MSILO Module

Daniel-Constantin Mierla

Edited by

Daniel-Constantin Mierla


Table of Contents
1. User's Guide
1.1. Overview
1.2. Dependencies
1.2.1. OpenSER modules
1.2.2. External libraries or applications
1.3. Exported Parameters
1.3.1. db_url (string)
1.3.2. db_table (string)
1.3.3. registrar (string)
1.3.4. reminder (string)
1.3.5. expire_time (int)
1.3.6. check_time (int)
1.3.7. send_time (int)
1.3.8. clean_period (int)
1.3.9. use_contact (int)
1.3.10. userid_avp (int)
1.3.11. snd_time_avp (int)
1.4. Exported Functions
1.4.1. m_store(mode)
1.4.2. m_dump()
1.5. Installation & Running
1.5.1. Database setup
1.5.2. OpenSER config file
2. Developer's Guide
3. Frequently Asked Questions
List of Examples
1-1. Set the "db_url" parameter
1-2. Set the "db_table" parameter
1-3. Set the "registrar" parameter
1-4. Set the "reminder" parameter
1-5. Set the "expire_time" parameter
1-6. Set the "check_time" parameter
1-7. Set the "send_time" parameter
1-8. Set the "clean_period" parameter
1-9. Set the "use_contact" parameter
1-10. Set the "userid_avp" parameter
1-11. Set the "snd_time_avp" parameter
1-12. msilo sql script
1-13. OpenSER config script - sample msilo usage

Chapter 1. User's Guide

1.1. Overview

This modules provides offline message storage for the Open SIP Express Router. It stores received messages for an offline user and sends them when the user becomes online.

For each message, the modules stores "Request-URI" ("R-URI") only if it is a complete address of record ("username@hostname"), URI from "To" header, URI from "From" header, incoming time, expiration time, content type and body of the message. If "R-URI" is not an address of record (it might be the contact address for current SIP session) the URI from "To" header will be used as R-URI.

When the expiration time passed, the message is discarded from database. Expiration time is computed based on incoming time and one of the module's parameters.

Every time when a user registers with OpenSER, the module is looking in database for offline messages intended for that user. All of them will be sent to contact address provided in REGISTER request.

It may happen the SIP user to be registered but his SIP User Agent to have no support for MESSAGE request. In this case it should be used the "failure_route" to store the undelivered requests.


1.2. Dependencies

1.2.1. OpenSER modules

The following modules must be loaded before this module:

  • database module - mysql, dbtext or other module that implements the "db" interface and provides support for storing/receiving data to/from a database system.

  • TM--transaction module--is used to send SIP requests.


1.2.2. External libraries or applications

The following libraries or applications must be installed before running OpenSER with this module:

  • none.


1.3. Exported Parameters

1.3.1. db_url (string)

Database URL.

Default value is "mysql://openser:openserrw@localhost/openser".

Example 1-1. Set the "db_url" parameter

...
modparam("msilo", "db_url", "mysql://user:passwd@host.com/dbname")
...

1.3.2. db_table (string)

The name of table where to store the messages.

Default value is "silo".

Example 1-2. Set the "db_table" parameter

...
modparam("msilo", "db_table", "silo")
...

1.3.3. registrar (string)

The SIP address used to inform users that destination of their message is not online and the message will be delivered next time when that user goes online. If the parameter is not set, the module will not send any notification. All requests intended for this SIP address will not be stored for lately delivery.

Default value is "NULL".

Example 1-3. Set the "registrar" parameter

...
modparam("msilo", "registrar", "sip:registrar@example.org")
...

1.3.4. reminder (string)

The SIP address used to send reminder messages. If this value is not set, the reminder feature is disabled.

Default value is "NULL".

Example 1-4. Set the "reminder" parameter

...
modparam("msilo", "reminder", "sip:registrar@example.org")
...

1.3.5. expire_time (int)

Expire time of stored messages - seconds. When this time passed, the message is silently discarded from database.

Default value is "259200 (72 hours = 3 days)".

Example 1-5. Set the "expire_time" parameter

...
modparam("msilo", "expire_time", 36000)
...

1.3.6. check_time (int)

Timer interval to check if dumped messages are sent OK - seconds. The module keeps each request send by itself for a new online user and if the reply is 2xx then the message is deleted from database.

Default value is "30".

Example 1-6. Set the "check_time" parameter

...
modparam("msilo", "check_time", 10)
...

