Softswitch Evolution in NGN

Jonathan Cumming

Softswitch Evolution in NGN

About Data Connection (DCL)

Background
Traditional softswitch
IMS

IMS from softswitch perspective

Summary of softswitch evolution

Copyright 2006 Data Connection Limited All Rights Reserved.

Data Connection (DCL)

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Stable and Independent

50

Private and consistently profitable

Effectively employee-owned

Revenue

40

Earnings

$M 30

World Class Team

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~20 recruits from ~3000 applications

Attrition rate <3%

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Revenue and Earnings

Worldwide leader in Networking Protocols

SIP, H.248 (Megaco), MGCP, SBC, IP Routing, MPLS, ATM

Tellme.

Messaging and
Conferencing Solutions

IMS Application Servers

Unified Messaging Applications

Class 5 softswitch
Copyright 2006 Data Connection Limited All Rights Reserved.

Traditional softswitch role

Supports legacy
devices / services

TDM Switch
replacement
GR-303

POTS

SIP

DLC

IP phone

Broadband
Access

IAD

VoIP

DSL, Cable,
FTTx, Wireless

Class 5
Switch
Softswitch

Migration from TDM

to lower cost IP

Flexible platform for new application to increase ARPU

Copyright 2006 Data Connection Limited All Rights Reserved.

IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) Overview

Evolution of NGN
standards
Pure IP vision with
gateways at edge
Initially developed by 3GPP
for packet-based 3G Mobile
Close IETF partnership
Other groups adopting,
enhancing and driving
interoperability testing
Fragmentation risk

IMS Tech
Specs

Global MSF
Interop (GMI)

Focus Group on
Next Generation
Networks

RFCs

Will be the dominant

framework for the delivery
of wireline and wireless
carrier-hosted services

Packet Technologies
and Systems Committee

Industry momentum
Copyright 2006 Data Connection Limited All Rights Reserved.

The IMS Promise

Widely accepted
model from late-90s
softswitch architectures (e.g. IPCC)

Separation of call
IMSand
control
media/signaling
via
Promises
H.248 / SIGTRAN

Network efficiency
move TDM to edge
Leverage
commoditization
with best-of-breed
approach

Important extension
of concepts in other
recent architectures
(e.g. MSF R2)

Significant innovation
building on HLR
concept

Major innovation,
truly new to IMS

Separation of
features
IMS
(application servers)
Promises
from
call control via
SIP and SCIM

Separation of
subscriber
IMS
database (HSS)
Promises
from service logic
via Diameter

Common service
IMS
logic for
all access
mechanisms,
with
Promises
subscriber portability

Rapid service
development

True fixed/mobile
service convergence

Unified subscriber
management
reduces opex

Single service
delivery platform for
hybrid networks

Rapid service
development
Open up to thirdparty developers

Copyright 2006 Data Connection Limited All Rights Reserved.

IMS: Open Service Development Architecture

HSS

Separation of features
from call (session)
control

SIP/XML service
creation interfaces

Diameter
/ XML

Diameter
/ XML

SIP

Call Control Features

Open subscriber
directory (HSS) interface
Common capabilities
shared across multiple
applications

IP

SIP

H.248/
SIGTRAN

Access

Copyright 2006 Data Connection Limited All Rights Reserved.

Signaling/
Trunking

Core softswitch function at the heart of IMS

Media server
functions

Core softswitch
function

PSTN breakout
functions

Access control
functions (SBC)

Access
networks

IMS peering
functions (SBC)
Copyright 2006 Data Connection Limited All Rights Reserved.

Softswitch may be more than an S-CSCF

IMS does not define where function is implemented

IMS does not (yet) even cover

Lawful Intercept
Full range of legacy call services
Legacy access
Session Border Control (e.g. DoS protection, protocol
checking)
Network-wide capacity management

Where should this as yet unstandardised function be?

Gateway / Access equipment

Session Border Controller
Softswitch
Application Server
Copyright 2006 Data Connection Limited All Rights Reserved.

Summary

IMS
decomposes softswitch function, and adds few new concepts
needs further extensions to cover all legacy and fixed-line
requirements

All existing softswitch function will be needed in NGN,

but some is still undefined in IMS, e.g.
Lawful Intercept may migrate to Session Border Controller
Legacy call services may migrate to separate gateways
(i.e. kept out of IMS scope)

Softswitches and IMS are converging as IMS evolves

to meet fixed-line requirements

Copyright 2006 Data Connection Limited All Rights Reserved.

10

Thank you for listening

Jonathan Cumming
jonathan.cumming@dataconnection.com