Skip to main content

Core Outline

About​

A discussion of the architecture and interfaces of FreeSWITCH.

Documentation

History​

  • 1999 Start of Asterisk and OpenH323
  • 2003 anthm and bkw Join Asterisk
  • 2005 First ClueCon, Asterisk 1.2 Released
  • 2006 Start of FreeSWITCH / OpenPBX
  • 2007 OpenZAP Introduced
  • 2008 FreeSWITCH 1.0 “Phoenix" Released
  • 2010 FreeTDM Supersedes OpenZAP
  • 2014 WebRTC supported, Verto RTC signaling protocol introduced

Fundamentals​

  • Threaded Model (Parallel Operations)
  • Stable Protected Core
  • Dynamic Modules to Extend Functionality
  • Detailed Event and Logger System
  • Hooks into Everything

Threaded Model (Parallel Operations)​

  • Every connection has its own thread.
  • Sub-systems run in background threads.
  • Event handlers push events into threads.

Stable Protected Core​

  • Critical data structures are opaque.
  • Complicated code is all in one place.
  • Complicated routines get maximum reuse.
  • Higher level code cannot be misused.
  • With each new level of API the power increases as the complexity decreases.

Dynamic Modules​

  • FSAPI interface allows the addition of commands that can be accessed remotely.
  • Application interface allows creation of custom IVRs and call routing apps.
  • XML interface allows real-time dynamic access for user directory and configuration.
  • Endpoint interface connects IM and phones.
  • Formats, Automated Speech Recognition (ASR) & Text-to-Speech (TTS), and Say & Phrase Macros extend input and output capabilities.

Detailed Event and Logger System​

  • Events are fired whenever something significant happens.
  • Detailed logging makes debugging easier.
  • External applications can bind to events and track the status of the entire system.

Hooks into Everything​

  • Learn to think 4th dimensionally!
  • Embedded languages simplify the API even more.
  • Same principle as the CGI / Web server.

API Comparison​

Lua Version​

-- answer the call session:answer();

-- play a file session:streamFile("hello.wav");

-- hangup session:hangup();

C Version​

SWITCH_STANDARD_APP(demo_function) { switch_channel_t *channel;

channel = switch_core_session_get_channel(session);

switch_assert(channel);

switch_channel_answer(channel); switch_core_session_stream_file(session, "hello.wav"); switch_channel_hangup(channel, SWITCH_CAUSE_NORMAL_CLEARING); }

How It All Fits Together​

  • Low level C code
  • Core API
  • High level API (Module and IVR API)
  • Inter-module communication with events and API calls
  • Support for many programming languages

Real-Time​

  • The XML registry (dialplan, user directory, configuration, phrase macros)
  • Binding to the sections (mod_xml_curl)
  • Poll based info from FSAPI (XML-RPC)
  • Push based info from events (mod_event_socket)

FreeTDM​

FreeTDM supports

  • multiple telephony boards such as Digium and Sangoma.
  • PRI, BRI, SS7, MFC-R2 and Analog signaling.

Future Plans​

  • Provide G.729 Licensing.
  • G.729 licenses are now available for Linux systems.
  • The Windows version is in testing.
  • Add OPAL support for improved H.323.
  • Stabilize and branch FreeSWITCH 1.0 “Phoenix".
  • Complete and release FreeSWITCH 1.2 “Dragon".
  • Release FreeSWITCH 1.4 "Gandalf"

Credit​

  • Mike Jerris (Building, Maintaining, Improving)
  • Brian West (Q/A, Community, Features)
  • Everyone who has reported a bug or submitted a patch
  • All the testers and community members
  • Fellow open source projects
  • Everyone who supports Open Source VoIP

Learn More​

You can learn more from the Join the Community and the Documentation