AWS hosted setup, needs complete reinstall

[Astera Okel]

Good day.

Our organization has an instance of 3cx hosted on AWS but the time to move to 3-digit extensions draws near, so a full reinstall is due. Plus there are a few issues while updating with our current system so it's just a matter of time before we have to do it. To simplify the process of reinstalling, I was thinking of hosting a second instance with a different FQDN, setting it up with 3-digit extensions, editing the exported extensions that we have right now in .csv to include the 3-digit resolution, importing them into the second instance, copying the majority of settings by hand, making a backup of the setup without the FQDN and licensing information included and finally restoring the backup to our main FQDN.

Will the data get transferred correctly and will it be bound to the main FQDN instead of the secondary one? What should I keep in mind when doing this? Or is this a whole bunch of wasted time?

Thank you in advance.

 

[NickD_3CX]

Hi!

In general, your plan should work, in fact your "temp" PBX does not even have to be hosted, in can be on your PC at home or work, you will though need a second license key. In short:
1. Export Extension from main PBX in CSV
2. Edit it so that you make it into 3-digit extensions
3. Install "temp" PBX using 3-digit extensions then import CSV and random FQDN.
Note: make sure you manually check the forwarding rules of extensions, those are not imported from CSV
4. Create all your remaining Digital Receptionists, Queue, RGs, SIP Trunks, In/Out Rules, SBCs, etc, manually.
Important! In the 3CX Blacklist, add your IP as a "Whitelist" entry to avoid the IP you will be accessing the "main" PBX from getting blacklisted and locking you out.
5. Once you have configured your "temp" PBX as you want it, make a backup of it without the "License Key Information, FQDN & Conference" option (in fact I think you don't need to check any of the backup options)
6. Make a Backup of your Main PBX with all Backup options checked.
Note: do not skip this step, if something happens in next step that you don't like, you can always revert
7. Upload the "temp" backup you made in step #5 to the server and restore it.

Things to note:

• All 3CX Apps will have to be reprovisioned either by scanning the QR code or Welcome Email
• IP IP Phones should also be reprovisioned
• SBCs will have to be re-configured
• From Step #4 onward, it best be done during down time over the weekend, because once you create the SIP Trunk on the "temp" PBX, it may start affecting incoming calls to your numbers.

I can't think of any other things that you should watch out for.

 

[Astera Okel]

Hi!

In general, your plan should work, in fact your "temp" PBX does not even have to be hosted, in can be on your PC at home or work, you will though need a second license key. In short:
1. Export Extension from main PBX in CSV
2. Edit it so that you make it into 3-digit extensions
3. Install "temp" PBX using 3-digit extensions then import CSV and random FQDN.
Note: make sure you manually check the forwarding rules of extensions, those are not imported from CSV
4. Create all your remaining Digital Receptionists, Queue, RGs, SIP Trunks, In/Out Rules, SBCs, etc, manually.
Important! In the 3CX Blacklist, add your IP as a "Whitelist" entry to avoid the IP you will be accessing the "main" PBX from getting blacklisted and locking you out.
5. Once you have configured your "temp" PBX as you want it, make a backup of it without the "License Key Information, FQDN & Conference" option (in fact I think you don't need to check any of the backup options)
6. Make a Backup of your Main PBX with all Backup options checked.
Note: do not skip this step, if something happens in next step that you don't like, you can always revert
7. Upload the "temp" backup you made in step #5 to the server and restore it.

Things to note:

• All 3CX Apps will have to be reprovisioned either by scanning the QR code or Welcome Email
• IP IP Phones should also be reprovisioned
• SBCs will have to be re-configured
• From Step #4 onward, it best be done during down time over the weekend, because once you create the SIP Trunk on the "temp" PBX, it may start affecting incoming calls to your numbers.

I can't think of any other things that you should watch out for.

Thank you Nick,

It seems I have my work cut out for me, time to get to it

 

[FabioFare]

Thank you Nick,

It seems I have my work cut out for me, time to get to it

Hi!, it worked fine?

 

[Astera Okel]

Hi!, it worked fine?

It was determined that it's not extra urgent at this specific moment, therefore I'm slowly transferring all the data to the test install when I have some spare time. I'll post here once it's been deployed