The file is located in the /etc/asterisk/ directory.

The most common usage of the agents.conf file is with the queues. Usually it is used together with the queues.conf file.

In the agents.conf file you create the so called agents. This are users, which you could use to answer the incoming phone calls in your queues.

The agents could be separated into different groups called context. In this way you have a bigger flexability in the management of your queues, because you could choose which agent, with which queue to work.

Below, we will explain you in details each opition from the file and what for this option is used.

There are two types of contexts. The first one is the [general] context. The other one is the [agents] context. The context names cannot be changed. You define the start of a context by typing the following: [general]. Do not forget the brackets. The one context ends when the other starts.



Now, lets take a look at the options in the [general] context.

1) The general context

The following option is available:


2) The agents context

autologoff - with this option you set for how long the phone has to ring with no answer, before the agent to be logged off. You have to set the maximum period of time in seconds. By default this option is set to 15 seconds.

ackall - if this option is set to yes and the agent is loging in with the AgentCallbackLogin application, then an acknowledgement, by pressing the pound key(#), will be required. By default this option is set to no.

wrapuptime - this option refers to the time after the conversation is over. With this option you set the minimum period of time, which has to expire, before a new call to be received. The time is in milliseconds. By default it is set to 5000.

musiconhold - with this option you can define the default music on hold class for the agents. By default the class is default. The music on hold classes could be defined in the musiconhold.conf file. You define the class there and here in agents.conf you have just to call the name of the class.

updatecdr - with this option you say whether, you want to change the source channel, for the call, in the CDR record or not. So in this way we could know which agent generates the call. By default this option is set to no.

group - this option allows you to group your agents into separate groups for easy management. By default no group is set. The way f creating a group is the following: group=groupnumber. Example: group=1.

To assing an agent to a group you have just to add it after the key phrase group=groupnumber.



The options below are dedicated to the recording of the agent`s calls. Each option is actually a global variable for the chan_agent channel driver.

recordagencalls - this option allows the recording of the agent call. By default the option is set to no, which means that it is turned off

recordformat - this is for the format of the audio file. The file in which the agent call will be stored. The supported formats are: .wav, .gsm and .wav49. By default it is set to .wav

createlink - thanks to this option you could allow the insert of the name of the created recording into the CDR userfield. By default this option is set to no, which means that the option is disallowed.

urlprefix - this option will add a text to the name of the recording. It allows to be an URL. For example: urlprefix=http://localhost/calls/

savecallsin - thanks to this option you can change the directory, where you would like the redorded files to be stored. Otherwise the default one will be used. The default directory is /var/spool/asterisk/monitor

custom_beep - with this option you can set a custom beep sound, which to be played to the always-connected agents.

Now, lets see, actually how you have to create the agent. In other words the form for creating an agent.

The following is the form: agent => agentnumber,agentpassword,name

[general]

persistentagents=yes

[agents]

autologoff=15
ackcall=no
wrapuptime=5000
musiconhold => default
recordagentcalls=yes
recordformat=gsm

group=1
agent => 101,101,user1
agent => 102,102,user2
agent => 103,103,user3
agent => 104,104,user4
agent => 105,105,user5

group=2
agent => 8889,8889,operator
agent => 8888,8888,ivan

group=3
agent => 8887,8887,operator3

For more information look at queues.conf and the dialplan application concerning the queues:

Queue
AddQueueMember
RemoveQueueMember
AgentLogin
AgentMonitorOutgoing
PauseQueueMember
UnpauseQueueMember