click Next to open the next window of the Wizard.

Step 3. Choosing Installation Folder

• Specify the folder to which the Bitrix Web Environment will be installed. The default destination directory is \Program Files\Bitrix Environment. To choose a different folder, click Browse and select the folder in the tree, or type the path in the edit box.
• Click Next to open the next screen.

Step 4. Shortcuts

This window shows the name of a folder containing the application shortcuts that will be created in the Start menu. By default, the wizard suggests the folder Bitrix Site Manager. You can specify a different folder name.

• Click Next to go to the next step.

Step 5. More actions

Enable the Add desktop icon option to place a shortcut to Bitrix Web Environment on your desktop.

• Click Next to go to the next step.

Step 6. Web Server Parameters

Here you can change the port at which you will connect to the Apache web server.

By default, the web server is configured to respond at port 6448. You can set any other port number (e.g. 6443) unless this port is not in use by other applications (e.g. IIS).

• Click Next to continue.

Step 7. Ready to install

This window displays a summary of the installation preferences you have specified in the previous steps. If you need to change the installation preferences, click Back.

• If you accept the proposed settings, click Install to start installation.

Wait until the wizard copies files to your machine.

Step 8. Final Step

This window informs that the Bitrix Web Environment files have been successfully copied to your machine. To run Bitrix Web Environment right after closing the installation wizard, enable the Launch Bitrix Environment option. Click Finish to quit the wizard.

Configuring Bitrix Web Environment

To change the settings for Bitrix Web Environment:

• Right-click on the Bitrix Web Environment icon in the system tray.
• Select Settings... in the menu.

  

• This will bring up the application start-up parameters dialog box:

  

Edit the parameters as required. For additional references provided below is a brief description of the dialog box options.

• Apache Web Server:
  - the port at which the server will be available;
  - the check box option to run the web server is secure mode (SSL), and the port for SSL connection.
• Start Services:
  - MySQL - runs a MySQL server at start-up;
  - port for use by the MySQL server by default;
  - XMPP - runs an XMPP messaging server (previously known as Jabber);
  - SMTP - runs a mail server.
• Mail:
  - Send E-Mail Using Bitrix Web Environment - with this option enabled, the e-mail messages will be sent using the SMTP server specified below;
  - SMTP Server - the address of the outgoing e-mail server;
  - Default Sender - specifies the e-mail address seen by recipients as the sender (“From”);
  - Server Requires Authentification - if this option is checked, the username and password will be used for logging on to the SMTP server.
  Bitrix Web Environment 2.0 uses a built-in SMTP server to send e-mails (MSMTP). If you prefer to keep the Send E-Mail Using Bitrix Web Environment option unchecked, the e-mail server specified in php.ini (C:/Program Files/Bitrix Environment/apache2/zendserver/etc/) will be used instead.

• Use A Separate Process To Send Messages And Run Agents - specifies that, if checked, the system will run a separate dedicated process in which the e-mail server and agents will run. This usually improves system robustness and optimizes performance.
• Run Bitrix Web Environment At Windows Start-up (as a service) - if checked, Windows will start the Bitrix Web Environment service when Windows is loading. You can provide a custom name for the service.

[Parameters]
ApachePortSSL=443 ; SSL port
StartApacheSSL=0 ; secure SSL mode
MySQLPort=31006 ; MySQL server port
StartMySQL=1 ; 1 - start MySQL server, 0 – don’t start
StartXMPP=1 ; 1 to start XMPP server, 0 – don’t start
StartSMTP=1 ; 1 to start SMTP server, 0 – don’t start
StartAgents=1 ; 1 to start Apache agents, 0 – don’t start
StartMSMTP=0 ; 1 to start built-in SMTP server , 0 – don’t start
ServiceName=BitrixEnv ; name for the Windows service 
MSMTPAuth=0 ; use SMTP authentication (when StartSMTP is 1), 0 – don’t start
MSMTPServer=localhost ; built-in SMTP server address (used when StartSMTP is 1)
MSMTPAuthPassword=123456 ; password for built-in SMTP server; used when StartSMTP and MSMTPServer are 1
MSMTPAuthLogin=admin ; login for built-in SMTP server; used when StartSMTP and MSMTPServer are 1
ApachePort=6448 ; default port for use by Apache
MSMTPFrom=support@server.local ; default sender address 

Installing Bitrix Site Manager

All versions of Bitrix Site Manager are shipped as .zip and .tar.gz archive files for PHP 5.

• Download Bitrix Site Manager installation package to your server or computer.
• Extract files from the archive to the root folder of your site.

Now, ensure your system corresponds minimum requirements.

1. If required, install Apache web server and configure it to support PHP. Bitrix Site Manager requires Apache version 1.3 or better and PHP 5.0.0 or better.
2. If required, install database engine (MySQL version 4.1.11 or higher, Oracle 10g or higher or MSSQL 9.0 (2005) or higher).
3. If you install the Oracle version, ensure that the client part of Oracle Database 10g Client or higher is installed. Create a new user.
4. If you reinstall the system, remember to remove all tables.
5. Ensure that you have at least 10 MB of free disk space for the update system.

To start installation, open http://<your_site>/index.php in your browser. Replace here <your_site> with the real address of your site.

Step 1. The start

To start installation:

• Download Bitrix Site Manager installation package to your server or computer.
• Extract files from the archive to the root folder of your site.
• Open http://<your_site>/index.php in your browser (replace here <your_site> with the real address of your site).
• Follow the installation wizard instructions.

The first wizard window informs you that the installation is starting and displays the basic information about the product.

Click Next to continue installation.

Step 2. The license agreement

Read the Agreement carefully. If you accept the license terms, check the I accept the License Agreement terms box. You must accept the License Agreement to continue installation.

Click Next to open the next window of the wizard.

Step 3. Choosing the database type

Here you will have to enter your license key and select database for which the system will be configured.

• License Key field: if you have already purchased a license, enter the license key here. If you install the product for evaluation purposes, leave the default field value (DEMO).
• Choose database field: select here the database you want to support. If you install the trial version, you can choose any database

Oracle and MySQL databases can be installed in UTF-8 encoding. If you choose to install UTF-8 version, mark the UTF-8 Installation option.

However, selecting UTF encoding requires the mbstring PHP module to be installed. You can verify the presence of this module by examining the contents of php.ini or .htaccess files:

• php.ini

mbstring.func_overload=2
mbstring.internal_encoding=UTF-8

• .htaccess

php_value mbstring.func_overload 2
php_value mbstring.internal_encoding UTF-8

Click Next to continue.

