Bitrix24: From Cloud To Self-Hosted

The two versions of Bitrix24 are unique in themselves, but their differences are more than obvious. The self-hosted version of Bitrix24 gives room for further integrations, but most users prefer to sit snugly with the cloud version. This preferred contentment is no surprise because all you need to do is pay for the Bitrix24 license and then complete a straightforward registration process to get the Bitrix24 cloud version up and running.

You only need to sit back and run your business while the technicalities and system maintenance remain the developer’s responsibilities. But then, that is all there is to the cloud version of Birtix24 – costly convenience. You will be missing out on some juicy benefits if you are still content with the cloud version of Bitrix24. Consequently, you will not be able to:

• Integrate your CRM with other software or application packages.
• Include new modules for additional functionalities.
• Make any adjustments to your user interface.
• Backup your database outside of Bitrix24.
• Work from a personal server since the cloud version is managed from the developer’s servers.
• Change the location of any widget on the system.
• Control the capacity of your virtual storage.

The limitations above are enough reasons to move out of the clouds – unless the growth of your business is not pressing. But when you decide to move to self-hosted, some steps must be followed for optimal results.

First of all

Before you begin any migration from the clouds, understand that you will be dealing with a versatile program and possibly a large amount of sensitive data. If not handled properly, things could go south, and your business may not find the consequences appealing. Therefore, the need to have competent hands carry out the migration cannot be overemphasized.

To migrate to self-hosted Bitrix24, you will need the expertise of a Bitrix24 partner who must also be a developer. EMCsoft is one of such experts you can trust. You can also get in touch with us when you decide that the clouds are no longer doing it for you. We will help you settle in perfectly with the self-hosted version of Bitrix24.

But also

Do not change your mind about moving to a self-hosted simply because you think you need to spend so much on gigantic equipment to support this Bitrix24 version.

You will need to get some equipment to be able to use self-hosted Bitrix24 – quite alright. But that does not mean you will be hauling the entire world into your premises. You can choose to run this version on a Bitrix24 service agent’s storage platform to save you the stress of setting up your server. Nevertheless, you will need the following to get self-hosted Bitrix24 running:

• UPS systems;
• VPS or VDS servers;
• A processor of 4GHz, 11th Generation Intel Core i7;
• A minimum of 100GB storage;
• RAM of 8GB and above;
• CentOS 7 OS;
• Bitrix24 license software.

Step one

Before you proceed with the relocation, you need to ensure that you purchase the right software for this purpose. Contact us, we will help you decide which is best for your business.

As soon as we have double-checked your license by checking and registering its key, you can then take the next step of choosing a domain name and programming it to the IP location of your preferred server. You can also create the domain name as a subdomain of your business’s main site. For example, it can be portal.EMCsoft.pro or crm.EMCsoft.pro. It all depends on your preferences.

When you decide on the domain name to use, you will need one of our Bitrix24 experts to back up your cloud data, ready to be moved. At this point, you may not be able to run your business operations for a few days, as the backup can last for up to 3 working days. Also, any work you do on either version (definitely not the self-hosted yet), will not be saved and may affect the entire backup.

After the backup, your data can then be relocated to the self-hosted platform. For this process to run smoothly, your server should have enough space (up to four times the volume of your data). You also need expert help for this stage, just like every other aspect of this relocation.

Your Self-Hosted Bitrix24

If your relocation is successful, which should be if your contact EMCsoft for help, then your self-hosted CRM is ready for use. However, you need to first monitor it for inconsistencies before logging new data into it. Some of our users, after moving from cloud to self-hosted Bitrix24, often experience some minor hitches. These hitches will not kill your business and can be resolved by a single phone call to us:

• Users may lose access to the CRM portal. Passwords used in the cloud version may not grant some users access to the self-hosted. While some users can still come in via password recovery, the admin may need to reset users’ passwords for others;
• Some comment sections may disappear;
• Inability to create a task from an incoming email. The extranet and email notifications may not function. An immediate SMTP configuration and the relocation of telephony from the cloud will help. You will also need to create an SSL certificate to proceed;
• Some links still take you back to the clouds;
• Your CRM system language may change;
• Some features in the self-hosted version may not work immediately after the migration.

Now you know

Now you know that relocating to self-hosted Bitrix24 is not a day’s job. However, it becomes a lot easier when you prepare adequately and employ competent hands like EMCsoft to help you.

EMCsoft boasts years of experience in setting up both the cloud and self-hosted Bitrix24 versions for several clients. We know the problems you are likely to face as well as quick ways to solve them too.

You can trust us to help you carry out a flawless migration from the clouds to self-hosted Bitrix24. We can’t wait to have our team of experts handle your migration for you!