[Asterisk-Users] Re: 911 and lawsuits and redundancy

[Todd Taylor]

Well, to do an upgrade on a traditional system you have the same issues, perhaps even worse as everything is physically wired to one system.  To develop for production you must have a dev environment, a beta test and a scheduled release right?

Todd

Jonathan Moore <moorejon at usd465.com> wrote:
__________
>These are good issues, but I am even thinking of something simpler and more
>common than crises. Such as this scenerio.
>
>I need to update my Asterisk server that runs all my phones inorder to install a
> kernel update that fixes a security bug. This is something I would consider
>happening on a regular basis with a voip enable system, whereas the traditional
>system might sit in a closet for 10 years never being touched. Let's say I don't
>want to stay at work until 2 am to reload the system when noone is there. How
>would you configure and * system(s so that you could take a system offline
>during working hours without taking out all or parts of the system? 
>
>I have read everything I can find on * in regards to this and I am still not
>really sure how to deal with the situation. I think the "standard" answer is to
>use multiple * servers with tdmoe (hope I got that right), but it seems like for
>this to work redundantly you have to have all your IP phones be multi-server
>aware. I have tested a lot of phones both hard and soft and it seems like few
>models do this. For instance, I would really like to use some Grandstreams for
>some areas, but I don't see how to put in any redundancy at the server level
>with them as the clients.
>
>Any ideas?
>-- 
>Jonathan Moore
>Director of Technology
>Winfield Public Schools
>Office 620.221.5100
>Fax 620.221.0508
>
>
>Quoting Adthrawn <adthrawn at adthrawn.freeserve.co.uk>:
>
>> Hi,
>> 
>> Most companies we work with, have 'designated' crisis management teams. 
>> These vary from the insignificant crisis', through to life-threatening 
>> crisis'. There is always an assigned emergency services contact, whose 
>> job it is in an emergency, to maintain communication with the emergency 
>> services.
>> 
>> One of our corporate functions is crisis management - so we have to 
>> consider the global repercussions and the ultra-fine detail at the same 
>> time. From considering overall redundancy of the phone system, down to 
>> the tiny, but significant detail - like "the phone system caused the 
>> fire"... Basically, taking the worse case scenario, and making it 
>> worse.
>> 
>> At the very least, we always ensure that there is at least one PSTN 
>> line that is run through armored trunking to an analogue phone in a 
>> fire-proof cabinet. Simply put, a classic Hollywood style "red phone" 
>> with one button and a giant red flashing light. (Okay, full keypad and 
>> no flashing light, but you get the idea).
>> 
>> The reality is, that 999 or 911 redundancy has nothing to do with the 
>> phone system per-say, it's down to the crisis procedures of the 
>> company. Think of it this way; what happens if a fire breaks out on a 
>> large plant? First, you'd have the staff who found it phoning emergency 
>> services. Next, you'll have the security office phoning the emergency 
>> services... Next, staff in the nearest office are likely to phone the 
>> emergency services, not to mention lorry drivers or forklift drivers on 
>> their mobiles!
>> 
>> On top of this, in most places that a crisis would occur, there is 
>> little possibility of installing phones - period. Most plants rely on 
>> mobiles, walkie-talkie or DECT phones. The number of armored cables 
>> I've seen ripped in half, or optical spurs that have been cut by 
>> diggers - VoIP and traditional PBX's have no coverage of these areas - 
>> forget redundancy!
>> 
>> So at this point, the emergency services have been contact about the 
>> crisis three or four times... Possibly three or four addresses, 
>> depending on the registration of the phone itself. What if the fire 
>> brigade need to know what special equipment to bring? Chemicals to deal 
>> with? They'll phone the company, and will probably get a confused 
>> receptionist... She's been answering calls all day - she doesn't know 
>> there's a fire on a production line on the other side of the plant.
>> 
>> Now, with a crisis plan, the following would happen. In an emergency, 
>> the person discovering it would contact the crisis manager, or one of 