Step 4. Preliminary verification

The installation wizard checks your system for minimum requirements and displays advices on how to tune your system for optimum performance.

If your system does not match minimum requirements, the problem description in red will display on the top of the screen. The detailed description of the incompatibility can be found in the page body. You cannot continue installation until you fix the problem.

If your system does not match the recommended settings, you can still proceed with the installation. The installer will show the potentially incorrect settings. However, it is strongly recommended that you bring these settings into line with the recommended values. You can verify the system preferences in the Site Check form in Control Panel.

Click Next to continue.

Step 5. The database creation

Here the license file and the database connection configuration file are created; the database is populated with data.

The fields in the Database parameters group vary depending on the chosen database type. Other fields are common to all databases.

MySQL database parameters

If you install Bitrix Site Manager on a local machine and have the required applications (Apache, PHP, MySQL, Zend Optimizer for the trial versions), or Bitrix Web Environment installed:

• Server: the address of a server that hosts the database engine (MySQL in this case). This value is usually "localhost" for local servers, and the port number in the format localhost:[port]. You can find the port number in the MySQL configuration files.
Important! When installing Bitrix Site Manager on Bitrix Web Environment, type localhost:31006 in this field.
• Database user: select to create a new user;
• User name: type here any desired database user name (login) that will be used to access the database.
• Password: the database user password.
• Database: select to create a new database.
• Database name: the name of the database to which the product will be installed.
• Type of database tables: standard tables are generally good for most use cases.
• Select Create new database. A new group of fields will appear: Administrator login and password.
• Type root in the Login field.
• The Password field must be empty.

If you install Bitrix Site Manager on a remote server, consult the hosting service provider for the database parameters. Specifically, you should obtain values for the following fields:

• Server address;
• Database user: consult whether you need to create a new database user;
• (database) User name;
• (database) Password;
• Database: consult whether you need to create a new database;
• Database name;
• Type of database tables.

Standard tabled are optimum for most cases. However, web shops are observed to perform better with InnoDB tables.

Oracle database parameters

• Connection string: this field should contain either the name of a local Oracle instance, or the record name in tnsnames.ora to connect to. Example of the name of a local Oracle instance:

  (DESCRIPTION = (ADDRESS_LIST = (ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = 000.000.0.00)(PORT = 0000)))(CONNECT_DATA = (SERVICE_NAME = BX)))

• Database user: if checked, a new database user will be created. Otherwise, an existing user will be used.
• User: a user name (login) of the database user used to access the database.
• Password: a user password to access the database.

MSSQL database parameters

• DSN: a database connection string. The string should contain, at least, the connection driver parameters and the server name. Optionally, you can include the user name, password or other parameters.
Note! Sometimes you would need to specify a user DSN name here (a connection must be created in advance). For local servers (if the product is installed on the same server as the database), this parameters usually has a value of localhost.
• Database user: if checked, a new database user will be created. Otherwise, an existing user will be used.
• User: a user name (login) used to access the database.
• Password: a user password to access the database.
• Create database: check this option if you want to create a new database.
• Database name: type the name of the database to which the system will be installed.
Note! If you choose to create a new database or database user, you will have to provide the database administrator's login and password. The database administrator's user name and password are used only at the installation and database creation time. This information is not stored in the system.

Additional parameters

These parameters define permissions to assign to all files and folder of the site. They are common to all database types.

• Access permission for site files: Permissions that will be applied to all newly created files. Access permissions should allow the web server to write to files. The default value is 0644;
• Access permission for site folders: Permissions that will be applied to the newly created folders. Access permissions should allow the web server to write to folders. The default value is 0755.

Click Next to continue.

Step 6. System installation

At this stage, the wizard creates the database and copies the system files. You can watch the process proceeding in the progress bar. Upon completion, the wizard will switch to the next step automatically.

Step 7. Creating an administrator's account

Here you will configure the web site and create a web site administrator's account. The administrator's account provides full access to web site management and configuration. After the installation is complete, you can create more users with less permissions.

• Login: the site administrator login to access the Control Panel pages. Must contain at least 3 symbols;
• Password: the site administrator password. Must contain at least 6 symbols;
• Confirm password: type the password again to validate it.
• E-Mail: the address of the site administrator's e-mail account;
• First name, Last name: the real name of the site administrator.

Step 8. Installing Solutions

Here you will have to select a web solution to be installed.

Select the solution you find most appropriate for your website.

• Community Site Wizard is a neat solution for you to create a social community website, such as, for example, coffee lovers club, book readers club and so on.
• Corporate Service Site Wizard is a solution oriented to non-manufacturing companies. The wizard creates a sample website to provide banking services.
• Manufacturer’s Corporate Website Wizard, on the contrary, is a solution oriented to industrial companies. The wizard creates a exemplary website to represent a furniture manufacturer.
• Personal Site Wizard creates a website devoted to solely represent a person in the Internet.
• Download From Marketplace is a special option to download and run the website solution from Bitrix Marketplace.
• Online Store Wizard is a perfect choice for companies willing to sell their products online.

Personal Site Wizard

Step 1. The design template

Select here the design template for use with the website. The templates vary not only in the look, some may have different settings.

• Select the design template and click Next.

Step 2. The color theme

Each design template allows different colors of your choice. Different templates provide different color sets.

• Select the color theme you find most appropriate for your website and click Next.

Step 3. Providing basic information

This is the step when you specify the website name and the owner name.

• Fill in the Site Name and Site Owner fields.
• If you install the system for evaluation purpose, you may want to install demo data to get a quick glance at the website right after the installation.
• Click Install to proceed.

Step 4. Installation and copying

This step is fully automated not requiring your assistance. After the installation is complete, the wizard will move to the next step.

Step 5. The final step

• Click Open Site to view the main page of your site.

Online Store Wizard

Step 1. The design template

This is the first step. Select here the design template for use with the website.

• Select the required template and click Next.

Step 2. The color theme selection

Now select the color for the previously specified template. The preview pane below the color palette shows how your site will look with the current color applied.

• Select the color you like most and click Next.

Step 3. Company information

Provide basic information about your web store. Note that this data will be visible as-is to your site visitors.

• Fill in the form fields and click Next.

Step 4. Configuring the online store options

• Fill in the form fields and click Next.

Step 5. Installing and copying

At this step, the system is installing the solution. After the installation is complete, the wizard will move to the next step.

