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Asterisell 3.2.1 Stable Release
The version can be now considered stable. Respect previous 3.2.0 version there are only improvements to the call reports format, and minor improvements to the scripts.
The demo web site is updated with the new version.
Respect 3.0.x version, this version requires GD support enabled inside PHP, that is the default in Linux. It is used inside the new call reports.
In order to upgrade execute
git pull
then fix merge problems, and then
cd scripts ./update_db.sh
or if you already upgrading from a 3.2.x version, only
./configure.sh
Asterisell 3.2.0 is a Testing Release
3.2.0 Problems
Sorry, in reality the 3.2.0 release must be considered a testing release, and not a stable release.
The database upgrade scripts were not perfect (also if there is no risk to loose data, and I have already fixed it) and the invoice reports inside the commercial version need some refinements. All other parts of the application are stable and production-ready.
In these hours/days I’m uploading updates to the free and commercial version.
So if you are testing it, make sure to execute “git pull” and then “cd scripts; ./upgrade_db.sh” at regular intervals.
I will inform you with a dedicated post, when the release can be considered stable/production-ready in all its parts.
For future releases, I will use a “testing” branch of the repository, in order to prevent this type of problems.
Asterisell 3.2.0 Release
New Release
There is a new release for Asterisell Free and Commercial Version.
Improvements to Commercial Version
There is a better support for resellers:
- invoices are created with different consecutive numbers for each reseller;
- invoices can contain reseller custom information (address, logo, notes, payment terms);
Each customer can receive by mail a summary report with:
- most expensive calls;
- longest duration calls;
- most frequently called numbers;
- type of calls grouped by geographic location and connection type;
Invoice addresses are formatted according configured locale.
An upgrade script allows to upgrade the database from 3.x version to the current version without loosing any data.
How to upgrade
Download the last version, preferably using “git”. Then execute:
cd scripts ./upgrade_db.sh
Make sure to activate the new features inside the “apps/asterisell/config/app.yml” configuration file. In particular enable these two jobs:
- GenerateInvoiceAsCenteredTemplate
- GenerateCallReportAsPDF
and disable: - GenerateInvoiceReportAsPDF
Note
Up to date demo application and documentation screen-shoots are not updated to this last version. I will update them soon.
News Archive
Asterisell Overview
Usage Scenario
- You are a vendor of Voice over IP Telephony (VoIP) services, and you use an Asterisk server.
- Your customers pay you for this service.
- Your customers can call users residing on telephone networks that are not directly managed/owned from you.
- For routing calls to external networks, you use the services of other telephone vendors, and you pay them for this service.
Every call has:
- an income: what your customer pays to you;
- a cost: what you pay to other telephone service vendors in order to route the call;
- an earn: the difference between the income and the cost;
You can use Asterisell for:
- rating calls;
- showing to your customers details about their calls;
You can use VoIP servers different from Asterisell, because Call-Detail-Records can be easily translated between different formats.
You can manage different resellers:
- each reseller has specific name, description, logo, and invoicing info;
- customers can be associated to a specific reseller;
- invoices are produced using the details of the proper reseller;
Features
Customer Calls Report
- filters on many relevant fields like called number, date range, geographic location of called number, etc..;
- calls can be sorted according different parameters;
- totals on number of calls/costs/duration/etc.. according the current filter conditions;
- management of incoming calls if requested;
- data can be exported to CSV/Excel files;
- called numbers can be partially masked for privacy reasons;
- configurable date, currency format, and language;
- customers can have one or more offices;
- offices can have one or more VoIP accounts;
- automatic simplified view for customers with only one office or only one VoIP account, etc..;
- default prefixes can be hidden;
Administrator Calls View
Administrators can:
- view full details about cost, income, and earn of calls;
- export data to CSV / Excel files;
- be advised (also via email) for problems during rating of calls;
- force recalculation of calls due to changes of rating methods;
- assign customers to different settings;
Rating Process
- rates can be associated to specific customer categories, telephone-prefixes, time periods, destination gateway channels, etc..;
- Asterisell source code can be extended with additional rating methods;
- customers can be grouped into different price list categories;
- support of Number Portability;
- incoming calls can generate (optionally) discounts for customers or VoIP service providers;
Rate Problem Notification
Problems during rate process are reported and signaled via email to the administrator. Affected calls are rated after the problem is resolved.
Telephone Prefixes
Telephone prefixes can be associated to a proper telephone-operator, geographic-location and connection-type. These details are then used during calls visualization and for filtering.
Billing Process (commercial version only)
- generation and optional delivery via mail of invoices/reports;
- customers can be grouped, and billed using different parameters;
- summary call report for each customer, with useful info as most expensive calls/dialled numbers/geographic location and so on…;
- invoices and summary call report can contains info about incoming calls;
Customer Management
- customers can have (or no) web access accounts;
- customers can have one or more VoIP accounts associated to employees/offices/departments;
- management of Customer information like address, VAT, and so on…;
- customers can be associated to different resellers;
Security
- input fields that are accessible from customers, are secured from intrusion attempts;
- administrator is advised via email if a customer does not respect its cost limit;
Work-flow Customization
Asterisell uses a blackboard approach to process information:
- events are put inside the the database/blackboard;
- jobs are activated when there are proper events on the blackboard;
- jobs can produce new events;
New jobs can change the work-flow and behavior of the application in a powerful but predictable way;
Feedback
Use Asterisell forum for:
- signaling major/minor problems;
- suggesting possible improvements;
2010 March 06