>> his/her subordinates. If it's a major emergency, then the person 
>> discovering this may have had to call the emergency services first. 
>> Nonetheless, this is all reported to the crisis manager. The crisis 
>> manager does a number of things, one of which is to be the crisis 
>> manager. Sound bizarre? Well, no. Their job, is partly to be a central 
>> point of communication. Any calls coming in regarding emergencies will 
>> be patched directly to this person. In the event of phone system 
>> failures or major disasters, then the person will have an emergency 
>> phone on which to call out on.
>> 
>> It's actually more dangerous to empower people in an emergency, then it 
>> is to reduce the number of people involved, and to tightly control the 
>> situation.
>> 
>> If anybody is interested in crisis management, or looking at ways of 
>> legally solving this problem, then let me know
>> 
>> Best,
>> Ad.
>> 
>> 
>> On 6 Jan 2004, at 6:35 pm, asterisk-users-request at lists.digium.com 
>> wrote:
>> 
>> > Message: 7
>> > From: "Jim Flagg" <flaggj at comcast.net>
>> > To: <asterisk-users at lists.digium.com>
>> > Subject: Re: [Asterisk-Users] 911 and lawsuits and redundancy
>> > Date: Tue, 6 Jan 2004 13:06:34 -0500
>> > Reply-To: asterisk-users at lists.digium.com
>> >
>> > ----- Original Message -----
>> > From: "Jonathan Moore" <moorejon at usd465.com>
>> > To: <asterisk-users at lists.digium.com>
>> > Sent: Tuesday, January 06, 2004 12:34 PM
>> > Subject: Re: [Asterisk-Users] 911 and lawsuits and redundancy
>> >
>> >
>> >> This is esp true of any VoIP PBX system. In fact I think many of them 
>> >> run Windows.
>> >>
>> >
>> > Or VOIP in general.  This is what Vonage makes you agree to in their 
>> > Terms of Service.
>> >
>> > "2.4 Requires Activation:
>> > You acknowledge and understand that 911 dialing does not function 
>> > unless you have successfully activated the 911dialing feature by
>> > following the instructions from the "Dial 911" link on your dashboard, 
>> > and until such later date that such activation has been
>> > confirmed to you through a confirming email.  You acknowledge and 
>> > understand that you cannot dial 911 from this line unless and
>> > until you have received a confirming email.
>> >
>> > 2.5 Failure to Designate the Correct Physical Address When Activating 
>> > 911 Dialing:
>> > Failure to provide the current and correct physical address and 
>> > location of your Vonage equipment will result in any 911
>> > communication you may make being routed to the incorrect local 
>> > emergency service provider.
>> >
>> > 2.6 Requires Re-Activation if You Change Your Number:
>> > You acknowledge and understand that 911 dialing does not function if 
>> > you change your phone number unless and until you have
>> > successfully activated the 911 dialing feature following the 
>> > instructions from the "Dial 911" link on your dashboard, and until 
>> > such
>> > later date that such activation has been confirmed to you through a 
>> > confirming email.  911 dialing must be re-activated.  Although
>> > you may have activated 911 dialing with your former Vonage phone 
>> > number, you must separately activate 911 dialing for any new
>> > number.
>> >
>> > 2.7 Change of Physical Location of Vonage Equipment:
>> > You acknowledge and understand that 911dialing does not function 
>> > properly or may not function at all if you take your equipment with
>> > you away from the address or physical location that you have 
>> > designated.
>> >
>> > 2.8 Requires Re-Activation if You Move:
>> > You acknowledge and understand that 911 dialing does not function 
>> > properly or at all if you move or change the physical location of
>> > your Vonage equipment to a different street address, unless and until 
>> > you have successfully activated the 911 dialing feature
>> > following the instructions from the "Dial 911" link on your dashboard, 
>> > and until such later date that such activation has been
>> > confirmed to you through a confirming email.  911dialing must be 
>> > re-activated although you may have activated 911 dialing using your
>> > former address, and you must separately activate 911 dialing for any 
>> > new physical address.  Failure to provide the current and
>> > correct physical address and location of your Vonage equipment will 
>> > result in any 911 dialing you may make being routed to the
>
>--- message truncated ---