Asteriko,en

• Configuration Files
  • File IAX.CONF
    • Protocol's parameters definition
    • Users Definition
  • File VOICEMAIL.CONF
    • Voicemail's bahavior definition
    • Time shifts definition
    • Users definition
  • File EXTENSIONS.CONF
    • General file Configuration
    • The call routing macro for users
    • Services Context
    • Inbound calls 'context'
    • The standard user 'context' Internal
    • The international 'context' known as Internationnal
    • Calls redirection on servers located in a LAN using NAT
    • Including order with 'contexts'
  • ZAPATA.CONF file
• Asteriko Database
  • Relashonship scheme
  • Table "ast_uers"
    • Table's Definiton
    • Table creation script
  • Table "ast_groups"
    • Table's definition
    • Table creation script
  • Table "ast_parent_groups"
    • Table's definition
    • Table creation script
  • Table "ast_hosts"
    • Table's definition
    • Table creation script
  • Table "ast_iax"
    • Table's defintion
  • Table "ast_services"
    • Table's definition
    • Table creation script
  • Table "ast_services_options"
    • Table's definition
    • Table creation script
  • Table "ast_conf_rooms"
    • Table definition
    • Table creation script
  • Table "ast_trunks"
    • Table's definition
    • Script de création

The asteriko aim is to allow users to automatically create configuration files, without requiring technical skills. The asteriko solution stores in the databases the informations about users, groups, trunks... and create the required config files using cron automated task.

The project is composed in two parts. The first one is in charge of GUI -> DB and the other DB-> config files.

Configuration Files

It's obvious the configuration file part that forced us to do the choice of a templates of operations and organisations about various users in this configuration files.
In this document, we will only deal first about configuration files concerning IAX, EXTENSIONS and VOICEMAIL which are making, for moment, a good basis to start the project.

File IAX.CONF

Protocol's parameters definition

A first part is to define protocol : Port, Ip, Jitter




Nb: The section above needs to be optimized on the jitterbuffer. Tests and measurements can be necessary.

Users Definition

After the protocol parameters, we can then consider the definition of the users allowed to connect to Asterisk server. Two types of peers can be used

• the standard user
• the Asterisk server

For users, sections could be like the following on eqch asterisk box




Nb: For peers with static IP, instead of an IP address the 'host' field can be filled with the domain name.

For stardard user
It is now compulsory that users use numbers rather than names, to ease the reading of extensions.conf file.

The section must look like the following :



Nb: With IAX, it's not possible to define more than one 'context'. However, including 'context' in other 'contexts' allows to define very clearly the discrimination or, in other words, the users rights on dialplan access.

The example above allows the user, according to his discrimination, to terminate calls in the countries belonging to the internationnal 'context'. A list of 'context' and groups of 'contexts' have to be define to give access to users or to a particular country or country group. (Europe, Asia, Fixe Europe, Mobil Europe, Fixe France, Mobile France...) or worldwide (like above example).

protect user against anonymous login

For security reasons, you must declare a 'guest' user. This operation allows to reject the logins without username or without password. This user shouldn't be associate by another definite context in extensions.conf.

File VOICEMAIL.CONF

Voicemail's bahavior definition

Like in IAX.CONF, the general section can be setup to allow administrators to customize the voicemail parameters (sending, body of message) and even, recording timings, voicemail contents...





Nb: This configuration file is the one running on amnesia.

Time shifts definition

Nb: This section presents the only place on all configurations file of Asterisk where we can associate time shifts to a user. This following lines define the TimeZones. These Timezone are usually not used by the section, whereas it's not the case in this example.

Users definition

Very simple, except maybe the configuration of TimeZone which it's not so simple.

File EXTENSIONS.CONF

This file is in charg of routing rules and discrimination. In our case, each number belong a 'context' (internal, national...) to allow a specific user to access to phone numbers.

General file Configuration

This options allow to limit access at configuration files. You must leave this options with its default values.

The call routing macro for users

This macro is used to try to reach an extension ${ARG1} and, if no answer or busy is detected, the call is routed to the user voicemail.

Services Context

In our case, all services are gathered in two contexts [test-services] and [user-services]. If, in future use, we want to dissociate each service to allow their access according to a specific discrimination, we will need to split them into other 'contexts' and avoid including them in each others.

This is also the 'context' used for IVR (Interactiv Voice Routing) script used to wellcome users or cutomers not registred on any channel like IAX or SIP (a good example is a call comming from a ZAP interface). An acces to normaly registred users but comming throught a ZAP channel must be done. The user must be able to identify by typing a login and password to get acces to his usual 'contexts' or discrimination.



A 'context' is also required to provide an access to all the services without being obliged to define all of them one by one.