Step 6. The final step

This screen informs you that the solution installation has been completed successfully.

• Click Open Site to quit the wizard and open the main page of your website.

Manufacturer’s Corporate Website Wizard

Step 1. The design template

This is the first step. Select here the design template for use with the website.

• Select the required template and click Next.

Step 2. The color theme selection

Now select the color for the previously specified template. The preview pane below the color palette shows how your site will look with the current color applied.

• Select the color you like most and click Next.

Step 3. Company information

Feed the wizard with the company identity information here.

• Fill in the form fields. Do not forget to upload the logo.
• If you install the website for a specific company or project, uncheck Install Demo Data for Corporate Website.
• Click Next.

Step 4. Installing and copying

At this step, the system is installing the solution. After the installation is complete, the wizard will move to the next step.

Step 5. The final step

This screen informs you that the solution installation has been completed successfully.

• Click Open Site to quit the wizard and open the main page of your website.

Multiple installations of Bitrix Site Manager

Side-by-side Installation of Bitrix Site Manager

If you need to install and run multiple instances of Bitrix Site Manager (e.g. different editions), or any other sites using Apache web server, you can easily accomplish this using a single installation of Bitrix Web Environment.

Do the following to configure Bitrix Web Environment for multi-system usage.

• Create a folder in C:\Program Files\Bitrix Environment\. The folder can have any name.
• Add the following lines to httpd.conf (in C:\Program Files\Bitrix Environment\apache\conf\):

  Listen 81
  <VirtualHost *:81> 
      ServerName localhost
      DocumentRoot "C:\Program Files\Bitrix Environment\folder_name" 
  </VirtualHost>
  

Here, 81 is the port number. The port must be specified twice: with the listen and VirtualHost directives. You can specify any vacant port number on the range 1 – 65535 to create a virtual host.

You can create as many sites as needed. The only thing to do is create a site folder and add a record to httpd.conf specifying a new port number for every new site.

In the example above, a new site can be accessed at http://localhost:81. Other sites are also available at http://localhost:port_number.

Additionally the following section in httpd.conf file should be changed:

<Directory>
 Options FollowSymLinks
 AllowOverride None
</Directory>

Replace AllowOverride None with AllowOverride All.

Installation using BitrixInstall

Installation using BitrixInstall

Bitrix Site Manager can be easily installed at a remote server by uploading the installation files via the FTP or using the BitrixInstall script. In the first case, download the commercial or trial version and unpack it at a local machine. Then, use any FTP client to upload the extracted files to the root folder of your web server. Otherwise, upload the archive to the server and extract files remotely.

However, we strongly recommend that you use the special BitrixInstall script to avoid upload errors and eliminate a frequently occurring problem of different FTP and Apache user access permissions.

BitrixInstall uploads the trial or commercial version of Bitrix Site Manager to your site directly from www.bitrixsoft.com without the intermediate downloading step. Furthermore, the script can extract files from the installation package if you cannot access your site via SSH or third-party software.

• Download the script at http://www.bitrixsoft.com/download/cms/download_cms.php#tab-bxsetup-link.
• Click the Download button.
• Establish an FTP connection to your server.
• Upload the downloaded file to the root directory of your web server.
• In your browser, type http://<your_site>/bitrixinstall.php (replace <your_site> with the real site name) and press Enter. The browser will display a BitrixInstall welcome page.

  

• Select the appropriate version in the License key field.
  • Demo version can be installed without a license key, or with a trial key.
  • Commercial version requires that you enter the license key previously obtained from Bitrix.
• In the Package edition field, select the product edition whose trial version you wish to install.
• Click Download. This will open the Downloading installation package page.

  

BitrixInstall will connect to the Bitrix server directly. The script will copy the installation files to the root directory of your site and unpack them if you have chosen to do so.

The Back button allows you to return to the previous section where you can alter the installation settings (e.g. product edition).

The status bar displays diagnostic messages about the current operation (e.g. downloading or extracting files). The progress bar reflects the operation flow.

After the process of loading and extraction is complete, the browser will display the installation wizard form.

Registration procedure

Before you start using the commercial version, you have to activate your license key. If you install the trial version, you can omit registration yet it is recommended that you proceed to enable system updates during the trial period.

Registering a commercial version

Registration entitles you to obtain latest system updates and receive support from the Bitrix technical support service.

Moreover, having your commercial copy registered you can access the Bitrix private forum where users and Bitrix developers communicate and discuss important issues, resolve user's problems.

To register your copy:

• Open Control Panel.
• Click Settings -> Update to open the system update form.

Since your copy is not registered yet, you will see the following error message:

Below this message is the license key activation form:

Fill in the following fields:

• Company name: specify here the name of a company that is the key owner. If the owner is a private person, type their full name here;
• Contact e-mail address: type the e-mail address for possible correspondence with Bitrix specialists;
• Contact information: here you can provide any additional information you find important: additional e-mail address; postal address; phone number etc.;
• Address of the site for use with the key: type here the URL of the site that will be managed using this copy (which essentially means this license key) of Bitrix Site Manager;
• Create user at www.bitrixsoft.com: check this box if you have not registered at the Bitrix web site yet. If so, you will be registered there upon successful activation with the provided personal information. As has been said before, registration enables you to contact the techsupport service directly and post to the private forum.

Click Activate license key. Now the license is active; you can start using your site.

Registering a trial version (DEMO)

If you install the trial version, you will see the License not found message when opening the Settings -> Update page.

Essentially, a local trial version does not require that you obtain a license key. It only enables the system to receive updates. Obtaining a trial key requires that you register at the Bitrix web site.

Click Get trial license key. This will open the trial registration page at the Bitrix web site.

Fill in the form fields:

• Last name, First name: specify your last and first names;
• E-mail: specify your e-mail address. The trial key will be sent to this address;
• Company: the company name;
• Phone: the phone number;
• Site URL: specify the exact address of a site that runs the trial version of the system;
• License type: select the version of the product you have just installed.
• Database type: select the type of the database on which the system runs.

If you use free versions of Oracle XE / MS SQL Express, enable the Oracle XE / MS SQL Express option.

Complete the form and click Send. The system will inform you that your request is now put in the submission queue.

A message containing the license key and the period of validity will be sent to the address you have previously specified in the trial registration form. You can copy and paste this key in the Control Panel form where you clicked the Get trial license key link, or in the Kernel module settings page.

• Open Control Panel.
• Open the Kernel module settings page: Settings -> System settings -> Module settings.
• Open the Update System tab.
• Paste the key in the License Key field.

