[asterisk-users] Asterisk IVR functionality

[Tim Panton]

On 13 Nov 2006, at 16:18, Tzafrir Cohen wrote:

> On Mon, Nov 13, 2006 at 07:10:12AM -0500, Brian Rogan wrote:
>> On Mon, Nov 13, 2006 at 12:46:14PM +0100, nik600 wrote:
>>> Hi
>>>
>>> i have an application developed with bayonne.
>>>
>>> Recentely i'm experiencing some problems and i am planning to  
>>> migrate
>>> to asterisk.
>>>
>>> I would like to know if i can do these things whit asterisk:
>>>
>>> - IVR integration with database (mysql, insert,delete,update,select)
>> Asterisk uses a system called AGI to provide IVR.
>
> Not exactly true:
>
> IVR may be implemented using standard dialplan (extensions.conf).  
> AGI is
> a way to let a totally external program control the flow of a call  
> through
> Asterisk. It generally adds overhead and/or complexity to the system.
>
> It can be used for various operations, and not inherently related to
> IVR.

Also, Asterisk has a built-in database (ish) which is a name-value  
pair hash table
you can use it for storing counts, statuses etc. It isn't useful if  
other programs
also need to access the data.

I've found programming IVRs easier in dialplan logic than in AGI, so  
we tend
(where possible) to have a AGI statement at the early in a call,  
which we
use to set a load of channel local variables, then use the variables   
via the
dialplan to guide the user. If the user actually _does_ something that
requires a database write, we have a second AGI at the end.

Tim Panton

www.mexuar.net
www.westhawk.co.uk/