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Upgrade from Asterisk 1.2 to Asterisk 1.4 easily

So you’ve been stucked with Asterisk 1.2 and probably you’ve used vicidialnow 1.3.

Here’s a painless way to upgrade from Asterisk 1.2 to Asterisk 1.4 for your VICIDIAL.

First let’s create a directory.
cd /usr/src
mkdir asterisk1-4

Let’s get the VICIDIAL patched Asterisk.
cd asterisk1-4
wget http://download.vicidial.com/required-apps/asterisk-1.4.39.1-vici.tar.gz

How about zaptel and libpri?
wget http://downloads.digium.com/pub/zaptel/zaptel-1.4.12.1.tar.gz
wget http://downloads.digium.com/pub/libpri/libpri-1.4.9.tar.gz

Get the optional but VICIDIAL friendly sound addons
wget http://downloads.digium.com/pub/telephony/sounds/asterisk-core-sounds-en-ulaw-current.tar.gz
wget http://downloads.digium.com/pub/telephony/sounds/asterisk-core-sounds-en-wav-current.tar.gz
wget http://downloads.digium.com/pub/telephony/sounds/asterisk-core-sounds-en-gsm-current.tar.gz
wget http://downloads.digium.com/pub/telephony/sounds/asterisk-extra-sounds-en-ulaw-current.tar.gz
wget http://downloads.digium.com/pub/telephony/sounds/asterisk-extra-sounds-en-wav-current.tar.gz
wget http://downloads.digium.com/pub/telephony/sounds/asterisk-extra-sounds-en-gsm-current.tar.gz
wget http://download.vicidial.com/required-apps/asterisk-moh-freeplay-gsm.tar.gz
wget http://download.vicidial.com/required-apps/asterisk-moh-freeplay-ulaw.tar.gz
wget http://download.vicidial.com/required-apps/asterisk-moh-freeplay-wav.tar.gz

Now we start extracting the tar files
tar xvf asterisk-*.tar
tar xvf libpri-*.tar
tar xvf zaptel-*.tar

Be aware that you need to stop your Asterisk process first. Once stopped remove the module ztdummy(if you’re using one) zttranscode and zaptel. Here’s how
rmmod ztdummy zttranscode zaptel

Because most of the time zaptel crashes if you upgrade from Asterisk 1.2 to Asterisk 1.4, we delete the old zaptel directory at /lib/modules/$(uname -r) .

Now let’s start compiling!

Let’s do the libpri first!
cd /usr/src/asterisk1-4
cd libpri-1.4.10.1
make clean
make
make install

Went well? Let’s do zaptel.
cd ../zaptel-1.4.12.1
./configure
make clean
make
make install

If you haven’t encounter any errors yet. Let’s compile Asterisk 1.4.
cd ../asterisk-1.4.39.1-vici
./configure
make clean
make
make install
If you did not encounter any errors, it means your Asterisk 1.2 is now Asterisk 1.4!

Got more questions? Hit the comments. :)

May 28, 2011 1 Comment Short URL
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VICIDIAL for 500 seats Call Center.

Here’s some tips also on getting VICIDIAL stable for 500 seats center. (*Note I am currently the IT Manager of a 600+ seats call center here in the Philippines.)

VICIDIAL cluster per campaign.

Some outbound campaigns only have 10 agents some 30 agents some 50 agents and the biggest i have right now is 280 agents.

What I usually do is asks the expansion plan. If it will do 40 agents per shift from the start, I usually create a new cluster for it. If it is only 20 agents I do single server.

You will also need at least a team of dialer people who will upload leads /modify campaigns/check system status and a whole lot more for VICIDIAL.

When it comes to hardware, it all boils down to a quad core for the asterisks/vicidial and the biggest and the baddest server you can get your hand’s on for the database. I use an IBM m2 series with 320gb hard drive on raid10, 32gb ram and centos 64bit.

