Platform Architecture

CallMeter is a three-tier system that separates the management plane (where you configure and analyze) from the execution plane (where SIP calls happen) and your target infrastructure (the system under test).

Architecture Overview

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│              CallMeter Platform              │
│                                              │
│   Dashboard  ←→  API  ←→  Job Orchestrator   │
│                                              │
└──────────────────┬──────────────────────────┘
                   │  Dispatch + Metrics
                   │
        ┌──────────┴──────────┐
        │                     │
   ┌────▼─────┐         ┌────▼─────┐
   │  Cloud   │         │  Self-   │
   │  Worker  │         │  Hosted  │
   │  (managed)│        │  Worker  │
   └────┬─────┘         └────┬─────┘
        │  SIP + RTP          │  SIP + RTP
        │                     │
   ┌────▼─────────────────────▼────┐
   │     Your SIP Infrastructure    │
   │   (PBX, SBC, Carrier, etc.)   │
   └───────────────────────────────┘

Platform (Management Plane)

The platform is where you create tests, configure probes, manage organizations, and analyze results. It handles:

• Test configuration — Groups, codecs, media tracks, scenarios, encryption settings
• Job orchestration — Dispatching test runs to workers, tracking progress, collecting results
• Metrics storage — Time-series data for every endpoint at per-second granularity
• Dashboard — Real-time and historical visualization, quality scoring, trend analysis
• API — Programmatic access for CI/CD integration and automation

Workers (Execution Plane)

Workers are the processes that generate SIP traffic. Each worker runs one or more virtual phone endpoints that register with your SIP infrastructure, place or receive calls, exchange RTP media, and collect quality metrics.

Workers connect outbound only to the CallMeter platform. No inbound ports need to be opened. SIP and RTP traffic flows directly between the worker and your SIP infrastructure — media never passes through the CallMeter platform.

Target (Your Infrastructure)

The system under test — your SIP registrars, PBXes, session border controllers, IVR systems, carriers, or any SIP-speaking endpoint. CallMeter does not modify or require access to your infrastructure. Workers interact with it using standard SIP and RTP protocols.

Data Flow

1. Configure — You define a test in the dashboard (groups, codecs, scenarios, encryption)
2. Dispatch — The platform sends the test configuration to available workers
3. Execute — Workers create virtual phone endpoints that register, call, and exchange media
4. Collect — Each endpoint reports 150+ metrics per second back to the platform
5. Analyze — The dashboard displays real-time results with quality scoring and trend analysis

For a detailed walkthrough of each phase, see Test Execution Lifecycle.

Security Model

• No inbound access required — Workers initiate all connections to the platform
• Media stays local — RTP traffic flows directly between workers and your SIP infrastructure
• Encryption options — SIP over TLS, SRTP via SDES or DTLS (see Media Security)
• Role-based access — Five-level RBAC with per-project scoping (see Roles and Permissions)

Guides