Saving a Bundle with Asterisk and Open-SourceDialplan calls a script at various places. Script broadcasts structured data on a special #asterisk IRC channel. Desktop users can run
Post on 21-Feb-2020
10 Views
Preview:
Transcript
T H E E - M A I L F I L T E R I N G E X P E R T S
w w w . r o a r i n g p e n g u i n . c o m
Saving a Bundle with Asterisk Saving a Bundle with Asterisk and Open-Sourceand Open-Source
David F. Skoll Roaring Penguin Software
21 February 2007
© 2007 Roaring Penguin Software
IntroductionIntroduction
● Asterisk @Roaring Penguin● Asterisk Integration● Cool Asterisk tricks● The Open-Source Ecosystem
© 2007 Roaring Penguin Software
Asterisk @Roaring PenguinAsterisk @Roaring Penguin
● Old phone system: Proprietary NEC– More-or-less worked well.– Inflexible.– Want any kind change? Ka-Ching! $$$ for
service call.– Want to move a phone? Get out the
punchdown tool...– Want competitive prices
on phones? You're such acomedian!
© 2007 Roaring Penguin Software
Asterisk @Roaring PenguinAsterisk @Roaring Penguin
● Irritation built up until we bit the bullet.● New system:
– Asterisk on Debian Etch– Two Digium cards for 6 Bell lines– Uniden SIP phones– One Polycom SIP phone for boardroom– Hired a consultant to do initial setup – we
had no Asterisk experience
© 2007 Roaring Penguin Software
Asterisk @Roaring PenguinAsterisk @Roaring Penguin
● Want to move a phone? Just move it!● Want any kind of change? Just do it!● Competitive prices on phones? No
problem!● Flexibility? Yee-HAW!!!
© 2007 Roaring Penguin Software
Roaring Penguin ITRoaring Penguin IT
● We write software.● We have talented hackers.● Everyone's desktop runs Linux (even
the non-techies.)● Infrastructure
built around Linux.● Not the typical
SMB ITinfrastructure...
use RoaringPenguin::Utils;use strict;use warnings;my $frobnitz, $bloot;my @oh_my;
© 2007 Roaring Penguin Software
Asterisk IntegrationAsterisk Integration
● SugarCRM: Our CRM system. Free, open-source.
● We wrote Perl glue code to hook Asterisk to Sugar CRM.– Incoming call? Open browser to SugarCRM
entry for account based on Caller*ID– Can dial numbers by clicking in Sugar.
Great for international numbers: 0119725444583467
© 2007 Roaring Penguin Software
Asterisk IntegrationAsterisk Integration
● RT: Our support/helpdesk/ticket-tracking system. Open-source, free.
● Support call comes in: Open Web page showing customer's ticket history.
● Again done with Perl.
© 2007 Roaring Penguin Software
Asterisk IntegrationAsterisk Integration
● Ledger-SMB: Our accounting system. Open-source, free. (Detect a pattern yet?)
● Wrote Perl glue code to hook Ledger-SMB into Sugar CRM. More glue code hooks Sugar CRM to RT.
● So....
© 2007 Roaring Penguin Software
Asterisk IntegrationAsterisk Integration
● Grand Unification!● Call comes in:
– Sugar page opens showingaccount details
– Invoice history right in Sugar page– Open RT tickets right in Sugar page
● You are well-prepared as soon as you pick up the phone!
© 2007 Roaring Penguin Software
Cool Asterisk TricksCool Asterisk Tricks
● Real-Time Call Notification.● We need an event-based system.● Did we use DCOM? CORBA?
Buzzword-of-the-week? NO!● Good old IRC: Internet Relay Chat
© 2007 Roaring Penguin Software
Real-Time Call NotificationReal-Time Call Notification
● Dialplan calls a script at various places.● Script broadcasts structured data on a
special #asterisk IRC channel.
● Desktop users can run IRC bots that watch for the broadcasts and react.
