[asterisk-users] Looking for better fax handling

[D'Arcy Cain]

I am having troubles with sending faxes.  I hope someone can help me
work out a better method.

Basically we have a special address that our users can send to.  It
winds up on our Asterisk server which runs a Python script that parses
the message for attachments and the phone number from the recipient
address.  The attachments are converted to TIFF and stored in a folder
with various information encoded into the file name such as phone number
and retry information.  That all works fine.

A separate process picks up the files and sends them using an AMI script
like this:

Action: Originate
Channel: SIP/provider/%(destination)s
Context: LocalSets
CallerID: Vybe Consulting Inc Fax Service <6475551212>
Exten: sendfax
Priority: 1
Timeout: 30000
Variable: faxfile=%(faxfile)s
Variable: uid=%(uid)s
Variable: destination=%(destination)s
Variable: sender_name=Vybe Consulting Inc Fax Service
Variable: sender_num=6475551212

It then renames the file encoding the next retry time and incrementing
the number of retries.

The same script checks for files in a success folder and sends the users
a confirmation message that the fax was sent.  The files are moved into
the success folder by Asterisk using this dialplan:

sendfax,1,Verbose(0,FAX ${faxfile} to ${destination})
  same => n,Set(FAXOPT(headerinfo)=${sender_name})
  same => n,Set(FAXOPT(localstationid)=${sender_num})
  same => n,SendFax(${faxfile},d)
  same => n,Set(STATUS=Status: ${FAXOPT(status)})
  same => n,Set(STATUS=${STATUS}\nRemote ID: ${FAXOPT(remotestationid)})
  same => n,Set(STATUS=${STATUS}\nMaxrate: ${FAXOPT(maxrate)})
  same => n,Set(STATUS=${STATUS}\nMinrate: ${FAXOPT(minrate)})
  same => n,Set(STATUS=${STATUS}\nECM: ${FAXOPT(ecm)})
  same => n,Set(STATUS=${STATUS}\nnumber of pages: ${FAXOPT(pages)})
  same => n,Set(STATUS=${STATUS}\nRate: ${FAXOPT(rate)})
  same => n,Set(STATUS=${STATUS}\nResolution: ${FAXOPT(resolution)})
  same => n,GotoIf($["${FAXOPT(status)}" = "SUCCESS"]?faxok)
  same => n,Set(STATUS=${STATUS}\nError: ${FAXOPT(error)})
  same => n(faxok),Verbose(0,FAX ${destination} Status (S): ${STATUS})
  same => n,Set(FAXNAME=${CUT(faxfile,/,6)})
  same => n,Set(FILE(/fax_status/${FAXNAME})=${STATUS})
  same => n,GotoIf($["${FAXOPT(status)}" != "SUCCESS"]?faxfail)
  same => n,System(/bin/mv '${faxfile}' '/fax_success/${FAXNAME}')

  same => n,Set(CDR(userfield)=${destination})
  same => n,Verbose(0,FAX to ${destination} charged to ${uid})
  same => n(faxfail),Verbose(0,FAX ${destination} Status (F): ${STATUS})
  same => n,Hangup()

My problem is that if the faxes get too big it starts sending it again
before the previous one has finished.  I can't raise the retry limit too
far because sometimes the receiver is busy and we have to retry in a
reasonable time.

Is there a way to get a token from the AMI script that I can use to
determine later if Asterisk is still busy with the fax before I try
sending it again?

Or, am I approaching this all wrong?  Is there a better method of doing
this?

I am running Asterisk 13.19.0 on NetBSD/amd64 7.1.0.

-- 
D'Arcy J.M. Cain
Vybe Networks Inc.
http://www.VybeNetworks.com/
IM:darcy at Vex.Net VoIP: sip:darcy at VybeNetworks.com