asterisk users - Oct 2007 - Split asterisk in two ?? One TDM and One IP only??

I have built an asterisk server with a TE412P card on a Dell 2950.
It does incoming calls via DID over PRI, our IVR, SIP/IAX extensions, Fax/Analog
extensions via an old PBX via PRI, voicemail, etc.

My issue now is that I find it difficult to test/upgrade to new versions.

This is what I am thinking of doing.

Server1
Keep one physical server just for TDM functions.
    PRI to Telco
    PRI to old PBX for Fax. (basically using it as a mux)
    Keep meetme here for Digium card timing.

Server2
Build a new asterisk install within Xen VM with data stored on an iSCSI SAN.
This would be all IP.
    IAX and SIP extensions.
    IAX and SIP providers.
    IVR
    Voicemail
    Web access to voicemail
    CDR

This way I can test different versions of the features of Server2 (clone with
different IP) without affecting production.
I assume that I just use an IAX or SIP trunk between the two asterisk servers.

Does this make sense?
Are others doing similar?
Are there any other features that require the TDM card besides PRI, Fax and
Meetme?
I have heard of people using Xen for IP only asterisk, but are there any known
gotchas?

Thanks,


-- 
-- 
Steven

http://www.glimasoutheast.org

I have built an asterisk server with a TE412P card on a Dell 2950.
It does incoming calls via DID over PRI, our IVR, SIP/IAX extensions, Fax/Analog
extensions via an old PBX via PRI, voicemail, etc.

My issue now is that I find it difficult to test/upgrade to new versions.

This is what I am thinking of doing.

Server1
Keep one physical server just for TDM functions.
    PRI to Telco
    PRI to old PBX for Fax. (basically using it as a mux)
    Keep meetme here for Digium card timing.

Server2
Build a new asterisk install within Xen VM with data stored on an iSCSI SAN.
This would be all IP.
    IAX and SIP extensions.
    IAX and SIP providers.
    IVR
    Voicemail
    Web access to voicemail
    CDR

This way I can test different versions of the features of Server2 (clone with
different IP) without affecting production.
I assume that I just use an IAX or SIP trunk between the two asterisk servers.

Does this make sense?
Are others doing similar?
Are there any other features that require the TDM card besides PRI, Fax and
Meetme?
I have heard of people using Xen for IP only asterisk, but are there any known
gotchas?

Thanks,


Thank You,
Steven BerkHolz