Inbound calls 'context'

This part of the job is not done yet and must be define to ease th creating of routing scripts without any telephony knowledge. But one thing is sure, this 'context' is dedicated to nbound calls comming from ZAP or H323 channels. In our case it is restricted to services accesses. For security purposes, it not possible for the user to access the full dialplan without any authentication. This 'context' consider that the caller knows there's a IVR behind the Asterisk box and is waiting for 4 second a user input if the user don't type anything it will look like a standard answering ;achine except that the system will first try to transver the call to a specific user of the dialplan. This way if the user is registred on the Asterisk box (no matter where he is) the call will be transfer to him.

The standard user 'context' [Internal]

Nb: In this example we consider that all the users are only registred using IAX and present in IAX.CONF file. Each IAX user must be declared as a number starting by the digit '5' and using only 3 digits. User 506 also asked to transfer all of his calls to a specific number in a specific 'context'. For other protocols than IAX, it is possible to extend this rule by defining different ranges of numbers according the protocol. For example 5XX for IAX and 4XX for SIP and why not 3XX for H323.

The international 'context' known as [Internationnal]

The pre-requisit in iax.conf file was that each user belongs to one on more 'contexts'. In our case all international destinations are organized in continents, then in countries and finally into Asterisk boxes of each country.

Calls redirection on servers located in a LAN using NAT

The previous routing example between peers for loïc, tom and mose shows different ways of proceding to call routing. Loïc uses NAT in his LAN with both Asterisk server and IAX client.
The thing you have to know is IAX take the default port (if not precised in iax.conf, it is 4569) for the first client or server. Then if a second client or server is started it could use the 14569.
Imagine you have set you router to forward packets on UDP 4569 from your public IP to your Asterisk box. So what appends if your Asterisk box starts after your IAX client?
In this specific case don't use port forwarding on your router but register your asterisk box to the remote site this way it will be reachable from known hosts and your IAX client and asterisk box can start in the order you want.
If you want external clients to reach your Asterisk box define a specific port in your iax.conf file, set the port forwarding for this port on your router and ask your client to use an alternate port.
If it's not possible, be very carefull to start the Asterisk box before any client in your LAN.

Including order with 'contexts'

The order you use to include your 'contexts' is very important. Indeed, mainly in overflow rules it is compulsory to keep a specific order to be sure that two matching paterns in contexts will be taken in the right order.

In our case use the following order:



Add then the European countries in the same order than the one defined in the [Europe] 'context'.

[Asia]
Add then the other continents in the same order as the [Internationnal] 'context'

[Internal]

[All-Services]

[tests-services]

[user-services]

ZAPATA.CONF file

Asteriko Database

The database structure is deeply linked to the file format but tend to ease the end user comprehension. This is why many informatins have been placed in the same table.

Relashonship scheme

The database relashonship scheme will be like the following. Each table is then more precisely defines in the next sections.

Warning: The following drawing is not up to date due to quick evolution in the begining of the project so prefer looking at the tables structures witch should be more close to reality.

Table "ast_uers"

Table's Definiton

This table is the main table of the Asteriko's relationship sheme.

ast_users
Field Name	Field Type	Precision	Comment
userId	int	8	Unique record number
userLogin	varchar	255	Asteriko Login used for web authentication only
userPassword	varchar	32	Password for this login
userMailboxPassword	varchar	4	Password vor voicemail application
userEmail	varchar	255	User's E-Mail address
userName	varchar	255	User's First name
userGroupId	int	8	ID of the user group. Only one can be precised at the moment
userLastLogin	int	11	Time of the last authentication
userRegistration	int	11	Is the user logged in and with whitch sessionID
userLanguage	varchar	3	Language spoken by the user
userTimeZone	varchar	10	User's Time Zone
userExtension	varchar	10	Unique Extension number of the dialplan
userRedirectGroupId	int	8	If the user wants to re-route his calls to an other context's extension, the context name must be define here
userRedirectExt	varchar	20	Allow the user to define or the extension numer corresponding to the context or a full extension name including the protocol type.
userServId	int	8	Protocol or channel type used to reach the user
userIp	varchar	15	IP address, domain name, "dynamic" are supported here
userStatus	char	1	Status of the user. 'y' for Enabled or 'n' for Disabled

Table creation script

Table "ast_groups"

Table's definition

This table allows you to create a link between diffrent users, hosts, services... A group is equivalent to a "context" in Asterisk terminology.

