In this chapter we are going to explore integrating some Asterisk features and functions into a database. There are several databases available for Linux, but we have chosen to limit our discussion to the two most popular: PostgreSQL and MySQL.

We will also explain how to configure Linux to connect to a Microsoft SQL database via ODBC; however, configuration of the Windows/Microsoft portion is beyond the scope of this book.

Regardless of which database you use, this chapter focuses primarily on the ODBC connector, so as long as you have some familiarity with getting your favorite database ODBC-ready, you shouldn’t have any problems with this chapter.

Integrating Asterisk with databases is one of the fundamental aspects of building a large clustered or distributed system. The power of the database will enable you to use dynamically changing data in your dialplans, for tasks such as sharing information across an array of Asterisk systems or integrating with web-based services. Our favorite dialplan function, which we will cover later in this chapter, is func_odbc.

While not all Asterisk deployments will require relational databases, understanding how to harness them opens a treasure chest full of new ways to design your telecom solution.