1.3.7. send_time (int)

Timer interval in seconds to check if there are reminder messages. The module takes all reminder messages that must be sent at that moment or before that moment.

If the value is 0, the reminder feature is disabled.

Default value is "0".

Example 1-7. Set the "send_time" parameter

...
modparam("msilo", "send_time", 60)
...

1.3.8. clean_period (int)

Number of "check_time" cycles when to check if there are expired messages in database.

Default value is "5".

Example 1-8. Set the "clean_period" parameter

...
modparam("msilo", "clean_period", "3")
...

1.3.9. use_contact (int)

Turns on/off the usage of the Contact address to send notification back to sender whose message is stored by MSILO.

Default value is "1 (0 = off, 1 = on)".

Example 1-9. Set the "use_contact" parameter

...
modparam("msilo", "use_contact", 0)
...

1.3.10. userid_avp (int)

The integer ID of an AVP which may contain the SIP URI of the user to whom the message was sent. It is better to store it in an AVP in the case of speed dial or aliases usage, so you do not need second processing of R-URI in failure route. The AVP is used ony by m_store().

If the parameter is not set to a value different than 0, the module does not look for this AVP. If the value is set to a number different than 0, then the module expects in the AVP with that ID a SIP URI.

Default value is "0".

Example 1-10. Set the "userid_avp" parameter

...
modparam("msilo", "userid_avp", 34)
...

1.3.11. snd_time_avp (int)

The integer ID of an AVP which may contain the time when to sent the received message as reminder.The AVP is used ony by m_store().

If the parameter is not set to a value different than 0, the module does not look for this AVP. If the value is set to a number different than 0, then the module expects in the AVP with that ID to be a time in format YYYYMMDDHHMMSS (e.g., 20060101201500).

Default value is "0".

Example 1-11. Set the "snd_time_avp" parameter

...
modparam("msilo", "snd_time_avp", 35)
...

1.4. Exported Functions

1.4.1. m_store(mode)

The method stores certain parts of the current SIP request (it should be called when the request type is MESSAGE and the destination user is offline or his UA does not support MESSAGE requests). If the user is registered with a UA which does not support MESSAGE requests you should not use mode="0" if you have changed the request uri with the contact address of user's UA.

Meaning of the parameters is as follows:

  • mode - specifies what to save as R-URI.

    • "0" - first check if new_uri is an address of record. If yes, then use it and store it as R-URI, otherwise look at R-URI and, if necessary, at URI from "To" header.

    • "1" - look first at R-URI and then at URI from "To" header.

    • "2" - look only at URI form "To" header.

This function can be used from REQUEST_ROUTE, FAILURE_ROUTE.


1.4.2. m_dump()

The method sends stored messages for the SIP user that is going to register to his actual contact address. The method should be called when a REGISTER request is received and the "Expire" header has a value greater than zero.

This function can be used from REQUEST_ROUTE.


1.5. Installation & Running

1.5.1. Database setup

Before running OpenSER with msilo, you have to setup the database table where the module will store the message. For that, if the table was not created by the installation script or you choose to install everything by yourself you can use the following SQL script (good for MySQL) as template. Database and table name can be set with module parameters so they can be changed, but the name of the columns must be as they are in the next SQL script.

Example 1-12. msilo sql script

...

-- SQL script for MSILO module

DROP DATABASE IF EXISTS msilo;

-- create a database for storage
CREATE DATABASE msilo;

USE msilo;

-- create the table
CREATE TABLE silo(
      -- unique ID per message
    mid INTEGER NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY,
      -- src address - From URI
    src_addr VARCHAR(255) NOT NULL DEFAULT "",
      -- dst address - To URI
    dst_addr VARCHAR(255) NOT NULL DEFAULT "",
      -- r-uri == username@domain (for compatibility with old version)
    r_uri VARCHAR(255) NOT NULL DEFAULT "",
      -- username
    username VARCHAR(64) NOT NULL DEFAULT "",
      -- domain
    domain VARCHAR(128) NOT NULL DEFAULT "",
      -- incoming time
    inc_time INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,
      -- expiration time
    exp_time INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,
      -- reminder send time
    snd_time INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,
      -- content type
    ctype VARCHAR(32) NOT NULL DEFAULT "text/plain",
      -- body of the message
    body BLOB NOT NULL DEFAULT ""
);


...

1.5.2. OpenSER config file

Next picture displays a sample usage of msilo.

