The Hitchhiker's Guide to Asterisk | ||
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[explain what channels are] [how are they identified] [examples of channels] [most channels have their own configuration file] [It's a communication channel... specifically in Asterisk, it's a channel of communcation between some outside resource (phone line, VoIP provider, IP telephone) and Asterisk.] [Mention that each concurrent call must happen on it's own channel] [Some channels offer special features, such as sending or recieving Caller*ID] [Also mention that one of the greatest abilities of Asterisk is to be able to translate from one type of channel to another (POTS to SIP, SIP to POTS, SIP to IAX, etc.)]
In Asterisk a channel is a form of communications between some outside resource such as a phone line, VoIP provider, IP telephone and Asterisk. Every concurrent call that Asterisk controls must happen on it's own channel. A channel is named usually after its interface or protocol such as ZAP for Zaptel, IAX for the Inter-Asterisk eXchange protocol or SIP (Session Initiation Protocol).
Different channels have their own set of features such as sending or receiving Caller*ID, call trunking, call waiting and transfers. One of Asterisks greatest abilities is to be able to translate from one type of chanel to another. This allows different technologies to transparently communicate with each other such as POTS to SIP, SIP to POTS, SIP to IAX, and so on.
Zap channels (Zapata/Zaptel) are the channel-type, that is used for FXO, FXS and PRI-cards. There is also a third-party module, that implements zap channels for certain BRI ISDN cards.
The Zap channels were originally given the name by the Zapata Telephony Project, which is an effort to bring affordable computer telephony to the public domain. This is happening because the commercial market is ridiculously expensive and often offers poor support. Besides that, it might be worth to mention that Zapata was a Mexican revolutionary.
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Starting Automatically at Boot Time | Channel Configuration Files |