Analysis on the Development of soft switch technology

VswitchThe technology is mainly designed for centralized call control functions. The next generation network will also rely on a series of other existing IP technologies and other application technologies to support voice, data, video, and other services.

Under the H.323 and SIP systems, the role of the soft switch technology is gradually emerging to achieve a network architecture that integrates the three technologies. Obviously, the true meaning of the next generation network requires both the innovation and prosperity of smart endpoint businesses and the scale-up management of its systems. The difficulties discussed in the next-generation network architecture system are how to comprehensively balance multiple technologies.

As far as the current technology is mature and developing, software Switches Based on ITU-H.323 protocol, IETF-SIP protocol and MGCP/H.248 protocol are all the implementation methods of IP phones and next-generation networks. These three technologies have their own differences and expertise and need to complement each other. The best strategy is to adopt a network architecture system and implementation means that integrate the three technologies.

The access and aggregation nodes of the most popular and basic IP phone service in the next generation network rely mainly on the soft switch technology characterized by MGCP/H248 protocol. The integration of multimedia and end-to-end services in the next generation network may depend mainly on ITU-H.323 protocol and IETF-SIP protocol technology.

The next-generation network architecture is determined by the H.323 and SIP network systems. In fact, as many scholars have already pointed out, the soft switch technology can also be seen as the result of smart gateway decomposition under the H.323 and SIP systems. In this way, the network architecture of the three technologies may be more clear.

Large-scale implementation of the IP telephone network with the architecture characteristics of the Next Generation Network System and its scalability, reliability and operability are an important part of the evolution towards the next generation network. Not only does the next-generation network require the commercial practices of the IP telephone network architecture that integrates software switch technology, H.323 technology, and SIP technology.

Many other problems related to the Operation Management of the Next Generation Network also need to be verified through the operation implementation of the IP telephone network. Therefore, domestic telecom operators should first build an IP telephone network with a distributed structure according to business and market needs, and actively carry out IP telephone services to verify the operability and manageability of the Next Generation Network. Practice has proved that the efforts and contributions made by domestic telecom operators in exploring and operating various IP phone technologies over the past few years are the most significant milestones in the evolution towards the next generation network goal.

The term "Softswitch is the core of the Next Generation Network" is to be elaborated and discussed. Currently, another popular term in the next generation network discussion is "Softswitch is the core of the Next Generation Network ". I think it is worth further consideration. To sum up, the soft switch technology is one of the most important and critical speech service aggregation node technologies in the Next Generation Network. There is no doubt that we should pay special attention and attention to it. However, the technical features of vswitches do not provide the only and direct core network technology.

In addition, in terms of concept, "Softswitch is the core of the Next Generation Network" will bring about confusion in some basic propositions and logical confusions. The core technologies of the Next Generation Network should fundamentally include various network technology systems that support voice, data, and video services.

The soft switch itself is only a local device system and does not have the characteristics of a comprehensive network architecture. Although the soft switch technology supports the access of smart endpoints, video endpoints, and multimedia endpoints, it does not mean that all voice, data, and video services must be centrally implemented on the softswitch machine.

In theory, even if there is a possibility of such a device, there is absolutely no need to do so. This system does not have any advantages but has a series of overall architecture defects. The soft switch technology does not directly provide IP data services. The soft switch technology can support video endpoint call services.

However, it is generally not regarded as the core device that focuses on video conferencing business control. The soft switch technology is mainly designed for centralized call control functions. The next generation network will also rely on a series of other existing IP technologies and other application technologies to support voice, data, video, and other services.

In terms of policy, the phrase "Softswitch is the core of next-generation networks" often makes it easy to think that the soft switch technology is equivalent to the next-generation network technology, in this way, the focus of research and practice is only on the scope of a single soft switch technology and its surrounding areas, and the future investment is only on the equipment and systems related to the soft switch technology.

Technically, the term "Softswitch is the core of the Next Generation Network" tends to make everyone expect the next generation network to be on soft switch devices, next Generation Networks are constructed with soft switches as the core, so that the discussion and practices on next-generation networks remain at the conceptual level of basic, local, small-scale, and individual device system technologies for a long time, as a result, the local structure of the soft switch is the overall network architecture of the Next Generation Network.

In practice, it is easy to ignore the practice and discussion of other next-generation network technologies by testing and exploring the Networking Mode of soft switches as the core, this limits that the next generation network can only be a "no-network" mode in which soft switches are connected to each other ". Obviously, the "no-network" next-generation network architecture can only support one or several soft switches, which is not suitable for telecom operators to operate on a large scale. This phenomenon is called the "island phenomenon" of the soft switch technology practice ".

In terms of network structure, "Softswitch is the core of next-generation networks" cannot answer questions such as the need for next-generation networks without core network technologies. If you don't need it, how to avoid the "island" Phenomenon of soft switches, how to solve coordination and interconnection between soft switches, and how to carry out full-network services of the next-generation network, etc. If necessary, what is the core network technology of the Next Generation Network is hard to answer.

As a next-generation network covering the whole country, we should first consider the operational nature of the network. The operational nature includes the scalability and manageability of the network. That is to say, the next-generation network architecture and networking are very important. We believe that the architecture of the next-generation network system should comprehensively consider the network structure of the entire voice service network from both the horizontal and vertical aspects.