As the name suggests, the cdr_adaptive_odbc module allows CDRs to be stored in a database through ODBC. The “adaptive” part of the name refers to the fact that it works to adapt to the table structure: there is no static table structure that must be used with this module. When the module is loaded (or reloaded), it reads the table structure. When logging CDRs, it looks for a CDR variable that matches each column name. This applies to both the built-in CDR variables and custom variables. If you want to log the built-in channel CDR variable, just create a column called channel.

Adding custom CDR content is as simple as setting it in the dialplan. For example, if we wanted to log the User-Agent that is provided by a SIP device, we could add that as a custom CDR variable:

exten => 105,n,Set(CDR(useragent)=${CHANNEL(useragent)})

To have this custom CDR variable inserted into the database by cdr_adaptive_odbc, all we have to do is create a column called useragent.

Multiple tables may be configured in the cdr_adaptive_odbc configuration file. Each goes into its own configuration section. The name of the section can be anything; the module does not use it. Here is an example of a simple table configuration:

[mytable]

connection = asterisk
table = asterisk_cdr

A more detailed example of setting up a database for logging CDRs can be found in the section called “Storing Call Detail Records (CDRs)”.

Table 24.4, “cdr_adaptive_odbc.conf table configuration options” lists the options that can be specified in a table configuration section in the cdr_adaptive_odbc.conf file.

In addition to the key/value pair fields that are shown in the previous table, cdr_adaptive_odbc.conf allows for a few other configuration items. The first is a column alias. Normally, CDR variables are logged to columns of the same name. An alias allows the variable name to be mapped to a column with a different name. The syntax is:

alias <CDR variable> => <column name>

Here is an example column mapping using the alias option:

alias src => source

It is also possible to specify a content filter. This allows you to specify criteria that must match for records to be inserted into the table. The syntax is:

filter <CDR variable> => <content>

Here is an example content filter:

filter accountcode => 123

Finally, cdr_adaptive_odbc.conf allows static content for a column to be defined. This can be useful when used along with a set of filters. This static content can help differentiate records that were inserted into the same table by different configuration sections. The syntax for static content is:

static <"Static Content Goes Here"> => <column name>

Here is an example of specifying static content to be inserted with CDRs:

static "My Content" => my_identifier

The cdr_csv module is a very simple CDR backend that logs CDRs into a CSV (comma separated values) file. The file is /var/log/asterisk/cdr-csv/Master.csv. As long as CDR logging is enabled in cdr.conf and this module has been loaded, CDRs will be logged to the Master.csv file.

While no options are required to get this module working, there are some options that customize its behavior. These options, listed in Table 24.5, “cdr.conf [csv] section options”, are placed in the [csv] section of cdr.conf.

The order of CDR variables in CSV files created by the cdr_csv module is:

<accountcode>,<src>,<dst>,<dcontext>,<clid>,<channel>,<dstchannel>,<lastapp>, \
    <lastadata>,<start>,<answer>,<end>,<duration>,<billsec>,<disposition>, \
    <amaflags>[,<uniqueid>][,<userfield>]

This CDR backend allows for custom formatting of CDR records in a log file. This module is most commonly used for customized CSV output. The configuration file used for this module is /etc/asterisk/cdr_custom.conf. A single section called [mappings] should exist in this file. The [mappings] section contains mappings between a filename and the custom template for a CDR. The template is specified using Asterisk dialplan functions.

The following example shows a sample configuration for cdr_custom that enables a single CDR log file, Master.csv. This file will be created as /var/log/asterisk/cdr-custom/Master.csv. The template that has been defined uses both the CDR() and CSV_QUOTE() dialplan functions. The CDR() function retrieves values from the CDR being logged. The CSV_QUOTE() function ensures that the values are properly escaped for the CSV file format:

[mappings]

Master.csv => ${CSV_QUOTE(${CDR(clid)})},${CSV_QUOTE(${CDR(src)})},
   ${CSV_QUOTE(${CDR(dst)})},${CSV_QUOTE(${CDR(dcontext)})},
   ${CSV_QUOTE(${CDR(channel)})},${CSV_QUOTE(${CDR(dstchannel)})},
   ${CSV_QUOTE(${CDR(lastapp)})},${CSV_QUOTE(${CDR(lastdata)})},
   ${CSV_QUOTE(${CDR(start)})},${CSV_QUOTE(${CDR(answer)})},
   ${CSV_QUOTE(${CDR(end)})},${CSV_QUOTE(${CDR(duration)})},
   ${CSV_QUOTE(${CDR(billsec)})},${CSV_QUOTE(${CDR(disposition)})},
   ${CSV_QUOTE(${CDR(amaflags)})},${CSV_QUOTE(${CDR(accountcode)})},
   ${CSV_QUOTE(${CDR(uniqueid)})},${CSV_QUOTE(${CDR(userfield)})}

The cdr_manager backend emits CDRs as events on the Asterisk Manager Interface (AMI), which we discussed in detail in Chapter 20, Asterisk Manager Interface (AMI). This module is configured in the /etc/asterisk/cdr_manager.conf file. The first section in this file is the [general] section, which contains a single option to enable this module (the default value is no):

[general]

enabled = yes

The other section in cdr_manager.conf is the [mappings] section. This allows for adding custom CDR variables to the manager event. The syntax is:

<CDR variable> => <Header name>

Here is an example of adding two custom CDR variables:

