asterisk users - Sep 2004 - Call redirect with *

I would like to redirect a call from one IAX "destination" system to
another
and I'm wondering if it is possible and if so, how.

Here is an explanation of what I mean:

Point A is our main office.  It has the lines from the PSTN and it converts
them to VOIP traffic on an * box.

Point B is a satellite office with a small number of people working who work
there.  It also has a * box for handling calls sent in by Point A.

Point C is the home office of one of the employees of the office at Point B.
Sometimes he's in the office, sometimes he's not.  We will also have a *
box
there for handling * calls.

What happens is that calls come in to Point A.  Based on the dialed number,
they may be routed to Point B immediately.  At Point B the greeting is played
and the caller is asked for an extension.  If their entered extension is the
extension of the Point C employee (who is not in the office that day but is
working from home), then the call is routed from Point B to Point C.

The problem is that going from Point A --> Point B --> Point C consumes 2x
the
needed bandwidth at Point B and introduces latency, another point of failure,
etc.  What we would *like* is for Point B to be able to parse the extension
and, upon determining that the call is destined for Point C, have a way
within the protocol to tell Point A: "Hey, could you please take this call
and
send it to (user:pass@Point C/context/extension)?"

That way, the call would go from Point A --> Point C, even though the
extension parsing and "control" of the call came from Point B
(obviously, once
the call is re-routed from Point A --> Point C, Point B can no longer
exercise
any control over it).

Is this possible?  Perhaps this can be accomplished with the "switch
=>"
statements in extensions.conf (I do not understand the switch very well)??

Thank you.

-- 
-M

There are 10 kinds of people in this world:
	Those who can count in binary and those who cannot.

Hi!
> The problem is that going from Point A --> Point B --> Point C
> consumes 2x the needed bandwidth at Point B and introduces latency,
> another point of failure, etc.  What we would *like* is for Point B to
> be able to parse the extension and, upon determining that the call is
> destined for Point C, have a way within the protocol to tell Point A:
> "Hey, could you please take this call and send it to (user:pass@Point
> C/context/extension)?" 
Use a Dial() statement and look at "notransfer=yes" in iax.conf to
avoid
a IAX transfer or "=no" to allow it. This is similar to
"canreinvite=yes"
in sip.conf, only the other way around... :-)

Apart from that you'll need to check if there are other aspects that 
force B to remain in the media path (like a Dial() with t or T option, or 
Monitor(), or ...)
> That way, the call would go from Point A --> Point C, even though the
> extension parsing and "control" of the call came from Point B
(obviously, once
> the call is re-routed from Point A --> Point C, Point B can no longer
exercise
> any control over it).
Why have an Asterisk box at C where a simple IP phone connected to A (or 
B) should be sufficient? Just a side remark.
> Is this possible?  Perhaps this can be accomplished with the "switch
=>"
> statements in extensions.conf (I do not understand the switch very well)??
Personally I'd recommend not to use "switch" unless you know
exactly what
you are doing and what downsides it has. Actually I wouldn't use it at 
all. Instead design a good dialplan.

Cheers, Philipp