Solved Azure Hosted 3CX changing subscriptions and IP address

[MisterM]

Hosted on Azure deployed from the Marketplace
Version: 16.0.5.622
We need to migrate our subscription from a pay as you go to one with from an MSP. We had hoped to be able to simply change the subscription and we knew that we would need to change the public IP address. However, that didn't work (thanks Microsoft) so I tried to back up and restore the backup on a freshly deployed install which seemed to work but when I tried to do the static IP, it stopped working. Is there any advice that anyone has on a procedure for doing this? The closest I found was someone a few months back where they were moving an on-premise system and the procedure was to change the IP to dynamic but I don't believe that applies here.

 

[ChrisC_3CX]

Just so that we first better understand the situation.

As I understood, you will be still using Azure but with a different account. If that's the case, I would indeed suggest what you already attempted which would be to simply take a backup, spawn a new machine on the new account and redeploy. The procedure should be as follows:

1. Take a full backup from the existing machine and download it.
2. Completely shutdown the VM.
3. Use the Azure Marketplace to deploy the new 3CX Instance on the new account.
4. Restore the backup during installation.
5. Once all has been confirmed to be in order, delete the old VM.

If this is what you have already done, please clarify on what you mean when you say that you tried to do the static IP but it stopped working. What do you mean do the static IP, are you referring to the IP settings during the 3CX Installation? By "it stopped working" are you referring to the VM or the 3CX Instance?

 

[MisterM]

Just so that we first better understand the situation.

As I understood, you will be still using Azure but with a different account. If that's the case, I would indeed suggest what you already attempted which would be to simply take a backup, spawn a new machine on the new account and redeploy. The procedure should be as follows:

1. Take a full backup from the existing machine and download it.
2. Completely shutdown the VM.
3. Use the Azure Marketplace to deploy the new 3CX Instance on the new account.
4. Restore the backup during installation.
5. Once all has been confirmed to be in order, delete the old VM.

If this is what you have already done, please clarify on what you mean when you say that you tried to do the static IP but it stopped working. What do you mean do the static IP, are you referring to the IP settings during the 3CX Installation? By "it stopped working" are you referring to the VM or the 3CX Instance?

Sorry I wasn't clear but it sounds like you understood some of what I said.
Yes, It's an Azure to Azure migration. I performed the steps you listed (except 2 and 5). When I restored the backup and it asked if I wanted Static or Dynamic I choose Static; however, the static IP that the new system has is different than the old one. After the restore, the 3CX instance stopped working. I can access the command line on the VM but I can't run the management console.
Is it as simple as the fact that I didn't shut down the original VM before performing the restore?

 

[MisterM]

Maybe my memory isn't too good. I might be confusing static vs dynamic IP with the licensing screen. I'm going to take another shot at redeploying again tonight but I still won't be able to take the original VM down until this weekend but maybe my babbling won't be so incoherent if I give this another run through.

 

[cobaltit]

So you can't have two 3CX instances running at once. They will fight over pointing the FQDN to themselves, regardless of whether you pick static or dynamic.

So you probably want to perform the steps @ChrisC_3CX outlined when you can shutdown the old one. Do note that he said shutdown and not delete. So if things don't work you can just fire the old one back up and you should be up and running.

 

[MisterM]

Is it possible to restore the backup and use the temporary license key so I could test the restore? I'm asking instead of trying it because I'm tired tonight and don't want waste a few hours if it won't work. I would like to have a dry run performed successfully before doing it during the maintenance window, which is the weekend so support options are much more expensive.

 

[cobaltit]

Few hours? That's like 30m tops unless you have like a multi-gig backup

 

[MisterM]

Few hours? That's like 30m tops unless you have like a multi-gig backup

Geez, I didn't think I was going to be called out on the timing. LOL. It took me several hours to do it last weekend but that also included the failed attempt to migrate the VM, then the backup, the download of backup, and the upload of the backup. So you're right this shouldn't be that long so I'll give it another go later tonight and test this out with the temporary license.

 

[cobaltit]

. Well we've done it several times so you have to factor that in. But I bet you can cut that at least in half having done it once already. Practice makes perfect!

 

[MisterM]

Thanks for the help guys. Last night went better but I didn't try to apply the license so that makes a lot more sense now. I now feel much better about the weekend.

 

[MisterM]

Just wanted to update this thread with the results. This weekend went great (now I'm nervous because it went too great). I performed the steps that ChrisC_3CX laid out and things went just fine. One little thing that I would comment though is that the only problems I had were related to the SIP trunk provider which isn't a 3CX preferred vendor. I have a second SIP trunk provider that is 3CX approved which I use for the higher rate calls. The approved one didn't even "blink" but the non approved one required a short update of their firewalls.
I guess my advice is that if you aren't locked into a contract (which is why I have that provider), then go with approved vendor and your experience will be much better.

 

[NickD_3CX]

This is great to hear @MisterM !
About the providers, although we do recommend using approved ones for various reasons, I just wanted to add that even a lot of approved ones require that you declare your Public IP, so if it changes for whatever reason, you need to contact them.
I suppose what I wanted to point out is that even some 3CX-approved providers would need to be notified in this same scenario.