[Asterisk-Dev] How many users can one Asterisk server support?

[ops at infoserve.net]

Steven,

Thanks for the response. We have a broadband customer base of 30,000 that we would like to offer VoIP services. We plan to use dual 3.0Ghz Xenon CPUs
with 1GB dual DDR 400Mhz RAMs. Each server will have 8 PRIs and connected at 100Mbps to the outside world. We will support only SIP devices. We think we can support about 2,000 to 3,000 customers on each server. If that is the case we will need about 10 Asterisk servers. The question is how do we link up these servers and allow any user come in on any servers?

Have anyone tried this?

Oliver


---------- Original Message ----------------------------------
From: Steven Sokol <ssokol at sokol-associates.com>
Reply-To: asterisk-dev at lists.digium.com
Date:  Fri, 09 Apr 2004 10:11:22 -0500

>Oliver,
>
>> 
>> We are thinking of using the Asterisk platform to provide VoIP service to
>> our broadband customers. I have looked buy could not find any information
>> on the capacity of the Asterisk server. Suppose I use the fastest Intel
>> CPUs in the server how many users can I support? 
>> 
>
>Unfortunately, there is not single answer for this question.  It all depends
>on what you plan on doing with Asterisk, and how you intend to do it.  It
>depends on the codecs you are using, the amount of protocol conversion that
>is happening, the amount of media processing (voice I/O) that is being done,
>the hardware you use, the number of PSTN connections, etc, etc.
>
>This is by no means meant to discourage you.  Asterisk is quite powerful and
>quite scalable.  Users on the list have reported using Asterisk with 8 PRI
>spans (184 calls) all simultaneously active with positive results.
>
>What do you envision as your "typical" scenario?
>
>> Also, is it possible to
>> run multiple Asterisk servers and somehow link them up in a seemless
>> manner?
>
>Yes.  You can create a "mesh" or fabric of Asterisk systems using IAX2.
>There are a few caveats.  The default Asterisk build will require you do
>some work to manage a dial plan across multiple systems.  Also, if you want
>to create a central registry for IAX and SIP (and whatever else) so users
>are not assigned to specific boxes, that also requires some changes or the
>use of a front-end proxy (for SIP).
>
>Again, this is not meant to discourage in any way.  What you plan to do has
>been done and works.
>
>-S
>
>
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