New 3CX Intall. Windows vs Linux

[GeeJayVee]

Does anyone have experience with 3CX in both Windows 10 and Linux? Which platform is better? I would prefer Windows, however, if the Linux version is more stable I would probably go that direction, even though I have more experience in, and prefer, a Windows environment.

I only have time to set up one or the other, so any information that points me in the right direction would be of great assistance.

Thanks

Gregg

 

[SteveITS]

The Linux version is "newer" having come out in 2016 I believe. We started on Linux a year ago and haven't had any issues. We've not installed it under Windows. I think you should do what you're comfortable with. The one caveat I can think of is there are more third party tools/add-ons for 3CX on Windows, but I think that's slowly changing also.

FWIW the Linux install is basically just boot the ISO and install. It can also run on something as small as a Raspberry Pi depending on the company size.

 

[GeeJayVee]

The Linux version is "newer" having come out in 2016 I believe. We started on Linux a year ago and haven't had any issues. We've not installed it under Windows. I think you should do what you're comfortable with. The one caveat I can think of is there are more third party tools/add-ons for 3CX on Windows, but I think that's slowly changing also.

FWIW the Linux install is basically just boot the ISO and install. It can also run on something as small as a Raspberry Pi depending on the company size.

We will be running it on a small server, so no need for the Linux feature of being compact & low overhead. I basically need to know how stable the Windows version is. We don't have the resources to be able to deal with issues. I assumed that the Linux version would be more stable, but I would prefer Windows if it is equally sable and trouble free.

Thanks,

Gregg

 

[VoIPTools]

GeeJayVee,

I have hundreds of 3CX installs under my belt so I think I can share with you some real-world experience.

3CX works well on both Windows and Linux. For example, I have customers who have been running 3CX reliably on Windows for years with up to 1,500 extensions on a single 3CX instance. However, the Windows version of 3CX, without question, needs more resources than it does running on Linux (RAM/CPU). As a result, if you plan on hosting 3CX it is far cheaper to host 3CX on Linux. Personally, since I'm reasonably proficient with both Windows and Linux, so I tend to go with Linux simply because of cost.

We could jump into the debate of whether Windows or Linux is more "reliable", but let's just leave it at both platforms can be very reliable if the OS is properly implemented and maintained on reliable infrastructure. Personally, I'm agnostic. Either choice is valid depending on the situation.

For most implementations, you really don't need to get very involved with Linux administration. Frankly, if you get into trouble with your Linux server, it is easy enough (and pretty fast) to just reinstall everything from scratch and restore your 3CX configuration from backup. Naturally, the more you know about administering Linux the better, but you don't have to be a Linux guru to run 3CX on Linux.

A reasonable person might assume 3CX is more reliable running on Windows because 3CX has many more years running on the Windows platform, right? But 3CX is written in .Net Core, so the base code is identical for both platforms. As a developer myself, in my experience, the .Net Core code differences between Windows and Linux are trivial. So it is no surprise to me that 3CX was very stable on Linux right away.

Regarding 3rd-party applications, all our VoIPTools add-ons equally support 3CX running on Linux or Windows so I don't think that is a big consideration anymore. Keep in mind that 3CX Support doesn't want any non-3CX software running on your 3CX server, so any 3rd-party tools should be installed on a separate server anyway. Provided the add-on can talk to 3CX from a separate server, it shouldn't matter what OS (Windows or Linux) 3CX is running on.

My advice to you depends on a couple of factors. For example, if you plan to host on-prem and you have sufficient hardware, by all means, feel free to install 3CX on Windows. On the other hand, if you plan to host 3CX in the cloud, and cost is a concern, any reasonably intelligent person can handle the demands of administering 3CX running on Linux.

UPDATE:

Last I checked, running 3CX on Raspberry Pi is no longer supported.

 

[SteveITS]

Last I checked, running 3CX on Raspberry Pi is no longer supported.

It is, https://www.3cx.com/docs/installing-pbx-raspberry-pi/ (unless they didn't take the pages down). It's not supported on Pi 4 yet but that's coming in update 6: https://www.3cx.com/blog/releases/v16-roadmap-updates/. The Pi 3B+ is limited but they say it works: https://www.3cx.com/docs/recommended-hardware-specifications-for-3cx/#h.v0wjrtwe9kr9 (we've used it for SBCs only).

