OK so here's an update that hopefully helps other folks:
(1) contacted Avast directly using their form (
https://www.avast.com/en-us/contacts), gave them my license info (we renew through resellers generally) and they generated me a migrated license key pretty quickly (we had 50 licenses of Endpoint Protection Suite, migrates to 50 of Avast Business AV Pro). I didn't have to talk to a single reseller, and our reseller doesn't even exist anymore, so idk why anyone's even going that route. Avast Support just generated a replacement code for me w/o any questions.
(2) downloaded the Console Installer for Windows (
https://www.avast.com/en-us/download-software). We used to use the Small Office Administration (SOA) product.
(3) Support directed me to these sites to migrate from SOA to Avast Business Console - (manual)
https://sites.google.com/avast.com/mickeys-unoffical-avast-biz/home/migration-from-legacy-to-new/manual-migration and (import)
https://sites.google.com/avast.com/mickeys-unoffical-avast-biz/home/migration-from-legacy-to-new(4) I installed the new console on the same server as the old one (no issues), and migrated everything I could. HOWEVER, if you have machines already running Windows 10 (v 1709 or earlier) transferring via the 'import' process above will fail and reboot loop. It seems to work ok on Server 2012 R2 / Windows 8.1 and earlier.
(Notes)
- I would just recommend uninstalling the old avast manually and then installing the new client clean, unless you have so many machines / physical locations where this is impossible. Whether you try transferring it directly or just making the client installer from the new platform available on the network, jump drive, etc. just as much work to clean up as it is to start fresh. It DOES seem to bring over your quarantine chest, if needed. But if you have the 8.0.1609 client on a Win 10 machine already, you're going to probably want to uninstall it first.
- Settings and groups do seem to import, but a lot of the old settings just need to be redone anyway, so starting fresh vs importing seems just as good
- You can install the new console on the same server as AEA or SOA, which can be helpful to look at old tasks / settings and just re-enter them in the new console (because not everything will migrate)
- I only had two groups (workstations and servers). These come through ok, so if you have tons of groups / machines these will import fine.
- Why the hell are the above migration guides on unofficial websites you say? I have no idea, but they did work, and I guess we can thank 'Mickey'.
- As with previous aVast upgrades / installs, expect plenty of client reboots. Like way more than seems necessary (still), but if you've already used AEA or SOA for some time, you're used to this.
- The new platform (as with the old ones) will force reboots on the client whether they want to or not when you push install / uninstall tasks, so as always, maybe don't do all of them at once.
- There's no download mirror in the same way as the old console had, you have to set one or more of the clients as an available mirror on that client's settings