Now you can obtain updates during the 30-day trial period.

Registering a trial version using a commercial key

After you have evaluated the trial version, you can register it again using a commercial license key. To get a commercial license key, you will need to purchase the Bitrix Site Manager license, enter the key in the License key field (Settings -> System settings -> Module settings -> Kernel -> Update system) and click Apply. Then, you will have to activate the key as described in Registering a commercial version. Upon successful registration, you can download source codes.

Update system

The system updates, like the technical support, are available within a year after the moment of registration of the purchased license. If you want to access these services after that period, you will have to renew your license.

Your computer must be connected to the Internet to receive updates.

Overview

The update system serves to interact between and transfer data from the update server to a client (installed product copy). The main types of interaction are:

• updating the product modules to the newest versions, which allows to obtain new functionality and fix possible bugs;
• downloading new modules that may be available according to the license terms;
• downloading language files (files with language-dependent messages translated into other languages);
• downloading the help system in different languages;
• product registration using the license key;
• downloading the Bitrix Site Manager source code files;
• obtaining more sites by entering a coupon code.

You can open the update system page by selecting Settings in the top left menu, and then choosing Update in the bottom left menu.

Update system terms

The following terms are used with the update system.

System core - the /bitrix/modules/ folder (all paths are specified relative to the root folder unless otherwise is explicitly stated). The notion of system core often implies the database structure.

Service area - all subfolders of the /bitrix/ folder except /bitrix/modules/ (i.e. the system core) and /bitrix/updates/. The notion of service area often implies the contents of the auxiliary database tables (for example, b_event_type).

Update system folder - the /bitrix/updates/ directory. This folder is for exclusive use by the update system and cannot be used otherwise.

Public section - all folders related to a given  product copy save the system core, service area and the update system folder. The notion of service area often includes the database contents except for the data of the auxiliary tables.

Product registration - results in removing the trial version restrictions from a given product installation (e.g. time restriction).

License key - a special key (a chain of symbols) which is the statement of the right to use the given product copy.

Site coupon - a special key allowing to create one more site using the given product copy.

Update server - a server that is used to send bits of update data to the update system. The update server address can be explicitly specified on the module settings page (must be www.bitrixsoft.ru or www.bitrixsoft.com).

Important notes on the update system

The update system does not alter the public section in any way. The service area may be changed in case of absolute necessity; but even so, existing files and records remain since they might have been changed by a user. The system core can be modified extremely, but the backward compatibility is guaranteed.

The update system does not collect or send any confidential data regarding the installed product copy. The update system and the update server exchange only the technical data which is required by the update system to function correctly (e.g. current module versions or last update dates).

The modification that the update system performs on the system core is technically complex and intricate. If it fails or completes with errors, the dependent sites may become inoperative. Before update, you are recommended to ensure that a back-up copies of the database, scripts of the system core and the service area are created. It is desirable to perform update when the server load is minimum. If you encounter update problems, you need to contact the Bitrix technical support service immediately.

The update system main page

You can open the update system main page by clicking Settings in the top left area, and then selecting the Update menu item in the bottom left area of the Control Panel.

If you see a message showing that your license key is invalid (or the license is not found), the following reasons are possible:

• if you already have a license key, enter it in the appropriate field on the update system main page (or on the Kernel module settings page: click Settings on the top toolbar and select Kernel in the drop-down list);
• if you do not have a license key, you can send a request for a trial key. To do so, click the corresponding link on the update system main page. Enter the obtained key in the appropriate field on the update system main page, or on the Kernel module settings page.

If the update system main page displays a message reading that a license key is not activated, you have to fill in all the fields of the activation form. After you complete and send the form, the license key will become activated.

The update system main page may tell that a new version of the update system is available, you must install it first. You will not be able to proceed with other updates until you install a new version of the update system.

If you have already provided a valid license key, and the update system is up-to-date, the update system main page will offer the following actions which are available according to your license terms.

• Review and download updates - this action is available if the update server can offer new versions of modules stipulated by terms of your license.
• Review and download language files - available if the update server can offer new versions of files containing language-dependent messages.
• Review and download help section updates - available if there are new versions of help files at the update server.
• Register your copy - displayed if your copy is not registered but the current license permits registration. You must register your product copy immediately after you have received the license key, since it will be difficult to restore the site up-state after the trial period expiration. The product registration is a single step operation - all you have to do is click the link.
• Download source code - available if the source codes of your product copy are enciphered but the current license permits obtaining full open source codes. Before you attempt to download them, you must ensure that all modules are updated to the latest version (i.e. no module updates should be available). Source code download is a one-click operation. Please note that download may take some time if your connection is slow, or the update server load is high.
• Add extra sites - this action is always available. If you have a coupon for extra sites, you can apply it any time.
• View installation log - displays the installation journal containing information about 20 recently installed updates including status and error messages.

Update via proxy server

Since the version 5.0, you can configure the update system to communicate via proxy server on the Kernel module settings page (the Update system tab), Settings -> System settings -> Module settings, select Kernel in the drop-down list:

• Stress check the integrity of updates. Enabling this option makes copying the update files more safe. This function may slow down the update process but allows to get full information about each new file copied to your system.
• Download only stable updates. Some new modules and/or updates are available at beta testing stage. Changing this option is equivalent to clicking the Allow beta versions / Allow only stable versions link at the Settings > Update page.
• Autocheck for updates. You can completely disable autoupdate if required. However, it is not recommended.
• Abort autocheck when error(s) occur. If checked, this option tells the update system to stop any current operation whenever it encounters any error.

After you fill all the required fields and save settings, the update will be performed via the specified proxy server.

Downloading Updates

To download updates, open the update system page by clicking the button on the Control Panel toolbar.

Click Install recommended updates to install all the updates listed here.

To install only the required updates, you can click the Updates tab and select the updates you want to install.

Downloading Interface language Files

You have an option to install additional user interface languages.

• Click the Updates tab;
• Select the required languages in the optional updates group;
• Click Install Updates.

Adding more sites

The Bitrix Site Manager features creation of unlimited number of sites with the use of a single copy (license) of the product, keeping a single installation of the system kernel and database on the server. Maximum number of sites is limited only by the license terms. If you want to create more sites over the current limit, you have to purchase the appropriate license.

Buying licenses for extra sites implies that you are given a respective number of coupons (one coupon for one license). Extra licenses and coupons match the product edition. For example, to create one more site with the Professional MySQL edition, you have to purchase a license (coupon) for an extra site for the Professional MySQL edition.

