[Asterisk-Users] recording calls

Thu Nov 6 15:58:04 MST 2003

I have received several requests for the code, I need to comment it and
clean it up a bit, and it isn't perl-strict, so don't yell at me if that's
what you expect, and I also use some tie-ins with my custom AGI-MySQL
call_logging that I do(not CDR) but I can make those optional in the config
file for the client. I'll work on it and post here when I get it done.

Thanks,

MATT---

-----Original Message-----
From: David Gomillion [mailto:dgomillion at eyecarenow.com]
Sent: Thursday, November 06, 2003 3:15 PM
To: asterisk-users at lists.digium.com
Subject: RE: [Asterisk-Users] recording calls

This interface sounds very interesting and useful.  Have you given any
thought to creating a sourceforge project?  I would like to see this, help
extend it, and help grow *'s usefulness to the consumer.  These features are
vital for call centers.

-----Original Message-----
From: asterisk-users-admin at lists.digium.com
[mailto:asterisk-users-admin at lists.digium.com] On Behalf Of mattf
Sent: Thursday, November 06, 2003 11:32 AM
To: 'asterisk-users at lists.digium.com'; 'dgomillion at eyecarenow.com'
Subject: FW: [Asterisk-Users] recording calls

Sorry that got accidentally sent incompleted, here's the full post:

OK, here is the long drawn out description of how I am using Zap Barge and
Monitor:

Zapbarge(listen in on live calls):

Very simple actually I just added this to my dial plan(extensions.conf):

    ; barge monitoring extension
    exten => 8159,1,ZapBarge
    exten => 8159,2,Hangup

Then when you dial 8159 on a phone you get asked which line you want to
listen in on, for Zap/1-1 you would press 1#, for Zap/25-1 you would press
25#

and that leads into the next phase, the recording of calls and also how
people know who is on which channel so they can record/Barge.

Monitor(and other manager functions)

This is much more complex than Barge, for this solution I decided to write a
couple server programs and a perl/TK client that can run on a Linux or Win32
desktop. 

First the server side of things:

- created a constantly run perl script that telnets into the Manager
interface of Asterisk and gets the "show channels" output every 333
milliseconds, it then queries a database to see which "phone extension to
Zap channel" are not in it already and inserts them as well as deleting
channels that are no longer active. I chose to do it this way because it can
scale easily without affecting the Asterisk server at all.

- created a cron job perl script that runs every 5 minutes to take the
recording files, merge them with soxmix and copy them to a universal storage
location so they can be easily retrieved

Now the Client side:

- created a perl/TK program that woudl pull the current live calls
information from the database every second using Net::MySQL and displays
them in listboxes(so you can see which person is on which Zap channel), when
the person whose phone you have selected is on a phone call, the recording
button is enabled and you can start recording. Recording is accomplished by
the program telnetting into the Asterisk Manager and sending the Monitor
command for the specific channel, and Stopping recording is done similarly
with the StopMonitor command. I also created the ability to Originate calls
through this interface. I eventually plan on adding a recently called
Browsebox to initiate calls and a few other Manager commands like transfers
and moving calls into meetme rooms. I chose Perl/TK because it is very fast
and easy to develop in and is cross platform because we have an equal number
of Win32 machines and linux machines in our office.

If you have any other specific questions please let me know.

MATT---

-----Original Message-----
From: David Gomillion [mailto:dgomillion at eyecarenow.com]
Sent: Thursday, November 06, 2003 10:56 AM
To: 'mattf'
Subject: RE: [Asterisk-Users] recording calls

I think I am keenly interested in this.  Let me make sure I have this
correct first, though.

You are able to monitor which lines are in use and record calls that are in
progress (assuming they come in via a Zap channel)?  

If this is correct, I would like to know how you did it.  To be honest, I am
not familiar with the Manager interface.  I have been looking at Asterisk
for about a month now, have a test system in place, and have mostly been
playing.

If you could help me with this, I would be very interested!

-----Original Message-----
From: asterisk-users-admin at lists.digium.com
[mailto:asterisk-users-admin at lists.digium.com] On Behalf Of mattf
Sent: Wednesday, November 05, 2003 5:15 PM
To: 'asterisk-users at lists.digium.com'
Subject: RE: [Asterisk-Users] recording calls

Hello,

You can use ZapBarge as an extension in your dialplan to listen in on
conversations going on in Zap channels(Zaptel device channels)

As for recording you can use the Manager interface command StartMonitor to
start recording of a Zap channel and StopMonitor to stop it.

Zap channels are pretty much the only ones right now that you can directly
monitor and record through Asterisk. 

If these sound like they'll work for you, you can lookup the specifics
online or ask me and I'll try to do a brief overview of them.  We are using
the Asterisk Manager functions together with a Perl/TK phone command program
to show people on our phone system who is on the phone and to record and
originate phone calls. It works rather well and uses the manager interface
to Asterisk.

MATT---

-----Original Message-----
From: Todd Wallace [mailto:twallace_list at touchstonetel.com]
Sent: Wednesday, November 05, 2003 4:58 PM
To: asterisk-users at lists.digium.com
Subject: [Asterisk-Users] recording calls

Is there a way or an "Open Source" product that allows you to record and/or
monitor calls in progress?

Todd Wallace

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