asterisk users - Dec 2007 - Realtime: Should I say or should I go (now) ?

Hi,

I'm working on a 500 seats Asterisk project.
I'm wondering whether or not I should consider using Asterisk Realtime and a
database to manage phones registrations.

Stories in Dev mailing list say Realtime is mis-used or should be improved.
So, what's the bottom line ?
Can I consider anything I can do with .conf files can be done with a
combination of .conf files and Realtime.

Regards
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I am using Realtime in virtually all my projects. So far, I haven't had 
any major issues. It saves a lot of headache for profile/dialplan 
updates, at least for me!
So I say, GO!

- Ben

Olivier wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I'm working on a 500 seats Asterisk project.
> I'm wondering whether or not I should consider using Asterisk Realtime 
> and a database to manage phones registrations.
>
> Stories in Dev mailing list say Realtime is mis-used or should be 
> improved.
> So, what's the bottom line ?
> Can I consider anything I can do with .conf files can be done with a 
> combination of .conf files and Realtime.
>
> Regards
>
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> I'm working on a 500 seats Asterisk project.
> I'm wondering whether or not I should consider using Asterisk  
> Realtime and a database to manage phones registrations.
As far as stability goes, I've had no problem with realtime.  In fact  
I've run a nationwide VoIP provider with asterisk using realtime.  The  
main consideration I would make for using/not using it is how dynamic  
the system is.  If you have 500 seats that aren't likely to change and  
aren't designing an interface to actually manage those users, then go  
static.  Less complexity, less chance for failure (you don't have to  
worry about db servers, etc.).  On the other hand, if it is for a  
situation where you are constantly adding phones, changing caller-ids,  
swapping phones and their extensions, etc.  Realtime is the only way  
to go.

And a free hint: if you are going to have to do anything that  
resembles number porting, swapping extensions, etc.--don't use  
extensions/phone numbers as SIP usernames.  You have to regenerate  
config files, etc.  Make your SIP usernames meaningless and use  
func_odbc to look up what extension is tied to which device.

Terry

> > And a free hint: if you are going to have to do anything that
> > resembles number porting, swapping extensions, etc.--don't use
> > extensions/phone numbers as SIP usernames.  You have to regenerate
> > config files, etc.  Make your SIP usernames meaningless and use
> > func_odbc to look up what extension is tied to which device.
> >
>
> I second that emotion.
>
> I consult with a bunch of people who "rolled their own" Asterisk
systems
> long ago, and when the try to virtualize their system in various ways
> they find their hands are tied.  It is indescribably confusing once the
> number in sip.conf gets disengaged from the extensions in the dialplan.
>
> I wouldn't say to make the names meaningless, though; there are
> different ways to use those names so that they have useful meaning.
> Just don't make them extension numbers; it's like the TCP/IP
boundary
> between layers.  See SIP for an example of the problems such a thing can
> cause :-)
>
> B.
Within my Realtime Asterisk Cluster, I use Directory Numbers (DN) for
all sip/iax devices.  These are a 5 or 6 digit number that don't mean
a whole lot until I assign an extension to it in the dial plan.

So DN 22331 could be exten 101 or exten 1001 and can be updated or
changed to a different extension in the dial plan without having to
update the device itself, unless the CID needs to be changed.

You need very good record keeping to be successful.  Also on the phone
device, the auth name or account name may be 22331 but the display
name will be 1001.  To make this change, you need a central
provisioning server, update the config file and reboot the phone to
update the display name.

Hope this helps and doesn't confuse things.

JR
-- 
JR Richardson
Engineering for the Masses