After you have obtained a coupon, enter it and click the Activate coupon button.

If the coupon is valid (i.e. it matches the current product edition and was not activated before), the maximum number of sites for this product copy will be increased by 1.

Configuring IIS for use with the system

Installing PHP with IIS 6.0

1. Download the PHP installation package version 4.1.2 or higher available at http://www.php.net/downloads.php.
2. Unpack the archive (for example: to d:\php).
3. Rename the file php.ini-recommended to php.ini. Copy php.ini to x:\Windows.
4. Open the file php.ini in any text editor. Replace extension_dir =
   with extension_dir = d:\php\extensions
   
   Replace doc_root =
   with doc_root = "d:\Inetpub\wwwroot"
   
   Replace cgi.force_redirect = 1
   with cgi.force_redirect = 0
   
   Save changes.
5. Copy the file php4ts.dll from d:\php to x:\Windows\System32.
6. Select in the menu Start -> Settings -> Control Panel -> Administrative Tools -> Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.
7. Right-click your site in the Web Sites tree (in many cases it is indicated as Default Web Site). Select the Properties command in the context menu to open the site properties window.

• Click the Home Directory tab.
• In the Application settings section, select Scripts and Executables in the Execute Permissions drop-down list.

  

• Then, click the Configuration button beside.
• Click the Mappings tab.
  Applying extensions to the whole site on the Mappings tab allows the selected extensions to be used with all virtual folders of the site.

  

• Click Add to set the path to ISAPI.DLL and specify the php file extension.

  

• Fill in the dialog box fields in the following way:
  
  Executable: click Browse to locate php4isapi.dll or type or paste the path name: d:\php\sapi\php4isapi.dll;
  Extension: type .php;
  
  Uncheck the Verify that file exists box. Check the Script Engine box.
• Click OK in each open dialog box to save changes.

• Right-click the Web Service Extensions item in the IIS tree pane. In the context menu, select the Add a New Web service extension item.

  

• Click Add in the Required file section to assign a new filter name (.php) and the path to php4isapi.dll. This file should reside in d:\php\sapi\php4isapi.dll.

  

  • Check the Set extension status to Allowed box.
  • Click OK.
• Now you have to make index.php a default page. Do the following.
  • Right-click your site in the Web Sites tree. In the context menu, select Properties.
  • Click the Documents tab.
  • Click Add.

    

  • The Add Content Page dialog box will open. Type index.php in the Default content page field.

    

  • Click OK.
  • A new entry index.php is added to the end of the list. Click the Move Up button until you move index.php to the top.

    

  • Save changes by clicking OK.
• For the changes to take effect, stop the IIS and then start it again.

  Checking PHP

  1. Create a test.php file. Type the following directive in it:

     <? phpinfo(); ?>

  2. Save the file in the root folder of the site.
  3. Open the file in the browser: http://localhost/test.php.
  4. The browser will display the table with the PHP settings which should look like follows (it means that PHP is properly configured on your server):

  

Configuring The Error 404 and SEF URL’s

SEF URL’s are implemented by handling a 404 error.

• Select bitrix in Connections of IIS Manager. Activate Error Pages in IIS group.
• Right-click the row containing the error 404 to bring up the error properties form.
  
  
• Click Edit
  
  
• Select Execute a URL on this site. Type the error 404 script path in URL: /404.php. This file is created at the Bitrix Site Manager installation time. Click OK.
  
  
• Click the Edit Feature Settings…
  
  
• Check the Custom error pages option. Click OK.
  
  

Creating back-ups

Using the back-up and restoration built-in tools

To transfer a site from a remote server to a local machine, you can use the built-in backup creation tool, and the server-side restoration tool (restore.php).

Do the following to create a site backup copy. 

• Open the backup creation form:

  Control Panel -> Settings -> Tools -> Backup.

  

  Select the desired mode and, if required, configure additional parameters using the "Advanced" tab.

  

• Set the following parameters to fully copy the site from a remote server.

  • Back up gradually: on
  • Step: this parameter must conform the server parameter max_execution_time (usually 30).
  • Back up public files: on
  • Back up kernel files: on
  • Do not include files which size exceeds: 1024 (this will exclude files with size over 1 Mb)
  • Back up database: on
• Click the Back up button.

   

• After the back-up copy is created, download the file and the restore.php script the link to which is available at the page top:

  

   

  

• Copy these files to the root directory of a web sever on your local machine.
• Type http://your_site_name/restore.php in your browser and hit Enter.
• In the new form, select the archive file and specify the unpacking time slice (according to the PHP settings, usually 30). Click Extract.
• After the files are extracted, you will be prompted to provide the database connection settings (if you have chosen to back-up the database)
• Click Restore and wait until the script finishes. (Sometimes, you will need to adjust the database connection parameters in /bitrix/php_interface/dbconn.php).
• After the restoration is done, be sure to delete the following files to prevent site corruption:
  • /restore.php
  • /back-up file (*.tar.gz)
  • /bitrix/backup/database dump (*.sql)

Creating back-ups using special scripts

The site transfer procedure can be performed using special scripts created by the Bitrix company, which simplifies and facilitates the process.

Perform the following actions to transfer your site to the remote server.

1. Ensure the remote hosting service conforms the minimum system requirements;
2. Ensure the system core is not encoded. If the kernel is encoded, the remote server must have Zend Optimizer version 2.6.x or higher installed and operational.
3. Ensure that the user on which the Apache (PHP) runs is given a permission of 0777 (full access) to all files in the site root.
4. Copy all scripts from the local machine to the remote server via the FTP.

   You can boost this process by performing the following actions.

   • Download the script mkinst.php from http://www.bitrixsoft.com/examples/mkinst.php to the root folder of your local site (i.e. on the local machine).
   • Move all files whose size exceed the hosting provider's PHP limit (usually 8 Mb) from the local site folder to some other storage (folder). This is necessary because some files may exceed the hosting provider's PHP limit (e.g. database dump file). The standard distribution package of Bitrix Site Manager does not contain such files.
   • Open the following page in your browser: http://<local_site>/mkinst.php, replacing <local_site> with the local site address (e.g. localhost).

     

     After that, the root folder of your local site will contain an archive file install.gz. The browser will display the archive information (total count of files and the size).

