[Asterisk-Dev] Hardware Needed vs. Number of Lines

[Steven Critchfield]

On Wed, 2003-03-26 at 12:56, yoyo momo wrote:
> Hi everybody. Just new to the list. 

This will probably get at least 1 person on any list annoyed, starting a
new thread by replying to another. Only use reply when staying in the
thread. If you are used to using a threaded mail reader you would
understand.

> I am trying to evaluate the hardware platform l need to set up in
> order to provide good enough quality of service with de Asterisk
> platform and Zapata cards. 
> 
> It is to say: 
> 
> The [CPU+Cache+Memory+Hardisks] needed to properly manage [N vocal
> communications] 

vocal communications is kind of vague, Are you refering to channel to
channel calling where only bridging is important?

> I think i will have to grow up to N=3000 so i think it will have to be
> a cluster of computer working in parallel. 
> 
> I would appreciate any guideline to estimate this proportion or any
> source of information you can give me. 

Assuming you are using E1s, you will need 10 E1s to get 3000 lines. 

In general you should not put more than 2 quad span cards in the same
machine. This will get you 8 E1s in one machine, and a 2 E1s on a quad
card in a third machine. Since you would only need to at most transfer 2
E1s of audio from one machine to the other, it will fit pretty easy in a
100mbit ethernet connection via IAX.
There isn't really any rules of thumb, but since the prices are right, a
2ghz P4 or so is easily a good starting point. As for memory, 256mb is a
good starting point, and the HD should be big enough for the OS, the
software, and anything else you want to store. Bridged calls should
never touch the harddrive other than to write a log of what was done.
For bridged calls that aren't going over ther thernet to the other
machine, expect them to pick up the samples 8000 times a second, and
drop them on another channel the next sample.
-- 
Steven Critchfield <critch at basesys.com>