Replacing or upgrading your Switchvox hardware appliance involves both hardware setup as well as software installation and configuration. The following table is a simplified overview of several replacement/updating scenarios (top row) and the steps for each scenario (left column).
Before you make any changes always first note all system settings and make a backup of the existing system. If you are upgrading or replacing the existing appliance, also make note of any telephony cards it has and their settings.
If the replacement appliance is a fully maintained cold spare (identical appliance and software), the initial steps have already been done. And, if you are only reinstalling or rolling back the system software on the same appliance, you do not need to change any of the hardware settings.
| Appliance Replacement / Update | Cold Spare Preparation | Cold Spare Replacement | Software Reinstall | Software Rollback |
| yes | yes | Already installed & registered | yes | Get older ISO and install |
| yes | Store device onsite & keep system in sync with primary appliance | Should be current | yes | NA |
| yes |
| auto | auto | auto |
| yes |
| yes | NA | NA |
| yes |
| yes | NA | NA |
| yes |
| Yes, if not current | yes | NA |
| yes |
| Should be same model | NA | NA |
To facilitate replacing a system, do the following to collect information about your old system's setup:
Login to the Switchvox admin web interface.
Go to Server > Maintenance: Updates.
Find and note the Current Version under Current System Info.
For an appliance with a telephony card: go to Server > Maintenance: Telephony Cards. Always note the following information when the appliance has an analog or digital telephony card or both.
All span settings on the Telephony Cards page for each span.
FXS Channels assigned to each Analog Extension.
All the assigned channels in each channel group.
Next go to Server > Networking: IP Configuration.
Find and note the IP Address and Netmask under eth0 Interface.
Also note any Advanced Options, such as any Additional Local Networks your system may use.
Do the following to create a backup of your current Switchvox system any time you are going to make changes to your system:
If you haven't done so already, note the current system's version number by going to Server > Maintenance: Updates.
Then go to Server > Maintenance: Backups.
Click Create Backup. This may take several minutes; do not interrupt the process. It should not affect any current calls in your system. You will be directed to a wait screen while the backup file is created. After the backup is created, the Backups screen is displayed with the new backup filename listed. NOTE: The software version is always part of the backup filename.
Click Download to save the new backup file to your desktop computer. NOTE: The backup may include multiple files. Keep these files in an easily accessible location on your computer to facilitate restoring your system when necessary.
If you are not able to access your system to create a new backup, then use an older backup file you have downloaded previously. NOTE: With an older backup you probably will lose your most recent data.
For more information about backups, see Managing Backups.
A cold spare is an offline appliance, kept onsite to be used to replace the primary appliance quickly should it ever be necessary. The cold spare appliance should be nearly identical to your primary Switchvox appliance and its installed software. Replacing the primary appliance with a cold spare involves the same steps as with any hardware installation except a properly maintained cold spare will already have the appropriate Switchvox version installed and the most recent backup files applied.
Do the following to set up a cold spare appliance for use as a replacement system:
Using the disk or thumb drive that came with your original Switchvox purchase, install the Switchvox software on the cold spare. You may also request a newer version ISO from Technical Support.
After installing the Switchvox software on the cold spare, register it by navigating to Server > Maintenance: Registration.
Enter the same Registration Code as your original Switchvox purchase. (This code is shown on the original software distribution disk, or in the email you received with your purchase.)
Navigate to Server > Maintenance: Updates and apply any software updates to the installed Switchvox software so the software versions are the same on the cold spare and the primary appliance.
Load the most recent system backup of the primary appliance onto the cold spare and periodically restore the latest backup from your primary appliance to your coldspare.
After you have set up your cold spare, place it in a secure onsite location so it can be easily retrieved when you need to use it.
Maintaining a cold spare involves two primary tasks: keeping the Switchvox software in sync with the primary appliance and applying the latest backup to the cold spare.
When you update your primary appliance, always plan to update your cold spare also. However, we suggest you first update the primary appliance, then wait a couple days to make sure you want to remain on the newer version. If you do, then update the cold spare.
