Backing Up and Restoring Your 3CX Print

3CX Backups — Complete Procedure

3CX V18+ includes an automatic backup system. A regular backup is essential before any major update.

Contents of a 3CX backup

• Complete PBX configuration (extensions, trunks, IVR, queues)
• Call recordings and voicemail messages (optional)
• SSL certificates
• Licenses and provisioning data
• Network and firewall settings

Creating a manual backup

1. Access the 3CX management console: https://YOUR_IP:5001
2. Settings → Backup & Restore menu
3. Click "Back up now"
4. Choose what to include (configuration only or with recordings)
5. The backup is generated in .zip format in /var/lib/3cxpbx/Backup/

Automatic (scheduled) backup

# Configuration in the management console:
Settings → Backup → Schedule
- Frequency: Daily (recommended)
- Time: 02h00 (off-peak traffic)
- Retention: 7 backups
- Destination: Local + external SFTP/S3

Transferring backups off-site

# Automatic copy to external storage
0 3 * * * scp /var/lib/3cxpbx/Backup/*.zip backup@nas.lan:/3cx/backups/

# Integrity check
md5sum /var/lib/3cxpbx/Backup/3CX_Backup_*.zip

Restore procedure

1. 3CX console → Settings → Backup & Restore → "Restore"
2. Upload the backup .zip file
3. Check the restore options (configuration, recordings, etc.)
4. Confirm → the PBX restarts automatically (2-5 minutes)
5. Verify: extension registration, active SIP trunks, working IVR

Before every 3CX update

Pre-update checklist:
☐ Manual backup created and downloaded locally
☐ Current version noted (e.g. 3CX v18.0.7.xxx)
☐ Release notes read (breaking changes?)
☐ VPS snapshot created (OS-level rollback available)
☐ Maintenance window scheduled (outside office hours)

Emergency rollback

If the update fails:

1. Restore the VPS snapshot created before the update
2. Or use the 3CX backup restore from recovery mode
3. Contact WebTic support with the logs: /var/log/3cxpbx/