ast_groups
Field Name	Field Type	Precision	Comment
groupId	int	8	Unique record number
groupName	varchar	255	Group name. Equivalent to 'context'
groupDescription	text	N/A	Group description
groupAccessTimeStart	varchar	5	Start time the gorup is reachable.
groupAccessTimeStop	varchar	5	Stop time the gorup is reachable.
groupAccessDays	varchar	60	List of week days the gorup is reachable. Each week day is separated by a ";" and are 3 caracters long
groupAccessMonth	varchar	20	List of months the gorup is reachable.
groupAccessYear	varchar	20	List of years the gorup is reachable.
groupStatus	char	1	Status of the group. 'y' for Enabled or 'n' for Disabled

Table creation script

Table "ast_parent_groups"

Table's definition

This table allows you to create a link between one group to one or more groups. Because group are equivalent to a "context" in Asterisk it is important to be able to unclude groups together.

ast_parent_groups
Field Name	Field Type	Precision	Comment
parentGroupId	int	8	Unique record number
parentChildGroupId	int	8	The group you want to have one or more groups into
parentParentGroupId	int	8	Id of the group you want to include

Table creation script

Table "ast_hosts"

Table's definition

This table is used to define the hosts used by your Asterisk box. The hosts can be or registred or not. If not registred, you will be able to define time, days, months and years when you want this host to be reachable. The protocol used to reach this host is also a compulsory parameter.

ast_hosts
Field Name	Field Type	Precision	Comment
hostsId	int	8	Unique record number
hostsName	varchar	255	Host name
hostPort	int	4	Port number used to connect to the host
hostsLogin	varchar	255	Login used to connect to the host.
hostsPassword	varchar	32	Password linked to the Login
hostsGroupId	int	8	Context where the host is belonging to
hostsServId	int	8	Protocol type used to reach the host. The service number is used.
hostsRegistred	char	1	If the host is a host you want to register to, select true. Can be 'y' or 'n'
hostsAccessTimeStart	varchar	5	Start time allowed to connect to the host. Ignored for registred hosts.
hostsAccessTimeStop	varchar	5	Stop time allowed to connect to the host. Ignored for registred hosts.
hostsAccessDays	varchar	60	Weekdays list of days allowed to connect to the host. Ignored for registred hosts. Each week day is separated by a ";" and are 3 caracters long
hostsAccessMonth	varchar	20	Months list of months allowed to connect to the host. Ignored for registred hosts.
hostsAccessYear	varchar	20	Years list of years allowed to connect to the host. Ignored for registred hosts.
hostStatus	char	1	Status of the host. 'y' for Enabled or 'n' for Disabled

Table creation script

Table "ast_iax"

Table's defintion

This table is no longer used and has been transfer into a service.

Table "ast_services"

Table's definition

This table defines each available service.

ast_services
Field Name	Field Type	Precision	Comment
servId	int	8	Unique record number
servName	varchar	40	Service name IAX, SIP, H323, ZAP, VoiceMail...
servState	char	1	Status of the service. 'y' for Enabled or 'n' for Disabled

Table creation script

Table "ast_services_options"

Table's definition

This table defines each option to a specific service.

ast_services_options
Field Name	Field Type	Precision	Comment
servOptId	int	8	Unique record number
servId	int	8	Service concerned by the option
servOptionName	varchar	40	Option name.
servOptionValue	text	N/A	Option value

Table creation script

Table "ast_conf_rooms"

Table definition

This table is used to define the conference rooms as well as passwords and opening hours of each conference room.

ast_conf_rooms
Field Name	Field Type	Precision	Comment
confId	int	8	Unique record number
confNumber	varchar	10	Unique conference room number
confPassword	varchar	10	Password to acces to the conference room (optionnal)
confAccessTimeStart	varchar	5	Start time when the conf room is open. hh:mm
confAccessTimeStop	varchar	5	End time when the conf room is open. hh:mm
confAccessDays	varchar	60	Week days when the conf room is open. Each week day is separated by a ";" and are 3 caracters long
confAccessMonth	varchar	20	Month range when conf room is open
confAccessYear	varchar	20	Year range when conf room is open
confState	char	1	Status of the conf room. 'y' for Enabled or 'n' for Disabled

Table creation script

Table "ast_trunks"

Table's definition

This table defines each trunk or channel between asterisk boxes and what are the numbers used to dial on these trunks.

ast_trunks
Field Name	Field Type	Precision	Comment
trunkId	int	8	Unique record number
trunkName	varchar	20	Trunk name
trunkGroupId	int	8	Group or context in witch the trunk should belong
trunkServId	int	8	Type of protocole used for this trunk.
trunkAccessTimeStart	varchar	5	Starting opening hour of the trunk. hh:mm
trunkAccessTimeStop	varchar	5	Stoping opening hour of the trunk. hh:mm
trunkAccessDays	varchar	60	Week days when the trunk is open. Each week day is separated by a ";" and are 3 caracters long.
trunkState	char	1	Status of the trunk. 'y' for Enabled or 'n' for Disabled

Script de création