   • Copy the file install.gz to the root folder of your site on the remote server via the FTP.
   • Download script file install.php from http://www.bitrixsoft.com/examples/install.php.
   • Copy the file install.php to the root folder of your site on the remote server via the FTP.
   • Open the page http://<your_remote_site>/install.php in your browser, replacing <your_remote_site> with the address of your site. If the PHP has permissions required to create files (0777), the site will be unpacked.
   • Remember to delete scripts mkinst.php and install.php from the remote server. Besides, remember to delete or move (one level up) the file install.gz.

5. The next step is to copy the database to the remote server.
   • Create the database dump (copy in the form of SQL instructions). One of the ways to create a dump is running the standard MySQL tool:

     mysqldump.exe --add-drop-table -p <local_database_name> > bitrix.dmp

     You can obtain more information on the tool parameters by running

     mysqldump.exe --?

   • After the file bitrix.dmp is created, open it for editing in any text editor. Delete the following line from the file:
     
     

     use <local_database_name>,

     
     
     This command is usually located at the beginning of the file. Copy the file to the remote server via the FTP.
   • Next, establish a connection to the remote MySQL database. You can do this by using either the SSH (SSH2) protocol, or any other protocol allowed by your hosting service provider for remote access. You can also use the standard tool mysql.exe by simply running it on your local machine. You can take the advantage of using the mysql.exe tool if only the hosting provider allows it.
     • Connecting via the SSH:

       mysql -u <user> -h <server_IP> -P 3306 -p <remote_DB_name>
       
       Enter password: <password> 
               

     • Connecting via the mysql.exe tool:

       mysql.exe -u <user> -h <server_IP> -P 3306 -p <remote_DB_name>            
       
       Enter password: <password>

   • After you have established connection to the database, you have to select the active database to which you will copy the dump. You can do this by issuing a command:
     
     

     use <remote_DB_name>

     
     
   • The next command uploads the dump to the remote server:
     
     

     \. <full_or_short_file_name>

     
     
6. After you have successfully transferred the database and scripts to the remote server, you have to open the remote file /bitrix/php_inteface/dbconn.php in any text editor and change the connection parameters to the remote database.
7. Delete or move the database dump remote file bitrix.dmp.

Creating and unpacking tar.gz archives

Creating an archive

Method 1

tar -zvcf <dirname>.tar.gz <dirname>/

Method 2

tar -c dirname|gzip -c - > dirname.tar.gz

Unpacking an archive

Method 1

tar -zxvf file_name.tar.gz

Method 2

gunzip file_name.tar.gz
tar xf file_name

Uninstalling Bitrix Site Manager

You can uninstall the Bitrix Site Manager by selecting one of the commands:

• Menu Start -> Settings -> Control panel -> Add Remove Programs

• Menu Start -> Programs -> Bitrix Web Environment -> Uninstall.

Removing Bitrix Site Manager from a local machine deletes the database files as well as all files and folders from the root folder of your web server.

Check that …/www folder was removed from the Bitrix Environment folder as well.

Configuring the server

Requisite access rights at server

You (or your hosting service) can configure access permissions on the remote server as desired, but the result must be the only one: scripts should be able to access files for both reading and writing, which means that a primary "user" under which the Apache server runs, must be able to access files with these modes.

At the same time, if a shared hosting is the case, other users must not be able to read or write your files via their scripts. Your "user" should be able to rewrite files via the FTP as well as modify uploaded files from within scripts.

The problem is that each hosting provider has their own security policy and preferences: while some limit access to other's files even with a 777 permissions, some run the Apache web-server under a single user for each virtual host.

Some hosting providers launch the server process under user nobody:group by default. The files that a hosting client stores on a server, should be accessible by the Apache. It means that they has the attribute read for all set, or a user (file owner) and server must belong to the same group. In the latter case, files must be accessible by the group members for reading (FTP servers assign this kind of permission).

This approach hits hard the security because if all users belong to the same group, they can read each other's files. Say, a user opened a page in the browser which runs a CGI script. As the script in fact is executed by the Apache server which runs under nobody, the script will run with permissions assigned to this user.

The Bitrix Site Manager remains fully functional with any access permission that you have specified at the installation time.

To allow the Bitrix Site Manager work correctly with your CHMOD, you have to set the following constants in /bitrix/php_interface/dbconn.php:

define("BX_FILE_PERMISSIONS", 0777); 
define("BX_DIR_PERMISSIONS", 0777);

Substitute 0777 with values allowed by your hosting for files and folders.

The following values are common to most hostings:

0644 - for files,
0755 - for folders.

You can set the access permission level manually by using CHMOD in console.

The following command sets the access permission level for both files and folders:

chmod -R 644 *

You can use the following command to set rights for folders only:

find . -type d -exec chmod 0755 {} ';'

Some FTP clients allows to recursively set rights for files and folders. For example: FlashFXP version 3.xx. FlashFXP allows separate rights for files and folders.

You should consider the following settings: Separately set File and Folder attributes and Apply changes to all subfolders and files. 

Individual access permission levels are applied to these settings:

Folder permissions		File permissions

The Site Explorer displays the file and folder attributes as well as the owner and user group information (for xNIX) in the Access permissions column.

Using .htaccess

In most cases, a user cannot access the server configuration file (httpd.conf) because its scope affects all users. The file .htaccess enables you to make changes in configuration which will affect your site only.

The server configuration file httpd.conf must have a directive allowing to use .htaccess files. Otherwise, the system will ignore these files.

The .htaccess file contains directives whose scope is constrained to the directory in which it resides as well as all subdirectories. .htaccess in the server root directory affects all the server except directories having their own .htaccess file. The .htaccess directives are applied in the same order as they are specified. Hence, directives of the .htaccess file in the given directory have higher priority than those of the parent directories.

You do not need to restart server after you have modified the .htaccess file. This file is checked each time the server is queried, that’s why changes take into effect right away. As this is the system file, it cannot be accessed by users from their browser.

Generally, the .htaccess syntax is similar to the main configuration file. However, the file power may be limited by the AllowOverride directive. It defines which types of the .htaccess directives can override those of the preceding directives.

The shipped .htaccess file has the following default directives.

