3.5. Key Issues: Linux as a PBX -
Asterisk is an open source PBX in software that runs on Linux, BSD, and Mac OS X. It's a great test environment for evaluating VoIP; it's also a solid solution for production systems -
Because Asterisk was written in C on Linux from the ground up, with many POSIX conventions at its heart, a duty-ready version of Asterisk for Windows doesn't exist. -
Digium, Quicknet, and others make interface cards that allow Linux softPBX servers to connect to the PSTN using POTS and T1/E1 lines -
The Asterisk CLI is an administrative interface that allows programming of extensions and monitoring of system activity -
The Asterisk Management socket API allows the Astman application to monitor calls in progress on an Asterisk softPBX. It's also possible to use the API to build your own applications -
Asterisk, like many softPBX systems, refers to each leg of a voice call as a channel -
Asterisk is commercially maintained by Digium, Inc., and supported by Digium and other consulting firms |