asterisk users - Nov 2004 - Asterisk Administration and Management requirements (splinter from $200 AMP bounty thread)

Starting a new thread at Dean's request.

Why yet another project proposal? Because the majority of those I have 
seen so far are web (PHP)-based, which often presumes UNIX admin 
experience. The Web paradigm may be easy to access and easy to develop, 
but in terms of administration it is limiting (IMO anyway). Many 
projects also require to run on the Asterisk server, which is often 
undesirable. And none of them have the ease of setup, configuration and 
operation that it seems most users are demanding.

So, if anyone is interested, I am suggesting particularly a standalone, 
cross-platform project that is simple to install, configure, operate and 
manage. It should operate with or without a database. It can leverage 
existing projects, but it must not have the existence or installation of 
those projects as prerequisite. In other words, if this project uses 
another project's code, it must also include the installation and 
configuration of that project in this one's installer.

===================================================================
(cut and paste from the $200 AMP thread)

It's obvious that there is a strong demand for a clean, portable, 
easy-to-use Asterisk manager application. Apparently those that exist 
currently fall short in one or more areas, or we wouldn't be having this 
discussion.

Why don't we compile a list of features that people want their manager 
app to do for them, and finally do one that works, is easy to install, 
and is intuitive? I'd be happy to manage the project, help code it, 
design it, whatever it takes. It'll give my decade or so of software 
engineering experience something to do.

I'll start off with the obvious:

- The app must allow the administrator, either graphically or via menu- 
and dialog-driven GUI, to add, remove and otherwise edit extensions 
within the Asterisk PBX software.

- The app must allow the administrator, either graphically or via menu- 
and dialog-driven GUI, to add, remove and otherwise edit users within 
the Asterisk PBX software.

- The app must allow the administrator, either graphically or via menu-
and dialog-driven GUI, to add, remove and otherwise edit channels within 
the Asterisk PBX software.

If anyone is interested in helping continue to describe what you want 
from an Asterisk system manager, I am perfectly willing to do my best 
and my part to make it happen.


Greg

>Why yet another project proposal? Because the majority of those I have 
>seen so far are web (PHP)-based, which often presumes UNIX admin 
>experience. The Web paradigm may be easy to access and easy to develop, 
>but in terms of administration it is limiting (IMO anyway). Many 
>projects also require to run on the Asterisk server, which is often 
>undesirable. And none of them have the ease of setup, configuration and 
>operation that it seems most users are demanding.
>So, if anyone is interested, I am suggesting particularly a standalone, 
>cross-platform project that is simple to install, configure, operate and 
>manage. It should operate with or without a database. It can leverage 
>existing projects, but it must not have the existence or installation of 
>those projects as prerequisite. In other words, if this project uses 
>another project's code, it must also include the installation and 
>configuration of that project in this one's installer.
Would you consider making it ASP.NET based? XSP is probably the easiest
webserver I've used (xsp --port 80 --rootdir /whatever). That'd be
cross-platform, easy-to-use, no admin required. 

Wouldn't *something* have to run on the Asterisk server (i.e., to get access
to the config files). You could write a simple SOAP service (and host with
XSP) to provide that interface, while keeping all the UI on any other
machine.

If you're against this a simple NO suffices. No need for flames or rants.
Thanks.

-Michael

Gregory Junker wrote:
> So, if anyone is interested, I am suggesting particularly a standalone, 
> cross-platform project that is simple to install, configure, operate and 
> manage. It should operate with or without a database. It can leverage 
> existing projects, but it must not have the existence or installation of 
> those projects as prerequisite. In other words, if this project uses 
> another project's code, it must also include the installation and 
> configuration of that project in this one's installer.
Again in this thread:
I thinking about a XUL application, which can be installed as a 
Mozilla/Firefox extension which connects to Asterisk?
Personally I presume this is not limited to Asterisk only management 
interface nor limited to Mozilla, but a standard framework which can be 
used to control application with, that support a Management Interface.


Stefan

Hi there,

I agree with Greg and also with the documentation
group, we are all great at bitching about * (I know I
have done a lot of it but thats because UK and support
for us is minimal or so it feels) we need to unite,
the only reason Microsoft are so popular is because it
take 2 minutes to install and applications are usually
it is easy to configure (coming from Windows to Suse
was quite easy due to YAST but then from Suse to
Fedora Core is a nightmare thank god for web min)
users a nd administrators don't want to be editing
conf files to do the smallest thing i.e. create a
dialplan  thats a nightmare, coming from an Avaya
background (although it has been a year since i
touched an Avaya INDeX) you could create powerful and
effective dial plans completely graphically it was so
easy anybody could do it. Although all system
administration was done through a menu driven console
and that was really simple to use. We need to take the
good from other systems and merge this to Asterisk.
Also we have to document it. theres no point in
writing the code if nobody can use it.

I would like to offer my skills to the production of
this I can document, bug test and am great at user
interface design I come from a software house
background which I can also utilise to get this
project off the ground.

I suggest that we all meet in a chat room to create
some form of a project map and get this off the
ground.


Cheers

James