[asterisk-users] perform tasks outside a dial-plan (not during a call)

[Gareth Blades]

Harel Cohen wrote:
> Hi all,
> 
> Can the Asterisk do “things” not during a call? For example I would like 
> to change my dial plan during certain hours\dates or I would like to 
> check some information in the astdb (e.g. counters of al sort) and 
> handle it as required and so on. All of this is not call-related 
> therefore I don’t know if I can somehow do it using the dial-plan 
> applications\functions. I know I can do chron jobs on the Linux level 
> but for maintenance and readability I would prefer to do these tasks 
> from within the Asterisk.
> 
> Is it possible to configure the Asterisk to perform routine tasks on 
> certain times or certain intervals?
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Harel
> 

It would depend on exactly what you wanted to do.
If you wanted to change the dialplan then you would normally just call 
an AGI program and have that do diffeent things depending on the time of 
the day.
If you wanted to check 'counters' then you would normally not store them 
in the built in internal database but store them in a sql database 
instead which can be monitored via an external program via a cron job.
If you want asterisk to do things at particular times then you would 
generally have a program which connects to the asterisk manager 
interface and isue commands when required.