Migrating Azure Storage Accounts for AudioCodes SBC Deployment from GPv1 to GPv2

Microsoft has announced the retirement of legacy general-purpose v1 (GPv1) storage accounts, requiring customers to migrate to general-purpose v2 (GPv2) by October 13, 2026.

While this may sound like a simple backend change, some environments still rely on older deployments including virtual machines and network appliances that were originally provisioned years ago.

In my case, I recently revisited an older Azure deployment running an AudioCodes Mediant VE Session Border Controller (SBC) for Microsoft Teams Direct Routing. The SBC was still backed by a legacy GPv1 storage account, making it a perfect candidate to walk through the migration process.

Table of Contents

Initial Situation

The environment was fairly typical for earlier Azure-based SBC deployments:

Virtual Machine: AudioCodes Mediant VE SBC
Purpose: Microsoft Teams Direct Routing
Deployment age: Several years old
Storage Account Type: GPv1 (legacy)
VM Disk Type: Managed Disks

At the time of deployment, GPv1 was standard and widely used. However, with Microsoft now retiring GPv1 storage accounts, action is required to avoid future disruptions.

Important Clarification: Does This Affect the SBC?

Before performing the migration, one key question arises:

Will changing the storage account impact the running SBC or the VM itself?

Short answer: No (in most cases)

Here’s why:

Azure VMs use Managed Disks, which are independent of the storage account type
The storage account is typically only used for:
- Boot diagnostics
- Logging
- Optional file storage

So, this means:

The SBC runtime is not directly affected
There is no need to redeploy the VM
The migration is generally low-risk

Why You Should Migrate?

Microsoft clearly states that:

GPv1 accounts will be retired on October 13, 2026
Existing accounts will be automatically migrated if no action is taken
GPv2 provides:
- Access to new Azure Storage features
- Improved performance
- Support for zonal redundancy (ZRS)

From a consulting perspective: In my opinion, it’s better to migrate proactively rather than rely on automatic changes.

Performing the Upgrade (GPv1 to GPv2)

The migration itself is straightforward and easy.

Step 1: Open the Storage Account

Navigate to:

Azure Portal
Storage Accounts
Your GPv1 Account

Step 2: Upgrade Configuration

In the Configuration section, you’ll find the option to upgrade the account type.

Change from: General-purpose v1 to General-purpose v2

Step 3: Confirm the Upgrade

Review the changes
Confirm the upgrade

Step 4: Validate the Result

After a few moments:

Storage account type shows GPv2
No interruption to the VM or SBC as far as I could see

Observations from my migration

From my test with the AudioCodes SBC:

✅ No downtime observed: The SBC continued running without any interruption.
✅ No impact on voice services: Active calls and signaling were unaffected.
✅ No reconfiguration required: All existing settings (diagnostics, logging) remained intact.

Things to Watch Out For

Even though the migration is simple, there are a few considerations:

⚠️ Pricing changes
- GPv2 uses a different pricing model (e.g., access tiers)
- Costs may slightly increase depending on usage
⚠️ Access Tier settings
- New options like Hot / Cool / Archive
- Review defaults after migration
⚠️ Legacy integrations
- Rare, but older scripts or tools may assume GPv1 behavior

Conclusion,opinion and summary

Migrating from GPv1 to GPv2 is:

✅ Simple
✅ Low risk
✅ Required by Microsoft

For workloads like an AudioCodes Mediant VE SBC on Azure, the impact is minimal because the VM itself is not directly tied to the storage account.

The key takeaway:

Even in legacy deployments, this migration can typically be done without downtime or service impact.

If you are managing older Azure environments especially in Teams Direct Routing scenarios it’s worth reviewing:

Storage account types
Public IP SKUs
Load balancer configurations

Many of these legacy components are now being phased out, and proactive upgrades help avoid last-minute pressure.

erik365.blog

Migrating Azure Storage Accounts for AudioCodes SBC Deployment from GPv1 to GPv2

Initial Situation