[Asterisk-Users] Tools for effectively manage Asterisk

[Gregory Junker]

asterisk at frameweb.it wrote:
> Hallo,
> 
> we have started playing with asterisk about one month ago, and we do like
> very much what we are experiencing.
> Now we would like to take some step further towards "standardizing"
> installed modules, functionalities, tools etc.
> 
> The "wall" we are facing now is: choosing the right tool for * management.
> 
> We tried AMP, very powerful but incomplete (CAPI is very important to us);
> it also suffers from its prerequisites: apache, mysql, php... too much
> things that should not go in a pbx....
> 
> We tried IPSwitchboard, but it seems only good as a monitor, not as a
> configuration tool (are we correct or are we missing something?)
> 
> At this point we are thinking that we better abandon the idea of GUI tools
> and that we must go on the road of "vi editing" of .conf files.

For now, that is your best option.

> We would like to understand what other people are using for asterisk
> management, and to get some suggestion from the community.
> 

Someone recently had a thread going about requirements for an Asterisk 
GUI (not sure what scale they were talking about). I suggested, and do 
strongly suggest, that Asterisk simply be instrumented for WBEM 
management and leave the rest out of it. This would allow Asterisk to 
leverage the many powerful management console applications available, 
and require the least amount of extra software running on an Asterisk 
server. WBEM is mature, industry-standard, widely supported, and open. 
The actual management or client application then can use a standard, 
open interface, and anyone can develop any app they want to meet their 
particular needs.

http://www.dmtf.org/standards/wbem/
http://www.openwbem.org/

My personal preference for management of an Asterisk installation (note 
I mean "installation" and not just "server" -- the distinction is 
important), is a drag-n-drop GUI with click-to-edit on system objects 
and links between, developed from the perspective of the user instead of 
the perspective of the PBX or the developer. For example, a user or 
manager does not see "extensions", they see "phones".

Greg