Openfire + Spark + VoIP + Ads + SMS + Social Networking

Openfire Openfire Support
1

Hi all,

At first it is very interesting to learn about Openfire and Spark. I have the following situation and would need advise, help, support…

Background:

I have a fast growing Social Networking website currently offering Communities, SMS, Social searching, Ads, Groups, Shopping service. I now intend to offer the following to the customers:

a) Ability to chat with other buddies

b) Ability to have voice communication (not voice chat where it is one way…) with buddies

c) File transfer, desktop sharing (if possible), offline messages, other standard chat functions

d) Group Chat (multiple party chat conference)

e) Ability to dial-out PSTN numbers via either my existing SIP platform (Carrier class SIP server with billing) or new Asterisk server implementation.

f) Ability to be able to provide one to one Video conversation (can be my ver 2.0)

g) Ability to be able to search for friends from the client and add them

h) Ability to be able to register from the client itself with minimum information… (the same will be populated to the user database on Social networking DB)

With these features I should be able to:

i) Customise the client to be able to stream ads at the bottom and top if needed

ii) Add some additional functionality such as alerts from the social profile page and communities

iii) Integrate other applications like SMS sender (java code…)

iv) I should be able to expand the server base to support the growth that may scale substantially later…

If my understanding goes as how I have researched on this website:

  1. I need to install Openfire server

  2. I can use Smack Libraries to build my own client

  3. Depending on my ability I can add some functionality if i have skill set

  4. I can build client for multiple OS like Win, Mac, Linux currently

  5. I may need to install Asterisk Server and integrate with Openfire

  6. I would need to bother about the user database that has to be common in between the Social networking (Joomla + CB component) and Openfire…

  7. I am not sure if I need to setup STUN / TURN servers for communication from Clients behind NAT either on one side or two sides.

Now here are my concerns / questions:

  1. How many concurrent users one Openfire installation on a Xeon based blade server can handle (using linux…) ?

  2. Can I have openfire talk to the user database of Joomla+CB for authentication or may be I will mirror them to Openfire if needed?

  3. Are there any limitations on the usage I proposed above and the modifications I intend to do in the client side…?

  4. Can i run the setup without Asterisk and use my existing SIP Platform (SER) ?

  5. Do I need to buy any commercial versions of openfire or spark for achieving any of the above ?

  6. I am worried if the voice call will be succesful in between two users; one behind one nat and the other behind another over internet… any comments ?

  7. What codec the client generally uses… are there any choices with respect to protocol and codec for voice communication…

  8. Can I be able to provide Voice mail services to the users (kind of offline voice message…) if I use Asterisk ?

  9. Any other information or concerns I need to keep in mind while planning and executing the whole thing…

  10. Are there any known limitations I need to know before attempting the project…

I thank you again for your comments and feedback.

Greetings,

Kusumba S

2

Hi Kusumba,

like every one else you may search the forum for answers or read the web page … and try to post one question within a thread in the right forum. This makes it more easy to reply unless you need only a vague feedback. Anyhow I try to answer some questions.

  1. How many concurrent users one Openfire installation on a Xeon based blade server can handle (using linux…) ?

See http://www.igniterealtime.org/about/OpenfireScalability.pdf and a recent discussion in the Openfire Dev Forum.

  1. Can I have openfire talk to the user database of Joomla+CB for authentication or may be I will mirror them to Openfire if needed?

Yes, Openfire supports external databases for authentication, see docs and http://www.igniterealtime.org/community/thread/30321 as there may be some problems.

  1. Do I need to buy any commercial versions of openfire or spark for achieving any of the above ?

Maybe, especially if you want to change the license. Redistribution of Spark may (or may not as I’m no lawyer) be impossible because of the used icons.

  1. Any other information or concerns I need to keep in mind while planning and executing the whole thing…

Do you need high availability and thus a cluster option?

Instead of spark one could use an AJAX or Flash based chat client.

  1. Are there any known limitations I need to know before attempting the project…

The Java Media Framework used within Spark is quite old. I wonder if you better use Flash, see the Red5 plugin for Openfire.

LG

3

Hi,

Just to inform you that I have done my bit of researching on the questions I posted. As a matter of fact, I have been doing this for last ten days now. Unfortunately, there are several conflicting answers I found not leading to a conclusion.

That demanded me to post a detailed message as above. I will wait for some more answers by those great gunners having rich experience on my questions.

The question if I can work with OF sales team for a revised pricing or not (…assuming I am talking about atleast 200K concurrent users at the end of first year of operation) may not really be encouraging for a simple reason that the amount payable @ $ 15 for “registered” user “per year” is something that bleeds the whole business case unless OF offers the same cost as only one time payable.

If I can manage to grow to an extent of 50000 to 70000 concurrent users on open source (with possibility of achieving what I mentioned above) initially and then probably that would give a case to discuss for investments on the same. Hence, if you have noticed, my questions are more to drive a situation where I start with opensource initially, scale up, and then look for commercial options (subject to one time payment and not every year…)!

Having said that, I will wait for some more commrades to respond here for my questions and clarify the situation to use Open Source initially and then move to Commercial version when I grow beyond 50000 concurrent users…

Greetings,

Kusumba S

4

Re: Openfire + Spark + voip + Ads + SMS + VOIP PBX + Social Networking

The Java Media Framework used within Spark is quite old. I wonder if you better use Flash, see the Red5 plugin for Openfire.

This is an old thread so I wonder if there is something new you would recommend?

5

AlanHanson wrote:

Re: Openfire + Spark + voip + Ads + SMS + VOIP PBX + Social Networking

The Java Media Framework used within Spark is quite old. I wonder if you better use Flash, see the Red5 plugin for Openfire.

This is an old thread so I wonder if there is something new you would recommend?

I am wondering that too, is there another thread you can point my way? I am looking for

Inexpensive Business VoIP Phone Service
service .

6

I heard that VoIP Service are cheaper domestically and internationally for CTI . I need to buy a Voip Phone to make some Residential VoIP Calls online. I have a small company and was wondering if I need anything else. Can anyone tell me if I need a router or canI use computer phone or something like that?

Thanks.

7

It depends on what your usage scenario is. If all you want is for 1 phone to make calls outbound, then, yes, magic jack could work (i’ve heard a few complaints of call quality, but your mileage will vary). If you want your whole office to make calls outbound, setting up asterisk is typically a better option, as it gives you quite a few features (IVR, voicemail, queues, conferences, just to name a few).

8

Do you know what the best rated VoIP Provider is? I am looking for the cheapest voip service possible. I heard that Vonage was the best but I also hear that 8x8 was good?

Also what do I need as far as Business VoIP goes? do I have to buy equipment or do they supply that with the monthly cost?

9

I am an expert on VoIP so feel free to ask me any questions you have and I will try my best. I added the links so you can do your own research. Jive is great. Here are some reviews, but they are awesome. Jive Communications Reviews , Vonage, or 8x8 is the best for Voip Phone Service

If you are looking for Residential Voip which is sometimes called Home VoIP you will be better off looking for a cheap voip provider. or mobile phones that offer voip.

Again feel free to PM me any questions.

10

Hello @Kusumba S,

I have a drupal site and I am trying to integrate Spark into it. I pretty much intend to have the same features that you wrote in your post including the features of customising the client to be able to stream ads and integrate other applications like SMS sender. It would be very very helpful to me if you could tell me the following:

  1. whether the streaming and SMS features could be implemented.

2.If yes how did you manage to do them?

thanks in advance for your efforts and help. It is greatly appreciated.