Options -Indexes 
ErrorDocument 404 /404.php

#php_flag session.use_trans_sid off
#php_value display_errors 1
#php_value allow_url_fopen 0

<IFMODULE mod_mime.c>
	AddType application/x-httpd-php .ico
</IFMODULE>

<IFMODULE mod_dir.c>
	DirectoryIndex index.php index.html
</IFMODULE>

<IFMODULE mod_expires.c>
	ExpiresActive on
	ExpiresByType image/jpeg "access plus 3 day"
	ExpiresByType image/gif "access plus 3 day"
</IFMODULE>

php_value error_reporting 7
php_value error_reporting 0

1. The PHP directive php_flag session.use_trans_sid off disables the session ID in the site URL's.
2. If the PHP flag php_value display_errors is set to 1, the error messages are enabled and displayed. The directive php_value error_reporting defines which level of PHP interpreter errors is displayed.
3. The directive ExpiresActive on enables image caching which boosts their download speed on the repeated queries.
   
   ExpiresByType image/jpeg "access plus 3 day" and ExpiresByType image/gif "access plus 3 day" define the cached image format and the caching period. By default, .jpeg and .gif files are cached for 3 days.

Possible database failures

Database connection errors

When a database connection error occurs, the following error message is displayed:

The visual aspect of the message is defined by the contents of the file /bitrix/php_interface/dbconn_error.php:

<br>
<table cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" width="35%" bgcolor="#9C9A9C">
    <tr>
        <td>
        <table cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" width="100%">
        <tr>
            <td bgcolor="#FFFFFF" align="center">
            <FONT face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">
            <font color="#FF0000"><b><?echo "Error connecting to database."?></b></font><br>
            Please try again.</font></td>
        </tr>
        </table>
        </td>
	</tr>
</table>	
<br><br><br>

To resolve the problem, do the following:

• check the database connection parameters (in /bitrix/php_interface/dbconn.php);
• check whether the database is accessible.

Database query errors

When a database query error occurs, the following error message is displayed:

The visual aspect of the message is defined by the contents of the file /bitrix/php_interface/dbquery_error.php.

Situations may happen when a site denies to reply and returns an empty page to visitors. In this case, open the file bitrix/php_interface/dbconn.php containing the database connection parameters, and set the parameter: $DBDebug = true;

<?
define("DBPersistent", true);
$DBType = "mysql";
$DBHost = "localhost:31006";
$DBLogin = "root";
$DBPassword = "";
$DBName = "bsm_demo";
$DBDebug = true;
$DBDebugToFile = false;

set_time_limit(60);

define("BX_FILE_PERMISSIONS", 0777);
define("BX_DIR_PERMISSIONS", 0777);
@ini_set("memory_limit", "64M");
?>

This will cause the error message to be printed. The message usually contains names of damaged tables.

Run perror.exe (can be found in /mysql/bin) with the error code to get the error description:

If the database damage is the case, you are recommended to use the built-in database check and repair tool. This will allow you to restore the site functionality in the shortest possible time.

• You can access the check and repair tool from the Control Panel:

  Settings -> Tools -> Database Check.

  

   

  If the statistics tables are damaged and you cannot open the Control Panel, you can disable gathering statistics by supplying the parameter ?no_keep_statistic_LICENSE-KEY=Y on the URL (substitute LICENSE-KEY with your license key).

• You can use the database check script without having to open the Control Panel.

  To do so, supply the database access login and password on the URL. For example:

  http://www.mysite.ru/bitrix/admin/repair_db.php?login=DB_Login&password=DB_Password

  By default, the database access parameters are stored in /bitrix/php_interface/dbconn.php.

Possible server failures

500 - Internal Server Error

Since there are a lot of reasons which may cause server errors, their diagnostics is very complex and tedious.

If a server error occurs, the first thing to do is view the error.log file. This file may contain a line with the error description.

• Typical situation when a server error may occur is exceeding the allowed server permissions.

  For example: the system creates and saves a page with the 0777 permissions, while the maximum permission allowed by the server is 0644. The server will return the 500 error upon attempt to access the page.

  To eliminate this error ensure that the server allows to access files whose CHMOD attributes are 0777.

  For Bitrix Site Manager, add the following lines to the dbconn.php file:

  define("BX_FILE_PERMISSIONS", 0777);
  define("BX_DIR_PERMISSIONS", 0777);

  Instead of 0777, you can use values allowed by the server for files and folders, respectively. The following values are usually sufficient:

  define("BX_FILE_PERMISSIONS", 0644);
  define("BX_DIR_PERMISSIONS", 0755);

• Another prevailing reason is invalid server configuration or using forbidden directives (for example, in .htaccess). In this case, remove or comment the failure line in the file.

• Note! If PHP runs as CGI, the 500 error may be cause by a PHP fatal error. In this case, you are recommended to check the program code and diagnose the error.

• Internal server errors may come about when a CGI script runs on the Apache server and the execution time exceeds the maximum allowed period specified in the server configuration.

VMBitrix Virtual Machine

A Bitrix Virtual Machine is a virtual server fully configured to support and run Bitrix software ready for immediate use.

The virtual machine will save your time and effort you might need for proper deployment and administration of your Bitrix based website or intranet portal.

This chapter is for users and developers of web systems who are installing Bitrix software (Bitrix Site Manager or Bitrix Intranet Portal) for evaluation or migrating to VMBitrix virtual machine.

This paper does not describe the VMWare Player installation procedure. Please refer to VMWare documentation for detailed information.

Should you have any questions, contact the Bitrix Helpdesk Service.

Introduction

The VMBitrix virtual machine is designed using VMWare Studio 1.0 in VMWare Virtual Appliance format. The virtual machine is compatible with the following VMWare software:

• VMWare Server 1.0 and higher;
• VMWare ESX 3.0 and higher;
• VMWare ESXi 3.5 and higher;
• VMWare Workstation 6.0 and higher;
• VMWare Player 2.0 and higher;
• VMWare Fusion 1.1 and higher.

The machine hosts a Linux based virtual server optimized for common web server hosting service.

The virtual server includes:

• OS: CentOS 6.3 with autoupdate feature;
• two-tier configuration: NGINX + (Apache2+APC);
• MySQL 5 with InnoDB support;
• HTTPS support;
• additional software and packages: geoip, catdoc, poopler, mc, man, strace;
• properly configured firewall (iptables) and secure configuration;
• DHCP based or manual IP address;
• configurable mail client (msmtp);
• MRU action toolbar for remote control;
• remote control via HTTP and HTTPS;
• exhaustive settings to control system robustness, performance and security.

The default password for the root superuser and for the bitrix user is bitrix.

Minimum Requirements For VMWare Player / VMBitrix

A computer to run VMBitrix under VMWare Player shall meet the following minimum requirements:

• Windows XP / Vista / 7 / Server 2003 / Server 2008 32/64-bit; Linux 32/64-bit;
• VMWare Player;
• Minimum free disk space: 2 GB;
• Minimum RAM: 160 MB;
• Recommended RAM: 256 MB or more.

