Lab Expansion Problem and Fix

The lab is expanding to support cluster configuration testing again.  We use old versions of Dahdi, Asterisk and Linux because we only like change in our own code.  So when we upgraded a Centos 5 system, we ran into the following problem:

  CC [M]  /usr/src/dahdi-linux-2.2.0.1/drivers/dahdi/xpp/card_bri.o
In file included from /usr/src/dahdi-linux-2.2.0.1/drivers/dahdi/xpp/xpd.h:31,
                 from /usr/src/dahdi-linux-2.2.0.1/drivers/dahdi/xpp/card_bri.c:29:
include/linux/device.h:407: error: expected identifier or â(â before âconstâ
make[3]: *** [/usr/src/dahdi-linux-2.2.0.1/drivers/dahdi/xpp/card_bri.o] Error 1
make[2]: *** [/usr/src/dahdi-linux-2.2.0.1/drivers/dahdi/xpp] Error 2
make[1]: *** [_module_/usr/src/dahdi-linux-2.2.0.1/drivers/dahdi] Error 2
make[1]: Leaving directory `/usr/src/kernels/2.6.18-274.12.1.el5-PAE-i686'
make: *** [modules] Error 2

After trying to solve the problem as though something was missing, we had the insight that maybe something was being redefined.  Centos back ports lots of stuff into its 2.6.18 and at the same time, Dahdi does some of its own back porting.  We think we found duplicate back porting of the same item. The back ported item in the Dahdi package was eliminated and the problem went away.  The patch is as follows:

--- /usr/src/dahdi-linux-2.2.0.1/drivers/dahdi/xpp/xdefs-orig.h 2011-12-10 11:41:12.000000000 -0500
+++ /usr/src/dahdi-linux-2.2.0.1/drivers/dahdi/xpp/xdefs.h      2011-12-10 11:23:25.000000000 -0500
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@
                ssize_t name(struct device_driver *drv, char * buf)

 #if LINUX_VERSION_CODE < KERNEL_VERSION(2,6,26)
-#define dev_name(dev)          (dev)->bus_id
+//#define dev_name(dev)                (dev)->bus_id
 #define dev_set_name(dev, format, ...) \
        snprintf((dev)->bus_id, BUS_ID_SIZE, format, ## __VA_ARGS__);
 #endif

Quite a relief.  Now on to installing the media and signal gateway applications, drivers, and patches.  We are creating a four-box cluster configuration with duplex signal gateways and two media gateways. We'll start with a two-box configuration composed of a signal gateway and a media gateway. We'll suspend system growth so that we can use this new system to establish the current functionality of the call detail recording system in isupd.  After this assessment we'll plan to fix any deficiencies in the CDR system. Then we'll add another media gateway to the system. After that, we'll detail the steps needed to convert a in-service simplex signal system cluster to a duplex signal system cluster. Then after that, we'll repeat the process at a live commercial 14-box operation.