I’m planning to upgrade several servers from Asterisk 16 to Asterisk 21 and I want to gather advice from those who have done this before. My current setup includes:
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Many custom and standard modules
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Heavy use of AMI and AGI scripts
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Reporting relying on cdr, queue_log, and cel databases
I’d like to understand what challenges I should anticipate and how to handle them.
Specific questions:
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What are the major changes in Asterisk 21 compared to Asterisk 16? For example, SIP stack changes, channel driver updates, deprecated features, dialplan changes, or logging/DB structure changes.
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For my AMI and AGI integrations, are there known differences that could break scripts or require modifications?
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Regarding cdr, queue_log, and cel databases: are there schema changes, new fields, or changes in how events/logs are stored that could affect reporting?
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What are the common gotchas or pitfalls when upgrading from 16 → 21, especially in environments with many modules, custom scripts, and heavy call volume?
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What precautionary steps should I take before upgrading? For example: test servers, backup strategies, module compatibility checks, verifying AMI/AGI scripts, and ensuring reporting works after the upgrade.
If you have already performed this upgrade, I’d greatly appreciate it if you could share your experience: which challenges surprised you, how you solved them, and any recommendations for a smooth migration.
Thanks in advance for your help