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Node Resolution

app_rpt has three ways to resolve a node number to an IP address.

  • Statically entered in rpt.conf
  • Domain Name Service (DNS).
  • An external node directory file.

The above mechanisms are used to translate a node number into its respective public IP address. Connections are made directly between nodes using their public IP addresses.

app_rpt first looks to see if the node is statically configured. If it is not found, the setting for node_lookup_method in the [general] stanza of rpt.conf determines the next step. The default setting is to perform a DNS lookup and if not found, attempt a lookup using the external file.

The operation of this ASL3 feature is controlled by the following information in /etc/asterisk/rpt.conf.

[general]
node_lookup_method = both   ;method used to lookup nodes
                    ;both = dns lookup first, followed by external file (default)
                    ;dns = dns lookup only
                    ;file = external file lookup only
The node lookup routines will output debug information showing the node lookups if the debug level is set to 4 or higher.

Note: The AllStarLink network maintains security by requiring node owners to register with AllStarLink. Before a node is published to our directory it must successfully authenticate and register with our server. Related see HTTP Registration

External Node Directory File

app_rpt can use an external node directory file to perform node resolution. The asl3-update-nodeList service is used to periodically download the current list of authenticated nodes.

The name of this file is configured in rpt.conf using the extnodefile key and value. By default the name of this file is /var/lib/asterisk/rpt_extnodes. Multiple files can be specified based on your requirements. The file names are separated with a comma.

When a file based lookup is performed, app_rpt reloads the external file before searching for a match. This allows external scripts the opportunity to keep the file updated.

Here is an example of the external file format:

[extnodes]

2000=radio@162.248.93.134:4569/2000,162.248.93.134
2001=radio@162.248.93.134:4569/2001,162.248.93.134

Domain Name Service DNS

AllStarLink now provides a DNS service for performing node resolution. DNS is an Internet standard and is more efficient than using a file base solution.

When using DNS app_rpt must know the length of the longest node number. The current maximum is 6 digits. This number can be overridden in rpt.conf by adding the max_dns_node_length key and value to the [general] stanza.

For more information on DNS see AllStarLink DNS Servers.

Statically Configured Node

In some cases, it is desirable to statically define the node information. This is commonly used for private nodes or private networks.

To configure a static node, enter the information for the node in rpt.conf under the [node] stanza. Here is an example configuration:

[nodes]
1001 = radio@192.168.0.1/1001,NONE
1998 = radio@127.0.0.1:4568/1998,NONE
1999 = radio@192.168.0.2:4569/1999,NONE