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Ranch Networks Works on High Availability of Asterisk Ranch Networks Works on High Availability of Asterisk

Hybrid IP

Hybrid IP Feature Article


May 08, 2006

Ranch Networks Works on High Availability of Asterisk

By Robert Liu, Executive Editor


The widespread usage of Asterisk, the open source PBX application originally written by Mark Spencer of Digium, underscores the growing acceptance of open source software. At last count, there are over 1,000 downloads per day and over one million Asterisk users around the world. And with more than 350 contributors to the Asterisk code, enhancements like interconnection, performance, interoperability and security continue to gather steam.
 
But when it comes to reliability – arguably perhaps the most important factor in the communication field – open source isn’t necessarily enough, contends Ram Ayyakad of Ranch Networks. That’s why Ayyakad’s company, which supplies IP telephony network hardware, has been working with Digium to introduce a new feature, dubbed “1+1 High Availability (HA),” to its RN series of appliances.
 
Rather than rely on projects like Linux High Availability to provide mission-critical redundancy features like storage replication, Ayyakad argues that the 1+1 HA solution is a more sensible solution because it enables users to have two Asterisk servers running in parallel synchronization. In other words, the two Asterisk servers can be run as a single IP address, which allows IT personnel to maintain or replace any of the Asterisk servers without VoIP service interruption.
 
“Linux HA is good, if and only if you are looking at machine-to-machine failover. If you are looking at application failover, you cannot do that doing Linux HA,” Ayyakad told TMCnet during a recent telephone interview.
 
Because 1+1 HA monitors the applications layer as well as pings Layer 4 (TCP, UDP, etc.), Asterisk users deploying the RN solution can track several parameters like the RADIUS server, LDAP server and/or SIP messaging, the co-founder and CEO said.
 
Ranch Networks is certainly familiar with Asterisk and working with Digium in general. Back in January, the company incorporated firewall security and bandwidth allocation to Asterisk version 1.2.2 through a year-long collaborative effort.
 
The 1+1 HA feature provides redundancy (and hence uninterrupted VoIP service between any two Asterisk servers) even when the servers are not on the same network. Ranch Networks developed the 1+1 HA solution to synchronize the databases in both Asterisk IP PBX servers extending five-9 availability out to branch office users.
 
Ranch Networks offers four models in its RN line that feature the Asterisk open source solution. Also announced back in January, the RN300, RN20, RN40, and RN41 are available through leading Asterisk resellers worldwide ranging in price from $600 to $17,300.
 
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Robert Liu is Executive Editor at TMCnet. Previously, he was Executive Editor at Jupitermedia and has also written for CNN, A&E, Dow Jones and Bloomberg. For more articles, please visit Robert Liu's columnist page.

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