[SR-Users] Kamailio sending HTTP request to another app

[Alex Balashov]

Hi Victor,

Pretty much all HTTP calls, no matter how you architect them, block 
Kamailio SIP worker threads.  There is a low practical limit to the 
number of of SIP worker threads you can have, so this can lead to SIP 
messages being dropped and sluggish response time very quickly.

The exec_avp() function has this liability, as does the http_query()[1] 
function in the 'utils' module, although the http_query() function does 
have a timeout parameter[2] that works, so if a short timeout satisfies 
you, this is a superior alternative to exec_avp().

However, to architect this in a truly asynchronous way, you're either 
going to have to query the thing you want via SIP (i.e. to a SIP 
redirect server) itself, or use some of the newer asynchronous/deferred 
processing features that are already in place[3], or being pushed into 
the 4.1 branch nowadays.  Both options certainly incur greater 
complexity than using http_query(), so if the fact that it has a working 
timeout setting satisfies you, just use that.

-- Alex

[1] http://kamailio.org/docs/modules/4.0.x/modules/utils.html#idm1336

[2] http://kamailio.org/docs/modules/4.0.x/modules/utils.html#idp2631720

[3] http://kamailio.org/docs/modules/devel/modules/async.html

http://kamailio.org/docs/modules/4.1.x/modules/tmx.html#idp15326008

On 11/18/2013 09:39 AM, Victor Torre Antunez wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> I´m using EXEC Module to execute a HTTP request via curl, to comunicate
> with another app like this:
>
>      exec_avp("curl --connect-timeout 1 --max-time 2
> http://IP_ADDR:PORT/PATH/'$fU'/'$tU'/'$hdr(Call-ID)'", "$avp(s:output)");
>
> Sometimes Kamailio blocks when HTTP server does not response in time,
> despite the max-time parameter.
>
> I found this know issue on EXEC module docs:
>      "There is currently no guarantee that scripts ever return and stop
> blocking SIP server. (There is kill.c but it is not used along with the
> current mechanisms based on popen. Besides that kill.c is ugly)."
>
> Does anyone know a better way to communicate Kamailio with a HTTP server
> without blocks? I will try a python script to send the HTTP request and
> call it with APP_PYTHON module. Has anyone had blocks with APP_PYTHON
> module?
>
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
> --
> *Victor*
>
>
>
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-- 
Alex Balashov - Principal
Evariste Systems LLC
235 E Ponce de Leon Ave
Suite 106
Decatur, GA 30030
United States
Tel: +1-678-954-0670
Web: http://www.evaristesys.com/, http://www.alexbalashov.com/