3CX tech support replies: Upgrading to 3CX v16 from previous versions

In the new year with a new ATS! True, there is not always time or desire to understand the intricacies of the transition between versions, collecting information from different sources. In this article, we have collected all the information you need to easily and quickly upgrade to 3CX v16 Update 4 from older versions.

There are many reasons to upgrade - all the features introduced in v16 can be found in training course. Here we note the most important improvements noticeable to ordinary users - new mobile applications, communication widget for website и VoIP softphone in browser.

Before upgrading - check the license

First of all, keep in mind that upgrading to the latest version of 3CX requires a license with an annual subscription or a perpetual license with an active update subscription. Without active subscriptions for updates your new system just won't activate. You can check the current status of the subscription in the section Options > License. You can also check eligibility for updates in the 3CX User Portal.

Please note that the correct subscription information in the PBX interface is only available from v15.5 Update 6 and higher.

If the subscription is expired

If you have a perpetual license, you need to find out if you are on a grace period during which you can renew your subscription. To do this, contact the 3CX partner that serves you (or the selected partner in your region), or write directly to User Support Department. By the way, you can renew your subscription to updates at any time, and not only when it has already expired. Moreover, you can get a 10% discount when buying updates for 3 years and 15% when buying for 5 years (we are talking about a subscription to updates for perpetual licenses).

If it turns out that the grace period has already expired, you can exchange your perpetual license for a license with an annual subscription for free. After that, you get a year of free use of the converted license, starting from the moment of exchange. In a year you just get annual license for the following year.
The exchange is made in your user portal in the section Buy > Trade-in (Buy > Exchange.

Please note that when you exchange, you do not receive a new key, just your existing key becomes an annual one. There is no need to change anything in the system! The only action: after receiving an e-mail confirming the exchange, go to the 3CX interface and in the section Options > License click the Update license information button (but this will only work in 3CX v15.5 and later). If you have an older version installed, see below.

Upgrading from v15.X to v15.5 SP6

You must update your v16.X (and older) system to v15 SP15.5 before you can upgrade to v6. Only in this case is the correct transfer of the PBX configuration from the backup copy guaranteed. The easiest way to update is by following this guide. However, if you have an even older version of 3CX, you will have to go through all the way updatesby installing them sequentially.

Be sure to make backups at every stage of the update!

Update from v15.5 SP6 to v16.X

It is important to note here that the 3CX update process is under Windows и Linux slightly different due to the architectural features of these operating systems.

Windows

Unfortunately, 3CX v15.5 SP6 cannot be “directly” updated to v16, as can be done in LinuxYou'll need to make a backup of your PBX and restore it during the installation of the v16 distribution.
   
In the 3CX interface, go to the Backup section, click +Backup, specify the backup name and options.

Wait for the e-mail notification of the PBX administrator that the backup is completed, and then download the backup file.

Please note that you can use the created backup copy when installing the PBX on both Windowsand Linux — the backup file can be used without any problems for both operating systems!
After backing up, uninstall 3CX, download 3CX v16 and start installation. On the first screen of the Configuration Wizard, specify the backup file, and then proceed with the installation by instructions.

Linux

Updating 3CX “in place”, i.e. immediately over the existing installation, is only available if the PBX is installed on Debian 9 Stretch (Debian 8 and 10 are not supported in v16). If you don't see updates available in the 3CX interface, check your version. Linux in the SSH terminal (command sudo lsb_release -a).

Debian 9

Here the update is very easy to install. In the 3CX interface, go to the section Updates and install all available updates. Be sure to wait for the e-mail about the completion of the update. After that, go back to Updates and install all available updates again - etc. until there are no notifications.

Debian 8

3CX v16 is not compatible with Debian 8, which was running v15.X. Therefore, you will need to backup the configuration and deploy a new installation from the ISO image. Debian for 3CX.

Please note - you can migrate from a local installation to a cloud PBX using your backup and the 3CX cloud installation wizard PBX Express.

Installing 3CX on various cloud platforms is given here.

Source: habr.com