ODBC support in Trixbox

Although I have no issues accessing the MySql data because of my familiarity with programming and MySql, this could reduce the need for integration programming for users that my not have the skill sets to access to data easily. Now someone with Excel/Access/Crystal Reports ODBC data skills could get the data and massage it how ever they like.

The decision to add feature shouldn't always be tied the number of requests. Sometimes vision of feature use should trump the number of requests.

I absolutely agree that not all decisions are based on total number of requests. We often take a number of variables into account and future use is sometimes one of them. I would like to see more people think they would use it before we see what it will take to implement and do all the compatibility testing.

While I personally have no need, I have a number of clients that I'd like to switch to CE that have a MS infrastructure that could use it. Now, I don't know that they actually would but they'd be more likely to do that than use the MySQL DB that's there already.

Andrew,

I totally understand bloat avoidance and I totally agree with that. (although I think your assertion that people want a stripped-down system is off the mark... people use Trixbox because it is feature-rich, easy to setup, and reliable. I don't consider that stripped-down. A clean Linux distro and Asterisk built from source is stripped-down.)

However, as I mentioned in an earlier post, unixODBC is already installed by default. Asterisk only needs built against it. No other deps are required. (You need the /etc/odbc.ini and /etc/odbcinst.ini files, but those are simple text files) To enable it on my system, all I had to do was download Asterisk and Zap sources so I could rebuild it and enable the functionality. Nothing else was required. (Not completely true... I needed to install FreeTDS because I was talking to MSSQL... but not everyone needs that connector)

Also, the presence of cdr_odbc does not stop Asterisk from putting the CDR records in the local MySQL database. They are still there so ODBC support would really be a take it leave it type of thing. If someone wants to use it, fine... all they have to do is setup res_odbc.conf & func_odbc.conf to make it work. If they don't want it... that's fine too... do nothing. It doesn't seem to stop Asterisk from working.

The reason ODBC connection is important to me... other than the dialplan logic I needed as noted above... is that we are an MS house. And I've got a data backup and retention infrastructure that is already in-place and works with my existing SQL servers. Why would I introduce another database server into that environment? I'd have to get a backup license and agent for it, make sure people were trained to admin it, etc. As I have it now, I just include the Asterisk config files (much easier to backup than a DB) in my backup set and I'm good to go.

While I agree with you that setting up ODBC in Office is very easy and pulling the info into Excel is rather simple, it doesn't address my needs. ODBC support within Asterisk is the simplest, most reliable solution that I've got which is why I'm asking for out-of-the-box support. If it is in there as soon as I load the ISO, then I've got the option of using it with no headaches... because I know I can trust that if I load the ISO on a clean box... it is going to work. Trixbox has proven to me over the last several years (even pre-Fonality) to be very solid. I can trust a system to work. It isn't until I start messing with it that it starts to get unstable ;-)

The discussion just dropped off the radar with no real response... yes or no. So I just rolled it into my own install. If you want help doing it, shoot me a PM with your email addy and I'll send you some info.

Jason