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 PostgreSQL. While we acknowledge MySQL is also an extremely popular database, we had to choose one, and our experience with PostgreSQL tipped the scale in its favor. All that having been said, what we are actually going to be doing is discussing the ODBC connector, so as long has you have familiarity with getting your favorite database ODBC-ready, the substance of this chapter will apply to you.

Integrating Asterisk with databases is one of the fundamental elements allowing clustering of Asterisk into a large, distributed system. By utilizing the power of the database, dynamically changing data can convey information across an array of Asterisk systems. Our newest favorite Asterisk function is func_odbc, which we will cover later in this chapter.

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