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softswitched network
Flexibility
enables flexibility in hardware choices as well as the innovation of new services without requiring changes in the switching fabric or structure opens up the opportunities for third-party developers enables a service provider to start small and grow with the demand, as opposed to a large upfront investment in a Class 4 switch
Mainframe versus softswitch c ientserver architecture. !ote the f ui"it# of the softswitch architecture.
Architect
Access: how a subscriber gains access to the network Switching: how a call is controlled across the network Transport: how a call is transported across the network
Access
accessing a Voice over IP (VoIP) network, access can be gained either from an IP source (PC or IP phone) or from a legacy, analog handset via a media gateway.
PC to PC and PC to Phone
saving money on long distance, specifically on international long distance. PCs do not resemble telephones in appearance, feel, or function. This presents a psychological barrier to the user for using a PC as readily as a telephone handset.
Early pioneers of this technology included e-tel and PingTel. The IP handset incorporates all the computer hardware necessary to make an IP phone call possible. Another strong advantage of the IP handset is that it removes anthropological objections to VoIP calls. The IP handset looks and functions like a telephone as opposed to a PC. IP handsets are stand-alone devices and present an IP desktop-to-desktop solution.
The IP handset has its own IP address, which is recognized wherever it is connected on an IP network. In an enterprise setting, a worker can disconnect his or her IP phone and move to another cubicle, building, or state, and the phone will function with no reprogramming necessary.
IP Phones :: application
SIP and Java programs also enable a whole new generation of applications that are impossible with circuit-switched telephony architectures. These applications can generally be divided into three categories:
Personal productivity applications occupation-specific and industry-specific applications web-telephony integration (WTI) applications.
IP Phones :: disadvantages
A disadvantage to the IP phone is that, at the time of this writing, the IP phones on the market are very expensive relative to a conventional handset. IP phones from Cisco, Nortel, or PingTel cost at least $500, as opposed to a conventional PBX-connected handset at about $150 per handset. That high cost makes this technology unattractive to the residential market. However, an IP handset that was competitive in price to feature-rich analog or digital handsets would probably be very popular and would further the growth of IP telephony. Price competition will drive the price of IP phones to below $100 by late 2003.
The gateway provides a connection between an endpoint on a data network and the PSTN or switched-circuit network. The gateway translates between transmission formats and the communication procedures that are used on each side. Gateways can be provided as stand-alone devices or be integrated into other systems. In this form of access, an existing telephone handset interfaces a gateway either via a direct connection, a PBX, or a Class 5 switch. The gateway packetizes the voice and routes it over the IP network.
design of a gateway
an interface for the TDM side of the network (described in terms of DS0s or T1s) an interface for the packet side of the network (usually an Ethernet connection) and the necessary signal processing between these two sides.
Gateway :: scalability
The density (the number of DS0s or ports in one chassis) determines its classification. Depending on its density, a media gateway falls into one of the three following classifications:
Enterprise gateways
Carrier-Grade Gateways
These gateways needed to be densely populated (have enough DS0s or ports) enough to interface with Class 4 and Class 5 switches (up to 100,000 DS0s in one node with an OC-3 trunk-side interface). These switches also had to offer the reliability to interface with a circuit switch that boasted five 9s of reliability. Another requirement was that the switches be certified as being NEBS 3 compliant, a requirement for any platform to be installed in a central office. Network Equipment Building Standards (NEBS) addresses the physical reliability of a switch.