When selecting 50,000 products, b_iblock_element crashes. After core update, agents stop working. Our engineers face such issues daily. Maintaining a 1C-Bitrix site is systematic work to prevent degradation. Without it, performance drops within 3–6 months, and critical failures happen at the worst moment. Regular maintenance reduces downtime risk by 95% and extends the project's lifespan. A comprehensive approach is the only way to avoid data loss and reputation damage. For example, recently on a project with a 200k-item catalog, performance dropped due to a non-optimized query in the infoblock. We identified and fixed it in 2 hours using indexing and caching configuration.
What Breaks Without Regular Maintenance
Core updates. Bitrix releases patches every 1–2 weeks. A "one-click" update on production without testing is a direct path to breaking custom components. We use a staging environment to verify compatibility with modules and integrations.
License expiration. Without an active license (b_license), the admin panel and update capability are blocked. Monitoring the date and timely renewal are part of our routine.
PHP and server software. Hosting providers change PHP versions. Switching from 7.4 to 8.1 breaks deprecated functions (each(), create_function()). Our engineers adapt the code in advance.
SSL certificate. An expired certificate causes browsers to immediately refuse to open the site. We track expiration dates and remind you of renewal a month in advance.
Regular support is 2–3 times cheaper than unplanned fixes, and the efficiency of preventing failures is 5 times higher. Contact us to get a consultation on the scope and volume of support for your project.
Typical Support Tasks
| Task | Frequency | Effort |
|---|---|---|
| Availability and response monitoring | Continuously (automated) | — |
| Bitrix core update | 1–2 times per month | 1–2 hours |
| Cache cleanup and old file removal | 1 time per month | 30 min |
| SSL check and renewal | On schedule | 30 min |
| PHP error fixing (logs) | As they appear | 30 min – 4 hours |
| Backup and restore verification | Weekly | 30 min |
Why Regular Cache Cleanup Matters
Bitrix cache is stored in /bitrix/cache/ and in memcache/Redis (if configured). Bloated disk cache (>10 GB) slows down sites on systems with slow I/O. We clear it via the admin panel (Settings → Performance → Clear cache) or CLI:
php -f /var/www/bitrix/bitrix/modules/main/tools/cron_events.php According to official documentation, tagged caching reduces server load by up to 80%.
How We Update the Core Without Downtime
The process consists of several steps:
- Create a full backup of the site and database.
- Deploy updates to a staging environment identical to production.
- Run automated tests and manually check key forms and integrations.
- Deploy to production during the night window (minimal load).
- Monitor for errors for one hour after deployment.
- If errors occur, instantly roll back to the previous stable version.
This eliminates downtime and unavailability even during major updates.
Typical PHP Errors and Their Solutions
| Error | Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
Fatal error: Uncaught Error: Call to undefined function each() |
PHP 8.0+ removed each() |
Replace with foreach or array_key_first() |
Fatal error: Uncaught ArgumentCountError: Too few arguments |
Changed method signature in core | Check module updates or override |
Monitoring and Incident Response
We use Uptime Robot, Zabbix, or Bitrix Site Monitor. When unavailability or 5xx occurs, an alert triggers. Critical incidents (site down, payment system not working) — response within 1 hour. For PHP error tracking, we configure /var/log/php-fpm/ inspection and enable BX_DEBUG.
What's Included in Technical Support
- Availability monitoring with alerts for incidents
- Scheduled core updates via staging environment
- Fixing PHP errors and eliminating degradation
- SSL control, disk quota monitoring, cache cleanup
- Backup with restore verification
- License renewal monitoring
10+ years of experience in Bitrix support, over 100 projects — we know typical problems and prevent them. Savings on unplanned fixes amount to up to 40% compared to one-off engagements.
Contact us to order an audit of the current state and find out which issues can be resolved in one day. Get a consultation on the scope and volume of support for your project.