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Developer Network

Deployment

This page outlines deployment options for Portal Connector projects. Before proceeding, ensure prerequisites are met (see Installation > Prerequisites).

Azure Deployment

Azure is generally the recommended option when you need fast delivery and automated scaling. For all stages of the development lifecycle we recommend at a minimum the Azure “Standard S2” tier. The Standard tier provides multiple slots for staging, daily backups, and sufficient resources for most Sitefinity sites.

For production instances, we recommend at least “Standard S3” to achieve optimal performance. Scale up tiers or instances as needed for higher load requirements.

  1. Prepare the project: Prepare the project for deployment
  2. Migrate the database: Migrate your database to Azure SQL
  3. Deploy the project: Publish your project to Azure Web Apps

More information on Azure deployment methods:

SSL / HTTPS in Azure App Service

Azure App Service provides SSL termination for *.azurewebsites.net and supports custom domain certificates via the Azure portal. You do not install certificates on IIS for App Services.

What you need to do:

  • Bind your custom domain and upload/bind the TLS/SSL certificate in Azure App Service.
  • Enforce HTTPS at the platform level (App Service setting) and in Sitefinity:
    • In Sitefinity: enable Administration → Settings → Advanced → Security → RequireHttpsForAllRequests to redirect any http:// request to https://.
  • If you use a reverse proxy/load balancer in front of App Service (or CDN), configure SSL Offloading headers and enable:
    • Administration → Settings → Advanced → System → SSL Offloading
    • Set X-Forwarded-Proto (default) with value https.

Further reading:

 

On‑Prem Deployment (Windows Server/IIS)

On‑premise deployments are recommended when you require full control of your ecosystem for compliance reasons, or when connecting to an on‑premise Dynamics CRM instance behind a firewall. On‑premise hosting is also common for development instances where quick iteration is needed.

For Portal Connector, we commonly recommend the Sitefinity mid‑sized production environment specifications to ensure a smooth and stable portal experience:

 

CPU

Memory

HDD

IIS Node

4 CPUs

4 GB RAM

50 GB HDD

SQL Server

4 CPUs

8 GB RAM

80 GB HDD

For larger or higher‑load sites, see Sitefinity’s large and extra‑large production environment specifications.

More information on on‑premise deployment methods:

SSL / HTTPS on IIS

When hosting Sitefinity on your own IIS server (VMs, physical servers), you must install and bind your SSL certificate in IIS, then configure HTTPS enforcement in Sitefinity.

Steps:

  1. Obtain and install the SSL certificate on the IIS server.
  2. Configure site bindings in IIS:
    • http on port 80 (optional if you will force HTTPS)
    • https on port 443 with the installed certificate
  3. Enforce HTTPS in Sitefinity:
    • Global: Administration → Settings → Advanced → Security → RequireHttpsForAllRequests
    • Per-page: use Pages → Actions → Titles & Properties → Advanced → Require SSL for selective scenarios
  4. Optional: SSL Offloading (if you terminate TLS at a load balancer/reverse proxy):
    • Enable Administration → Settings → Advanced → System → SSL Offloading
    • Set the header name (typically X-Forwarded-Proto) and value https
  5. Backend considerations:
    • If using federated auth, ensure backend login and WS-Federation settings are configured to require HTTPS and avoid redirect loops.

Further reading: