Now that we have an Asterisk server installed and running, we should consider the maintenance and security of the server. There are a number of aspects involved here and we will cover each in turn. As the Asterisk server is going to be the central hub of our phone system, the importance of securing and maintaining it is obvious, as without it we lose our primary means of communication.
This chapter also looks at scalability issues, which are important to keep Asterisk running at high loads. Finally, the last section takes a look at how to get support from the community, and how to stay abreast of Asterisk developments. Keeping up with what's going on in the Asterisk world can be a very useful way to stay prepared for potential problems before they happen, as well as providing a helping hand should things go wrong.