Periodically apply the latest backup from your primary appliance to your cold spare. While this isn't as important as keeping the software updated, it does help to minimize downtime should it ever be necessary to replace the primary appliance with the cold spare.
If you are are upgrading from an old model Switchvox appliance to a new model, the Switchvox system software on the old appliance must be updated to the most recent Switchvox version before you take the old appliance down.
After updating the system software, follow the steps described in the next section.
Replacing a primary appliance with either a cold spare or upgrading to a new appliance involves the following steps. If the replacement appliance has been kept as a cold spare, the Switchvox software and updates should already have been installed. See above for cold spare maintenance tips.
Install the Switchvox software on the replacement appliance using the disk or thumb drive that came with your original Switchvox purchase. Or contact Technical Support for a new ISO.
Register the Switchvox software on the new/replacement appliance by opening its Switchvox Web Admin interface and navigating to Server > Maintenance: Registration. Use the same Registration Code as your original Switchvox purchase.
Also from its Switchvox Web interface, navigate to Server > Maintenance: Updates.
Apply any necessary software updates to the installed Switchvox software so the new appliance is on the same version of Switchvox software as the appliance you are replacing.
From the Switchvox Web interface of the new/replacement appliance, navigate to Server > Networking: IP Configuration.
Update the IP address under the eth0 Interface. Because the new appliance is replacing your primary appliance, it needs to have the same IP address that the primary appliance had. The other Network Settings will be configured when you apply the primary appliance backup file.
Save the changes to the network settings, and Switchvox restarts.
Alternatively, configure the network settings using the console interface or the LCD Panel of the appliance. To use the console interface, connect a VGA monitor and USB keyboard to the appliance.
If your primary appliance contains hardware expansion cards that your replacement appliance does not have, physically install those cards in the new appliance according to instructions from the appropriate expansion card quick start guide (see the Digium Support web page for these).
Do not turn on the appliance yet.
Connect the replacement appliance to all of the necessary external connections: network interface, all incoming lines from your telephone providers, any other physical connections from external devices.
Turn on the appliance.
Navigate to Server > Maintenance: Backups.
Apply the most recent backup file from the primary appliance to the replacement appliance.
Navigate to Server > Maintenance: Telephony Cards
Delete any card listed. This also deletes the setting from channel groups, so be sure you have made note of them previously.
Select Scan for New Devices.
Set up the new telephony cards, the different channel groups, and analog extension (if applicable) based on the span and interface settings noted previously.
NOTE: If you are using Digium phones, reboot all of the phones so they can re-establish proper communication with the PBX. |
Switchvox should now be back up and running at full strength on the new appliance.
You can install the Switchvox system software from the install-media supplied with the system, or Switchvox Technical Support can create an ISO for you to download and reinstall your system.
Turn on your Switchvox hardware appliance.
Press ENTER to begin the install. This formats the hard drive.
Select your time zone.
Switchvox then installs, restarts, and requests network information.
Enter the IP information you noted previously, or choose DHCP. Switchvox restarts again.
Register Switchvox with the same registration code you previously used.
Login to the Switchvox admin web interface for the reinstalled system.
Use admin for both username and password fields.
Go to Server > Maintenance: Registration.
Enter your registration information. It does not have to match up with any account information, so you can make corrections if you need to.
Enter the Registration Code, with 4 characters in each field in uppercase.
After Switchvox is registered, you can update to the same version as your backup file, if necessary. The filename of the backup file should contain the version number you want to update to.
After your system is on the same version as the backup file, restore the backup.
Go to Server > Maintenance: Backups.
Click Upload & Restore Backup.
Browse to your backup file and upload.
After the backup has been restored, be sure Switchvox is functioning as it should.
The procedure is the same as reinstalling, except you use an ISO of the version you want to roll back to.
Affected Version(s)
SMB 5.8;SMB 5.7.3;SMB 5.7.2;SMB 5.7.1.1;SMB 5.7.1;SMB 5.7.0.1;SMB 5.7