Example 1-13. OpenSER config script - sample msilo usage

...
# $Id: msilo.cfg 2 2005-06-13 16:47:24Z bogdan_iancu $
#
# MSILO usage example
#
#


debug=9           # debug level (cmd line: -dddddddddd)
fork=no           # don't fork
log_stderror=yes  # log to stderr (cmd line: -E)


children=2        # number of children
check_via=no      # (cmd. line: -v)
dns=off           # (cmd. line: -r)
rev_dns=off       # (cmd. line: -R)
port=5060

listen=10.0.0.2   # listen address

# ------------------ module loading ----------------------------------

loadmodule "modules/print/print.so"
loadmodule "modules/textops/textops.so"

loadmodule "modules/sl/sl.so"
loadmodule "modules/mysql/mysql.so"
loadmodule "modules/maxfwd/maxfwd.so"
loadmodule "modules/msilo/msilo.so"
loadmodule "modules/tm/tm.so"
loadmodule "modules/registrar/registrar.so"
loadmodule "modules/usrloc/usrloc.so"

# ----------------- setting module-specific parameters ---------------

# -- registrar params --

modparam("registrar", "default_expires", 120)

# -- registrar params --

modparam("usrloc", "db_mode", 0)

# -- msilo params --

modparam("msilo","db_url","mysql://user:xxx@127.0.0.1/msilo")
modparam("msilo","registrar","sip:registrar@mydomain.com")

# -- tm params --

modparam("tm", "fr_timer", 10 )
modparam("tm", "fr_inv_timer", 15 )
modparam("tm", "wt_timer", 10 )


route{
    if ( !mf_process_maxfwd_header("10") )
    {
        sl_send_reply("483","To Many Hops");
        drop();
    };


    if (uri==myself) {
    {
        # for testing purposes, simply okay all REGISTERs
        if (method=="REGISTER")
        {
            save("location");
            log("REGISTER received -> dumping messages with MSILO\n");

            # MSILO - dumping user's offline messages
            if (m_dump())
            {
                log("MSILO: offline messages dumped - if they were\n");
            }else{
                log("MSILO: no offline messages dumped\n");
            };
            break;
        };

        # domestic SIP destinations are handled using our USRLOC DB
        
        if(!lookup("location")) 
        {
            if (! t_newtran())
               {
                sl_reply_error();
                break;
               };
            # we do not care about anything else but MESSAGEs
            if (!method=="MESSAGE")
            {
                if (!t_reply("404", "Not found")) 
                {
                    sl_reply_error();
                };
                break;
            };
            log("MESSAGE received -> storing using MSILO\n");
            # MSILO - storing as offline message
            if (m_store("0"))
            {
                log("MSILO: offline message stored\n");
                if (!t_reply("202", "Accepted")) 
                {
                    sl_reply_error();
                };
            }else{
                log("MSILO: offline message NOT stored\n");
                if (!t_reply("503", "Service Unavailable")) 
                {
                    sl_reply_error();
                };
            };
            break;
        };
        # if the downstream UA does not support MESSAGE requests
        # go to failure_route[1]
        t_on_failure("1");
        t_relay();
        break;
    };

    # forward anything else
    t_relay();
}

failure_route[1] {
    # forwarding failed -- check if the request was a MESSAGE 
    if (!method=="MESSAGE")
    {
        break;
    };
    
    log(1,"MSILO:the downstream UA doesn't support MESSAGEs\n");
    # we have changed the R-URI with the contact address, ignore it now
    if (m_store("1"))
    {
        log("MSILO: offline message stored\n");
        t_reply("202", "Accepted"); 
    }else{
        log("MSILO: offline message NOT stored\n");
        t_reply("503", "Service Unavailable");
    };
}



...
		

Chapter 2. Developer's Guide

The module does not provide any API to use in other OpenSER modules.


Chapter 3. Frequently Asked Questions

3.1. Where can I find more about OpenSER?
3.2. Where can I post a question about this module?
3.3. How can I report a bug?

3.1. Where can I find more about OpenSER?

Take a look at http://openser.org/.

3.2. Where can I post a question about this module?

First at all check if your question was already answered on one of our mailing lists:

E-mails regarding any stable OpenSER release should be sent to and e-mails regarding development versions should be sent to .

If you want to keep the mail private, send it to .

3.3. How can I report a bug?

Please follow the guidelines provided at: http://sourceforge.net/tracker/?group_id=139143.