Asterisk Recommendation

[konextu]

Ok I've successfully setup and tested two servers but now its time to get serious. I'm looking to build up a dialer to handle 70 users dialing at 2 to 3 ratio. I've got the hardware coming in but what version of asterisk is truly recommended for a setup of this size (even though it is kind of small). This will be a production server running about 16 hours a day 7 days a week. Any other recommendations for other stuff as well? I believe what was stable 1.4.21....? Was what I did on the smaller test/trial servers... My thoughts are go live with that? But i've also read some things pointing back to a version like 1.2...?

Thoughts anyone?
Much appreciated

KG

[mflorell]

I would recommend getting more than one server for 70 agents dialing out at that rate.

Will you have a separate MySQL/web server as well?(you should)

As for the Asterisk version, if you want to use 1.4 I would only recommend 1.4.21.2, but for high volume outbound dialing we still recommend 1.2.30.2 for it's superior stability.

[konextu]

Web server is 2x dualcore xeon's. 8 gigs of ram. Raid 10 for speed

Mysql Server is 2x DualCore Xeons. 12 gigs of ram. Raid 10 for speed

Call recording Storage: Pentium 4 w/ht 2 gigs of ram.

Asterisk/Vicidial: 2x Quad core xeon (1333 FSB), 16 gb ram, raid 10 sas 15k drives.

All connected with gigabit, private switch for databetween, seperate nic's for data going to SIP/IAX Providers, Seperate nic for Data going back to phone's at agent's desk.

Is that not enough for 70 agents?

[konextu]

What functionality is lost, if any, by going with 1.2 versus 1.4.

[mflorell]

For outbound I would still recommend at least two separate VICIDIAL servers if you want to do predictive dialing with 70 agents. We have done up to 100 agents (inbound-only) on a single Asterisk-VICIDIAL server before, but outbound predictive dialing is much more resource intensive.

No VICIDIAL features are lost going with Asterisk 1.2 instead of 1.4

[konextu]

OK Matt thanks for the info on version 1.2

It will be heavily blended, i would say at max 40 agents handling outbound auto dialing with ratio at 2 or 3 to 1. Then the rest of the agents doing a mix of inbound from IVR/ACD and manual outbound.

Average day:

-30-40 agents on AutoDialer running 2 or 3 to 1 depending on Lead quality
-5 Agents Manually Outbound dialing, these will be long call's not alot of heavy dialing
-10-20 agents handling inbound call's.

I'm building a case study on this and will post when we are fully functional for 90 days, will help on answering questions I'm sure.

Have you done any of these systems in a cluster environment? At one point I was tempted to put in a bladecenter for it but i've never built a linux cluster before.

KG

[mflorell]

We have done dozens of clustered systems, the work very well and are usually more cost effective and fault tolerant than going the monolithic approach.

[konextu]

Thanks bro. I will look into this.

KG