Although it’s a lot of servers to manage and purchase, the cost of VICIDIAL being fully functional and head-ache free can seriously help bring the CAPEX and OPEX lower than what you should be spending if you are using a closed source system.

And yes I usually get drunk on friday nights, can sleep far more than 8 hours a day and have a hobby other than computers.

I am also available as a VICIDIAL Consultant. Hit the contact link to contact me :D

April 16, 2011 1 Comment Short URL
Images

270 Seats VICIDIAL Predictive Dialer

Here’s how it looks. 

Interested in hiring me? Use the contact link :)  
April 8, 2011 2 Comments Short URL
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The ugly way to WAN failover.

I’m just posting this for posterity sake.

So you have 2 NIC cards connected to different ISP. You wanted to have one to do a fail over once the other is dead.

Use this bash script.

#!/bin/bash
GW1=”192.168.10.254″
GW2=”192.168.55.254″
TESTIP=”192.71.220.10″ # Any reliable Internet ip that responds to ping.
CURGW=`/sbin/route -n |awk ‘/^0.0.0.0/ {print $2 }’`

if ping -w2 -c3 $TESTIP >/dev/null 2>&1; then
echo “Active ISP is Ok.”
else
if [ "$CURGW" = "$GW1" ]; then
NEWGW=”$GW2″
else
NEWGW=”$GW1″
fi
/sbin/route del default
/sbin/route add default gw $NEWGW
fi

Save and add it to your crontab.

January 3, 2011 No Comments
Post

Smart SurfTV – A cheap way to have internet at home?

I found gonz’s tweet about the smart’s press release on surftv. Here’s the gist of the press release:

Smart Bro SurfTV is a device that connects to a television set through a quick and easy procedure, to provide Internet access using Smart Bro’s nationwide coverage. When plugged into the RCA port of a color TV set, Smart Bro SurfTV provides users a ready-to-run Internet experience, and users can surf, chat, and email –- through a multi-tasking TV — at home.
“Over the last few years we have been steadily advancing our Internet for All advocacy and investing our energies to make wireless Internet more affordable and widely available – whether via mobile phone, the PC, or laptop – anytime, anywhere, so that Filipinos may benefit from it. Offering Smart Bro SurfTV is a natural progression of that strategy, this is a service that will put the Internet right in the homes of Filipino families,” said Orlando B. Vea, Chief Wireless Advisor of SMART.

Internet in all homes
Smart Bro SurfTV comes in a boxed set complete with a keyboard, a mouse, a remote control, and a Smart Bro USB stick-type modem with a prepaid SIM, pre-loaded with PhP100 worth of load. The entire kit costs only PhP4,500, and Internet access costs only PhP10 for every 30 minutes. Load for the prepaid Smart Bro SIM is available through any of SMART’s network of over a million Smart Load sellers all over the country.

“Limited access to devices such as desktops computers used to be a barrier to bringing the benefits of the Internet to Filipinos. Even basic desktop computers are still priced beyond what most households can afford. This is what we hope to address through Smart Bro SurfTV. With this service, people can access the Internet using a low-cost device and an appliance they already have,” said Danilo J. Mojica, head of SMART’s Wireless Consumer Division.

I find it interesting because I used to read about the webtv. It went bust during the dotcom burst I think.

Anyhow this is a cool idea. I don’t know much about the specs yet but I hope this runs on linux. And yes I hope their network can accomodate the traffic.

By the way the price is PHP 4,500 pesos (about $100 usd)

from smart press release

February 23, 2010 3 Comments
Post

McGraw-Hill CEO Confirms Apple Tablet. OMFG!!!

Apple tablet. The big brother of my iPhone. JUST GOT CONFIRMED.

The OS of the thing is based on iPhone. I just soiled my pants. Here’s what the man said:

“Yeah, Very exciting. Yes, they’ll make their announcement tomorrow on this one. We have worked with Apple for quite a while. And the Tablet is going to be based on the iPhone operating system and so it will be transferable. So what you are going to be able to do now is we have a consortium of e-books. And we have 95% of all our materials that are in e-book format on that one. So now with the tablet you’re going to open up the higher education market, the professional market. The tablet is going to be just really terrific.”