 

[GeeJayVee]

One last question. Say the power goes out in a large storm overnight and the UPS eventually runs out of battery.

When the power returns, what is involved in getting things back up and running with the Windows version vs the Linux?

Back in the day, with Trixbox, I didn't need to even come in when the power was restored. The phone server just booted right up to full phone operation without any assistance. Would Linux 3CS do this, while Windows 3CS would need someone to go into Windows and start 3CS? I assume 3CS can be set up in Windows to auto start on boot. But just want to confirm.

We have 25 phones with an on premises phone server. That is how many people will be on me if this doesnt work perfectly.

Will the continual automatic Windows updates cause any issues?

You can probably detect that I am leaning towards the Windows version so long as there are no negatives.

Thank you for the valuable insight.

Gregg

 

[GeeJayVee]

It is, https://www.3cx.com/docs/installing-pbx-raspberry-pi/ (unless they didn't take the pages down). It's not supported on Pi 4 yet but that's coming in update 6: https://www.3cx.com/blog/releases/v16-roadmap-updates/. The Pi 3B+ is limited but they say it works: https://www.3cx.com/docs/recommended-hardware-specifications-for-3cx/#h.v0wjrtwe9kr9 (we've used it for SBCs only).

 

[GeeJayVee]

What is the attraction to running a phone server on a rasberry pi? I don't see it. But there must be a need for it, or it wouldn't exist. But what? OEM phone companies making very small appliances?

A Rasberry-pi server doesn't seem like it would be good for a business phone system.

Please forgive me for my lack of phone knowledge, I only discovered 3CS a week ago. But it does seem like it is the answer for us.

Thank you,

Gregg

 

[VoIPTools]

Remember my qualification that the server is properly managed. I would strongly urge you to configure your UPS to automatically shut down the server gracefully when the power gets low rather than allowing a hard crash to take place. If your UPS can't do that, then you need a better UPS.

Having said that, in my experience, Windows and Linux are both "fairly" forgiving after a hard crash, but I would do everything possible to avoid it. On both platforms, 3CX will come up automatically when the server or VM is restarted.

Since you are not really asking about running 3CX on a Rasberry, I'm not going to dive into why someone would want to run a tiny 3CX server on one. But, since the subject has been raised, I will acknowledge that it is possible to install 3CX on a Raspberry, and there are instructions on how to do it, but that is not the same thing as calling 3CX Support and asking for help. This question came up a couple of weeks ago and I called 3CX and asked and they said it is not "supported". That doesn't mean something hasn't changed from a couple of weeks ago.

I re-read the specific section in the Roadmap linked by SteveITS and I'm not certain when the document referred to "3CX" whether they were talking specifically about the PBX or if they meant running the SBC. I think a strong argument could be made either way. Regardless, if they do start supporting running 3CX on a Raspberry with SP6, it will most certainly be a change in support policy from just a couple of weeks ago. I hope Steve is right. You can't have too many options.

 

[SteveITS]

configure your UPS to automatically shut down the server gracefully when the power gets low

Yes. It may recover 99% of the time but the other 1% is the problem. This is true for anything with a writeable file system (routers, backup, NAS).

I called 3CX and asked and they said it is not "supported"

Well, I've not done it, just reading the docs. Rather disappointing if 3CX lists instructions online then won't support it. Our installs have been in our data center.

What is the attraction to running a phone server on a rasberry pi?

I think the main point for "why" would be "less expensive than a full PC for a small office." I'm not necessarily advocating for it.

 

[GeeJayVee]

Matthew, Thank you for the clear insight. I will be installing the Windows 3CS. Your time wasn't wasted. I put your VoIP Tools website in my files.

Thanks,

Gregg

 

[GeeJayVee]

I couldn't get the current UPS to communicate with our phone server. I will be installing a new server and will also pick up a new UPS that will assure proper shutdowns. I may not have done this without your strong suggestion, so thanks again.