● Very easy. A few hours of Perl hackery.● That's how our
automatic-open-a-browser-page systemworks
© 2007 Roaring Penguin Software
After-Hours SupportAfter-Hours Support
● Blackberry for after-hours support.● Asterisk diaplan changes after-hours.
Caller can enter a numeric page.● Asterisk calls a script that:
– Looks up page message and Caller*ID in Sugar CRM
– Creates an RT ticket– Sends mail to the Blackberry
● send-page script is 59 lines of Perl
© 2007 Roaring Penguin Software
Secure Remote AccessSecure Remote Access
● We have road warriors going all over the world:– USA– Europe– South Africa
● Hotel long-distance rates:Ex$$tortion
● Why not use VoIP with soft-phones?● Er... what about security?
© 2007 Roaring Penguin Software
Secure Remote AccessSecure Remote Access
● OpenVPN to the rescue. OpenVPN is an open-source free VPN that uses SSL as its underlying technology.
● We don't need to open SIP ports to the Internet.
● Road warriors VPN inand then it's as if they'rein the office.
© 2007 Roaring Penguin Software
Secure Remote AccessSecure Remote Access
● Our dialplan rings both the normal phone and the soft-phone. That way, your extension follows you all over the world!
● Communication with the office uses high-quality SSL encryption for safety.
● All you need isInternet access.
© 2007 Roaring Penguin Software
Asterisk at my HouseAsterisk at my House
● We have three daughters. One is a teenager.
● Our phone is heavily used...● Using IAX trunk from home Asterisk, we
can make outbound calls via the office. (Dial 112+number.)
● Those “in the know” cancall the office and diala special extension toring free home phone.
© 2007 Roaring Penguin Software
Asterisk at my HouseAsterisk at my House
● Nice feature: zapateller
● Plays the “this number is no longer in use” tone sequence.
● Fools (some) telemarketers into leaving you alone.
© 2007 Roaring Penguin Software
Asterisk and the Open-Asterisk and the Open-Source EcosystemSource Ecosystem
● Tcl-based gadgetsfor desktop users.
● (Demo: extension-state.tcl)
© 2007 Roaring Penguin Software
The Kitchen Call MonitorThe Kitchen Call Monitor● What good is an ancient Eurocom
laptop (64MB; Celeron 433?)
● Plenty! Load Debian Etch. Install custom-written Tcl script.
● Can monitor calls in the kitchen.
● See who's on a support call.
● Be alerted to incoming calls - can decide whether to interrupt lunch.
● Data includes customer name from SugarCRM, if known.
● Tim Horton's... eat your heart out!
© 2007 Roaring Penguin Software
Asterisk and the Open-Asterisk and the Open-Source EcosystemSource Ecosystem
● We consider our IT infrastructure to be a huge competitive advantage:– No license fees (annual software license
budget is $0.00)
– Letters from BSA andCAAST => Shredder
– No service calls if we needchanges made. We do itourselves.
– No hassles hooking up disparate components of our workflow.
– Still more integration to do... just need time :-)
© 2007 Roaring Penguin Software
Asterisk and the Open-Asterisk and the Open-Source EcosystemSource Ecosystem
● Asterisk, by itself, is terrific.● Open-source building blocks, by
themselves, are terrific.● Glue languages like Perl, Tcl, etc. are
terrific.● The combination gives you
unparalleled power andflexibility at anunbeatable price.
© 2007 Roaring Penguin Software
Thank you!Thank you!
© 2007 Roaring Penguin Software
ResourcesResources● Asterisk: http://www.asterisk.org● OpenVPN: http://www.openvpn.net● SugarCRM: http://www.sugarcrm.com● RT: http://bestpractical.com● LedgerSMB: http://ledgersmb.org● Perl: http://www.perl.org● Tcl/Tk: http://www.tcl.tk● Debian: http://www.debian.org● Ubuntu: http://www.ubuntu.com● Roaring Penguin: http://www.roaringpenguin.com
top related