The apple tablet is currently a hot topic since IPOD days. A lot of apple fanboys are having wet dreams about a tablet that they can purchase and fap upon. Honestly Im turning into one myself since I got my iPhone last christmas.

Here’s the CNBC interview with the CEO of McGraw-Hill (one of the publishers around)


Time to start saving money eh? :)

January 26, 2010 No Comments
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VICIDIAL version SVN 2.2.0 – Howto and howto not do it when you are hyperactive

Because it is New Year and one of my client asked me if I have updated the dev server to the svn version of VICIDIAL 2.2.0. I finally had time to do it. So off I go updating from VICIDIAL 2.0.5 to the new one. It is quite easy to update but I hit some horrifying bloopers.

So here’s what I did and the bloopers that came with it.

I checked out the svn version but first because vicidialNOW doesnt have subversion installed I installed it first.

yum install svn
Reading repository metadata in from local files
Parsing package install arguments
Nothing to do

It didn’t work

so I barely remembered that svn is called subversion so I tried it once again.

yum install subversion

Oh yes it worked! Now off I go downloading the SVN version of VICIDIAL 2.2.0

[root@vici ~]# svn checkout svn://svn.eflo.net:43690/agc_2-X/trunk
svn: Can't connect to host 'svn.eflo.net': Connection refused

More…

January 4, 2010 No Comments
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How to configure Linksys SPA941 or Linksys SPA942

I found this video when someone asked me how to configure Linksys SPA941. I was about to join him on a teamviewer session when I found this video. I decided to share it with you guys.

Setting up a Linksys SPA-942 phone from Kerry Garrison on Vimeo.

October 31, 2009 No Comments
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From Globe Duo to Globe SuperDuo. Now its awesome!

Meh. Been using globe duo since I got my postpaid line. It’s a cool feature because I got a manila landline number and I won the LANDLINE NUMBER LOTTERY, I got 2XX-1000!!!!! HOWS THAT FOR A LANDLINE NUMBER? :p

Then all of sudden I got an informercial text from Globe offering me this:

Free Globe Advisory: You can upgrade ur DUO to SUPERDUO to enjoy unlimited calls to any Globe/TM mobile nationwide on top of ur DUO subscription for only 499/30days. Just txt DUO OFF to 8888 to deactivate ur DUO and txt SUPERDUO
ON to 8888 to register for SUPERDUO. Unused DUO subscription fee will be credited to ur acct w/in 2 months. For the list of areas and more info, txt SUPERDUO INFO to 8888 for free. No Globe Advisories? Txt STOP to 2977 FREE

So I sat on it for a few hours because I just tried that 150 pesos 1 week thingie like the 238 then number. I am also quite worried about my landline number that came with the DUO that I have. I have it printed on my business cards and also told everyone who wants to know my landline number. Anyhow I called Globe customer services for 4 times just to confirm that I wont lose my JACKPOT number and they said no, I wont lose it.

So off I go and deactivated my DUO subscription. Then I made a mistake on texting SUPERDUO MM ON to 8888 when I received the text message that I need to reply YES in order for me to deactivate the DUO. So yeah I lost the ability to deactivate my DUO to upgrade it to SUPERDUO. I called the customer service and have then deactivate it for me. After going thru a lot of verification, they deactivated it and viola I registered for SUPERDUO and I RETAINED MY LANDLINE NUMBER. Boom boom pow yeah?

Now Im enjoying the unlimited globe to globe calls. Yes Im calling the one I am courting too and a typical call last like 3 hours. :( . This is a huge savings for me as I am paying about 7000 pesos per month on calls (150usd+).

Basically this is also the longest post I did. Good times ahead people.

Thank you for wasting your time.

October 18, 2009 No Comments

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