[asterisk-users] Multiple instances of Asterisk on the same host...

[Gordon Henderson]

On Mon, 22 Feb 2010, Roderick A. Anderson wrote:

> Gordon Henderson wrote:
>> Interesting thread recently about virtual servers...
>>
>> I'm thinking of doing something similar - right now looking at Containers
>> (lxc) rather than "proper" virtualisation though, however it got me
>> thinking of a "poor mans virtualisation" solution...
>>
>> This would assume you have a real server to start with and full root
>> access...
>>
>> I was thinking of simply running multiple asterisks on the same box, each
>> with their own /etc/asterisk config directory (in e.g.
>> /home/v1/etc/asterisk, /home/v2/etc/asterisk and so on - obviously give
>> them unique /home/v1/spool/asterisk/ , etc. directories too, but for the
>> most part things like /var/lib/asterisk/sounds and modules can be shared.
>> (exception being astdb!) It just means a custom
>> /etc/asterisk/asterisk.conf file for each instance and asterisk being
>> started with the correct config file - /home/v1/etc/asterisk.conf, etc.
>>
>> So giving each asterisk it's own IP address (eth0:1, eth0:2, etc.) and
>> changing the bindaddr parameter in each one to suit multiple IP addresses
>> bound to the 'host' would seem to be the way to do it - each asterisk can
>> still use ztdummy/dhadidummy for timing if required (or does it stop
>> multiple asterisks opening it?)
>>
>> Anyone done this or contemplated doing it?
>
> I have heard of a company, name completely escapes me right now, that
> appears to use Linux-Vserver.
>
> I am trying to find the time to move my business system to a
> Linux-Vserver from a Micro-Linux Asterisk Server and the only issue I'm
> aware of is DAHDI/ZAPTEL might have to be run in the "host" instead of
> the guests.  Then some permissions set so the guests can access it DAHDI.

My aim is to actually use LXC as it has kernel level support (as of 
2.6.29) and will be supported by most distros soon if not already. 
Linux-Vserver appears to be depreciated by at least Debian, probably 
Ubuntu too, but I've no idea about the world of Red Hat/Fedora/Centos, 
etc.. I tried OpenVZ, but it seems to have even poorer support, and no 
updated for some time either.

Using Containers (as opposed to virtualisation), I'd expect DAHDI/Zap to 
be run on the host as there's only one kernel. Each container looking like 
a "super chrooted" environment, but one which can still have it's own 
/sbin/init firing off local processes, network configurations, local 
filesystem, etc.

Gordon