asterisk users - Aug 2004 - AW: Integrating an old PBX with Asterisk

> Hi all,
Hi Marco,
> I was thinking about integrating an old PBX with Asterisk and I was
wondering
> some possible configurations.
You didn't mention the number of lines your PBX uses, but think of a third
scenario:

Install an asterisk with twice the number of BRI/PRI-Ports your current PBX has.
Connect half of them to your carrier, the other ones to your old PBX (Some sort
of proxy scenario, isn't it?).
Pro: - You don't have to change a single configuration option in your old
PBX
       if you don't want to or are not able to ;-)
     - Full integration of asterisk users with old PBX users (internal calls,
       voicemailbox on asterisk even for ole PBX users etc.)
     - Very flexible configuration. For example let asterisk use 3-digit
       extensions while switching prior 2-digit extensions to the old PBX
Con: - Costs depending on your setup (Quad-Bri Junghanns costs about 600 Euro,
       Octo-Bri about 1000 don't know about PRI Cards or other vendors as
Digium)
     - Risk management. Asterisk becomes SPOF for whole telephony system (at
       least for inbound/outbound calls)


In our company we will probably setup your scenario 2 for integration of some
voip-Users and voicemail functionality.

Just my 2 cents,

Stefan


-- 
Stefan M?rkle                       Netpioneer GmbH
Leiter Knowledge Center       Beiertheimer Allee 18
<stefan.maerkle@netpioneer.de>      76137 Karlsruhe

On Thu, 5 Aug 2004, Stefan M?rkle wrote:
> Install an asterisk with twice the number of BRI/PRI-Ports your current
> PBX has. Connect half of them to your carrier, the other ones to your
> old PBX (Some sort of proxy scenario, isn't it?).
>
> Pro: - You don't have to change a single configuration option in your
old PBX
>        if you don't want to or are not able to ;-)
>      - Full integration of asterisk users with old PBX users (internal
calls,
>        voicemailbox on asterisk even for ole PBX users etc.)
>      - Very flexible configuration. For example let asterisk use 3-digit
>        extensions while switching prior 2-digit extensions to the old PBX
> Con: - Costs depending on your setup (Quad-Bri Junghanns costs about 600
Euro,
>        Octo-Bri about 1000 don't know about PRI Cards or other vendors
as Digium)
>      - Risk management. Asterisk becomes SPOF for whole telephony system
(at
>        least for inbound/outbound calls)
We have done a similar setup using a quad pri card (TE405P). That card was
about 900 Euro. 

Note that you may only be able to reach full integration for external 
calls. Not all pbx:es can be convinced to hand off some extensions to 
Asterisk etc. The level of integration you can get depends on your pbx.

Peter