Running the VMBitrix Virtual Machine

• Download and install VMWare Player.

  It is completely free and supports Windows and Linux.

  Note: the VMWare Player installation procedure falls beyond this manual; please refer to VMWare documentation for detailed information.

• Download the VMBitrix virtual machine package here.
• Extract files from the downloaded archive to any folder, for example: С:\VMBitrix\BitrixVirtualAppliance\.
• Run VMWare Player.
• Click Open a Virtual Machine and select the BitrixVirtualAppliance.vmx file.
• VMWare Player will load and run the OS installed in the virtual machine file:

  

  Now you can:

  • log in the system - Login;
  • change the network configuration - Configure Network;
  • change time zone - Set Timezone (Current: MSD).
• Select the Login command.
  Attention! You will log in the system using the root user and bitrix password. This is the default password so you must change it immediately.

• In localhost.localdom login and Password prompts, type the current login and password (root and bitrix, respectively). Hit Enter.
• When prompter for (current) UNIX password, type the current password (bitrix) and press Enter.
• Type the new password in Enter new UNIX password; press Enter.
• Retype the new password in Retype new UNIX password; press Enter again.

Now your virtual server is running and ready for use.

The Available actions list enumerates possible administration options. To execute any command, type the command number and press Enter. For example, to disable the virtual server type 7 (Virtual server shutdown) and press Enter.

To direct control back to operating system, press Ctrl+Alt.

Now that the server is running, type the address suggested by the appliance (it varies from system to system; the screenshot above shows the address http://192.168.0.143) in the web browser. You will see the following welcome screen:

Choose one of the options to continue:

• New Installation - runs the installation wizard which will download, unpack and install a new website;
• Restore Project - runs a restoration wizard to create a backup copy of your website or restore it from an existing backup.

Deploying a Bitrix based Web Project

As previously noted, you can deploy a project by creating a new site or by restoring a site from backup.

Creating a New Website

Click New Installation in the welcome screen. This will run the Bitrix web project installation wizard.

The browser will show a new screen suggesting to select the software product to install:

• In the Choose a package group, select the product to install – Bitrix Site Manager to create a site on the Web or Bitrix Intranet Portal to create a corporate web portal.
• Choose the version type:
  • Demo version - can be installed with a trial key or without any key at all.
  • Commercial version - this option will require that you provide an existing valid license key.
• Click Download. The wizard is now downloading the system files from the Bitrix server:

  

The selected software product will be downloaded to the site root directory.

• You can always click Back to revert to selecting the software product if you want to change your choice.
• When download is complete, the wizard will immediately unpack it:

  

As soon as all the files are extracted, the first installation stage finishes and the wizard of the selected software product is started.

Note:

If your virtual machine is unable to access Internet for some reason, you can download the distribution package manually and upload it to the virtual machine.

To upload the package to the virtual machine, establish a secure SFTP connection with it using the parameters obtained previously (in this example, the IP address is 192.168.0.143; login: root; password: bitrix). The distribution package must be packed as a .tar.gz archive and reside in the /home/bitrix/www/ folder.

If the system detects an archive file in this folder, the Choose A Package dialog box will show the archive file name:

Click the file name to select this package and start the installation.

Bitrix Site Manager Installation

Installation is performed in a series of steps which are described in the chapter Installing Bitrix Site Manager.

Restoring a Web Project from a backup copy

This chapter shows how to use the backup and restoration tool by the example of transferring a Bitrix Site Manager project.

Preparing to Transfer

In order to transfer a site, you can use the built-in backup creation tool. This function allows you to:

• create an archive with all files of your site (in tar.gz format);
• exclude the system kernel from the archive;
• exclude files whose size exceeds the specified limit;
• create the database dump (in tar.gz format);
• exclude statistics and search index from the database dump.

You can create the backup copy of the site using the back-up creation form: (Control Panel > Settings > Tools > Backup).

• Check the Backup Gradually option and specify the Step duration.
  Note: the recommended step duration is 30 sec., the maximum duration is 55 sec.

• Select the archival objects in the Files group. Note that you can omit adding the kernel files only if the local and remote system versions are absolutely identical.
• Use the file size restriction field to exclude unwanted large files from the archive. Furthermore, you can exclude any files of your choice by specifying the filepath wildcard mask.
• Check the Backup Database option. The size of the database archive can be decreased by omitting the statistics and the search index.
• Having specified the archive parameters, click Backup to start the archive creation process:

  

After the archive file has been created, the file link will show under the form. The archive is now available for download.

• Click on the action menu icon and select Download in the menu:

  

Restoring the Website

Step 1. Preparing To Restore

To recreate a website from a backup copy, in the welcome screen appearing right after the appliance installation, click Restore Project instead of the new installation. This will show a new screen with the brief instructions on backing up the site.

• Click Continue to proceed.

Step 2. Unpacking The Archive

• Here you will specify the path to the existing website archive:

  

  The most common scenario is creating the website archive copy and downloading it to a local machine. In this case, select to upload the file from the local disk.

  Otherwise, you might leave the archive file at the remote server. In this case, you can download it directly from the remote location (select Download from remote server).

  The last two options apply if you have already uploaded the archive file to your new website manually.

• Click Continue to proceed.

  If you selected any of the first three options, the archive file would be loaded and unpacked:

  

Step 3. Restoring The Database

• On this screen, select default values for dedicated server...

  

  Note: If you select to restore the database data to Bitrix Environment, the wizard will connect to the database on port 31006, which is default for non-VM environments.

• Click Restore.

  The wizard will accomplish the and show the notification screen:

  

• Click Delete here to prevent any malicious action against your website.

  The wizard will now close and open the public section of your restored website.

Configuring the SMTP Mail Server

You can configure the mail server in the Bitrix virtual appliance menu.

• Select Mail sending system parameters by typing 1 and pressing Enter:

  

• The Bitrix appliance will show the SMTP configuration prompt:

  

  Specify here the following parameters:

  • SMTP server name - the address of the SMTP server used for outgoing messages.
  • SMTP port - the mail server port: 25 for insecure connection and 465 for secure SSL connection.
  • Default sender address - specifies the address that will be substituted in the e-mail message.
  • SMTP authorization required – type Yes if you require more security (for example, to avoid unauthorized spamming.

Having acquired the options, the configuration screen will show them for review:



• Select Yes to save changes.