Storing Into Azure Blob Storage

With PortSIP PBX, you can configure your system to store call recordings and compositions directly to your own Azure Blob Storage, instead of using local disk storage. This guide will walk you through setting up your Azure account or project to leverage this feature.

Note: Once external Azure Blob Storage is enabled, PortSIP PBX will stop storing uploaded files (such as voice prompts, profile pictures, and audio/video recordings) on the local disk. You will then be responsible for managing the security and lifecycle of your recorded content.

Use this feature if you need to comply with regulatory requirements that prohibit reliance on third-party storage solutions.

Warning: Please be aware of the following considerations when configuring Azure Blob Storage for your recordings:

• Once Amazon Azure Blob Storage is activated, historical recordings stored on the local disk of the PBX server will no longer be accessible. Additionally, previously uploaded prompt files for queues, voicemail, IVR, and other voice announcements will need to be re-uploaded. Therefore, it is recommended to configure Azure Blob Storage storage immediately after completing the PBX installation.

• Once the "Azure Blob Storage" option is activated, do not disable it. Disabling this feature will prevent the PBX from accessing historical recordings and will disrupt the process of storing new recordings on Azure Blob Storage.

Prerequisites

• Debian 11/12, Ubuntu 22.04/24.04, 64-bit

• We recommend deploying the PortSIP PBX on Azure to get the best performance

Step 1: Create Storage Account

1. Sign the Azure web portal.

2. Select the menu Storage accounts, then click Create.

1. In the Basic tab, fill in the Storage Account Name field and note down it, as you will need it in a later step.

2. For the Primary Service, select Azure Blob Storage or Azure Data Lake Storage Gen 2.

3. Follow the page instructions and select the appropriate values for the remaining fields.

4. Click the Next button to complete the creation process.

Step 2: Create the Container

Now, follow these steps to create the storage container:

1. Double-click the Storage Account you created in the previous steps.

2. In the Data Storage menu, click + Container.

1. Enter a name for the container, make a note of the container name, and click the Create button.

Step 3: Retrieve the Access Key

1. Navigate to the Security + Networking menu.

2. There are two keys available. Click Show for either key, then copy it.

Step 4: Modify the PortSIP PBX settings

Open the settings file:

• On Linux is /var/lib/portsip/pbx/system.ini

• On Windows is c:/programdata/portsip/pbx/system.ini

In the section apigateway, modify the value of the key storage to azure as shown below.

[apigateway]
storage=azure

Edit the section storage.azure as shown below.

[storage.azure]
account_name = Storage account name
account_key = Access key of your Azure Blob Storage
container = Container name

After modifying the parameters for Azure Block Storage, save the changes made to system.ini. You will then need to restart the PortSIP PBX for the changes to take effect.

Step 5: Restart the PortSIP PBX

Linux

Restart the PBX by performing the following commands:

cd /opt/portsip && sudo /bin/sh pbx_ctl.sh restart

Windows

Restart the Windows Server directly.