[asterisk-users] Server Configuration for E1's

[Steve Totaro]

Imran M Yousuf wrote:
>
> Dear Users,
>
>
>   *I am fairly new to Digium and Asterisk. I wanted to know that if I
>   use the Digium product THREE Digium Wildcard TE412Ps’ (Quad E1 Card)
>   how many calls can I handle simultaneously.*
>
> I want to use the cards with the following Configurations:
>
> /Intel® Xeon™ 3.00GHz/800MHz, 2M Processor/
>
> /1GB PC2-3200 DDR2 SDRAM (2x512MB + 2X1GB) memory/
>
> /Integrated Dual Channel Ultra320 SCSI Adapter/
>
> /NC7781 Single Port PCI-X embedded NIC/
>
> /Hot plug drive cage - Ultra3 (6X1")/
>
> /High Speed IDE CD-ROM Drive/
>
> / /
>
> /72.8GB Pluggable Ultra320 SCSI 15,000 rpm (1") Universal Hard Drive/
>
> *Asterisk Business Edition*
>
> * *
>
> *3 X TE412P*
>
> I have a requirement of handling 350 Calls using a single Server and 
> please note the Server will used to transferring the call only. Other 
> Servers will handle gateway Negotiation and Billing. This server will 
> SIMPLY be a Gateway. Please let me know if this configuration too high 
> or too low. If anybody has better solution please let me know that as 
> well.
>
> Thank you, waiting eagerly for a response.
>
> Imran M Yousuf
>
I have always read never to go beyond two cards per box due to 
interrupts (Digium, not sure about Sangoma) but have never tried it.

I have found a perfect fit for me. I do exactly as you describe, the box 
just converts TDM to SIP to handoff except I use T1 instead of E1.

1 HPDL320 + 1 Sangoma 4 port T1 card + 2x 80 gig SATA RAID 1 + 1 gig 
memory + 3Ghz Pentium 4 Core Solo

Running minimal services and modules, with NFAS I get 95 B channels. 
When all 95 are lit and handing off calls with no codec translation 
(Ulaw), I hit exactly 50% CPU utilization which I feel very comfortable 
with and would not want to go over. These boxes are the most stable 
piece of my pie so far. Comparable IBM systems work just as well.

Failover is provided by the RAID 1 and the fact that I have rollover on 
seven trunk groups from the telco. Dual power supplies would be nice. I 
see very little HD usage since all processing is mostly done from the 
wire (PRI) to solid state parts and put on the wire (Ethernet) with no 
swap. If the server dies, up to 95 calls could drop but if the caller 
calls back, they will be routed to one of the other remaining trunk groups.

Originally, I was going to go with big beefy servers and put two cards 
in each but the prospect of dropping 190 calls as opposed to 95 along 
with the fact that the smaller server can be readily purchased at 
~$1,500 made the choice pretty clear.

To answer your question. I have no idea because of the Digium 
interrupts, you never mentioned codec conversion, hopefully straight 
Alaw since you are talking E1. I would think not, plus, do you really 
want to put all your eggs in one basket?

Thanks,
Steve Totaro