[mappings]

rate => Rate
carrier => Carrier

With this configuration in place, CDR records will appear as events on the manager interface. To generate an example manager event, we will use the following dialplan example:

exten => 110,1,Answer()
    same => n,Set(CDR(rate)=0.02)
    same => n,Set(CDR(carrier)=BS&S)
    same => n,Hangup()

This is the command used to execute this extension and generate a sample manager event:

*CLI> console dial 110@testing

Finally, this is an example manager event produced as a result of this test call:

Event: Cdr
Privilege: cdr,all
AccountCode: 
Source: 
Destination: 110
DestinationContext: testing
CallerID: 
Channel: Console/dsp
DestinationChannel: 
LastApplication: Hangup
LastData: 
StartTime: 2010-08-23 08:27:21
AnswerTime: 2010-08-23 08:27:21
EndTime: 2010-08-23 08:27:21
Duration: 0
BillableSeconds: 0
Disposition: ANSWERED
AMAFlags: DOCUMENTATION
UniqueID: 1282570041.3
UserField: 
Rate: 0.02
Carrier: BS&S

This module allows posting of CDRs to a MySQL database. We recommend that new installations use cdr_adaptive_odbc instead.

This module enables the legacy ODBC interface for CDR logging. New installations should use cdr_adaptive_odbc instead.

This module allows posting of CDRs to a PostgreSQL database. We recommend that new installations use cdr_adaptive_odbc instead.

The cdr_radius backend allows posting of CDRs to a RADIUS server. When using this module, each CDR is reported to the RADIUS server as a single stop event. This module is configured in the /etc/asterisk/cdr.conf file. Options for this module are placed in a section called [radius]. The available options are listed in Table 24.6, “cdr.conf [radius] section options”.

This module allows posting of CDRs to a SQLite database using SQLite version 2. Unless you have a specific need for SQLite version 2 as opposed to version 3, we recommend that all new installations use cdr_sqlite3_custom.

This module requires no configuration to work. If the module has been compiled and loaded into Asterisk, it will insert CDRs into a table called cdr in a database located at /var/log/asterisk/cdr.db.

This CDR backend inserts CDRs into a SQLite database using SQLite version 3. The database created by this module lives at /var/log/asterisk/master.db. This module requires a configuration file, /etc/asterisk/cdr_sqlite3_custom.conf. The configuration file identifies the table name, as well as customizes which CDR variables will be inserted into the database:

[master]

table = cdr

;
; List the column names to use when inserting CDRs.
;
columns => calldate, clid, dcontext, channel, dstchannel, lastapp, lastdata,
    duration, billsec, disposition, amaflags, accountcode, uniqueid, userfield, 
    test


;
; Map CDR contents to the previously specified columns.
;
values => '${CDR(start)}','${CDR(clid)}','${CDR(dcontext)}','${CDR(channel)}',
    '${CDR(dstchannel)}','${CDR(lastapp)}','${CDR(lastdata)}','${CDR(duration)}',
    '${CDR(billsec)}','${CDR(disposition)}','${CDR(amaflags)}',
    '${CDR(accountcode)}','${CDR(uniqueid)}','${CDR(userfield)}','${CDR(test)}'

This module allows logging of CDRs using syslog. To enable this, first add an entry to the system’s syslog configuration file, /etc/syslog.conf. For example:

local4.*      /var/log/asterisk/asterisk-cdr.log

The Asterisk module has a configuration file, as well. Add the following section to /etc/asterisk/cdr_syslog.conf:

[cdr]

facility = local4
priority = info
template = "We received a call from ${CDR(src)}"

Here is an example syslog entry using this configuration:

$ cat /var/log/asterisk/asterisk-cdr.log

Aug 12 19:17:36 pbx cdr: "We received a call from 2565551212"

The cdr_tds module uses the FreeTDS library to post CDRs to a Microsoft SQL Server or Sybase database. It is possible to use FreeTDS with unixODBC, so we recommend using cdr_adaptive_odbc instead of this module.

In this example, we’ll show what a CDR looks like for a simple one-party call. Specifically, we will use the example of a user calling in to check her voicemail. Here is the extension from /etc/asterisk/extensions.conf:

exten => *98,1,VoiceMailMain(@${GLOBAL(VOICEMAIL_CONTEXT)})

This is the CDR from /var/log/asterisk/cdr-custom/Master.csv that was created as a result of calling this extension:

"""Console"" <2565551212>","2565551212","*98","UserServices","Console/dsp","",
    "VoiceMailMain","@shifteight.org","2010-08-16 01:08:44","2010-08-16 01:08:44",
    "2010-08-16 01:08:53","9","9","ANSWERED","DOCUMENTATION","","1281935324.0","",0

For this next example, we show what a CDR looks like for a simple two-party call. We’ll have one SIP phone place a call to another SIP phone. The call is answered and then hung up after a short period of time. Here is the extension that was dialed:

exten => 101,1,Dial(SIP/0000FFFF0002)

Here is the CDR that was logged to Master.csv as a result of this call:

"""Console"" <2565551212>","2565551212","101","LocalSets","Console/dsp",
    "SIP/0000FFFF0002-00000000","Dial","SIP/0000FFFF0002","2010-08-16 01:16:10",
    "2010-08-16 01:16:16","2010-08-16 01:16:29","19","13","ANSWERED",
    "DOCUMENTATION","","1281935770.2","",2