[Asterisk-Users] Re: AAH lost my IVR phrases

[Jim Hanlon]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: asterisk-users-bounces at lists.digium.com 
> [mailto:asterisk-users-bounces at lists.digium.com] On Behalf Of Steven
> Sent: Wednesday, March 29, 2006 10:43 AM
> To: asterisk-users at lists.digium.com
> Subject: [Asterisk-Users] Re: AAH lost my IVR phrases
> 
> AAH uses a database to store the configs.
> It then outputs the database info into the text files for 
> asterisk to use.
> ALL _additional files are built from the database and hand 
> edits WILL be lost.
> If you are trying to do something that can't be done in the 
> web interface, you need to put that into the _custom files.
> 
> --

Thanks for your comments, much appreciated. It's obvious that Asterisk backs its config info in a database. And it's a great idea.
The points I feel are confusing are:

 1. The alterations to the config files made via AMP "Setup" pages are archived in the Asterisk DBMS, but changes made via the AMP
"Maintenance" pages are not (Apparently. It's hard to be sure what the rules are). Such differences in behavior are arbitrary, and
quite confusing to a novice Asterisk administrator.

 2. The changes made via the "Maintenance" pages work, at least for a while. And then, after some time passes, or some event occurs
(which is it?), the archived entries simply overwrite the existing ones. No warning, no announcement. And no backup. This behavior
again is arbitrary; I would much rather have a proposed change simply not work at all, rather than have it work for a time and then
suddenly stop. In the former case, I can just keep experimenting; in the latter, I button things up with a sense of accomplishment,
only to be chagrined a few days or weeks later.

Please don't misinterpret my remarks. Asterisk is a great system, and AAH is a marvel. I have learned a lot in the past couple of
months. But I got surprised by Asterisk's backup and restore policies for its config files.

Appreciate the advice to put persistent data in _custom files.

Jim H.