Softswitch will gradually become a key technology (1)
With the rapid development of science and technology in recent years, in order to meet the increasing needs of people and provide users with flexible, diverse businesses and personalized services, Softswitch technology is the key technology to achieve this function. As a product of the development of network technology, Softswitch technology can meet people's needs, so it is widely used in practice.
1. Definition of Softswitch
Softswitch is also called the call AGENT, call server, or media gateway control system. The so-called Softswitch is different from the traditional circuit switching. It is mainly used to separate the business/control and transmission/access to perform their respective functions and exchange information through standard protocols, thus, the most basic feature and important contribution of the business that can be provided to users more conveniently is to separate the call control function from the media gateway, implement basic call control functions through software on the server or network element, including call routing, management control, Connection Control, and signaling intercommunication (such as from n o. 7 to I P signaling. It provides call control, resource allocation, protocol processing, routing, authentication, billing, and other functions. It also provides users with all the services available for existing circuit switches, it also provides third-party programmable capabilities.
2. Main Features of Softswitch Technology
1. Openness. Softswitch uses open standard interfaces to easily communicate with network nodes of different gateway switches, and has good compatibility, interoperability and interconnectivity. For example, the Softswitch technology can access an open data management system interface, and then realize the so-called open performance by leveraging intelligent services;
Second, Softswitch technology supports various network call processing systems, such as PSTN, ATM, and IP protocol;
Third: The Softswitch technology is highly flexible and can implement multiple functions. The softswitch network can be set up by region or jurisdiction, and can also be set up by business. At the same time, it can organize private networks across regions according to user requirements. The network is flexible. The softswitch network can not only flexibly configure Softswitch devices according to business conditions, but also configure different gateways according to business development and market needs, with good scalability. For example, you can use Softswitch to accompany a repeater to implement the function of a long-distance switch, or connect Softswitch to a gateway to implement a virtual voice dedicated network. It can be seen that software exchange technology has a wide range of application capabilities;
Fourth: the Softswitch technology can operate on a variety of different operating systems conveniently and reliably, safely and efficiently;
Fifth, the Softswitch technology can provide more API interfaces for third-party business developers, facilitate wider business expansion, and provide personalized services for different users;
Sixth: Softswitch technology is applicable to multiple users. Simulate users, digital users, and mobile users, users of a d s l, I s d n, I p narrowband network, I P broadband network, and even users of satellite receivers can use the services provided by Softswitch;
7. Softswitch technology records programmable events and call events in detail, so as to realize the features of a programmable back-office;
Eighth: The technical cost of Softswitch is low. Because of the open platform, Softswitch is easy to receive innovative applications, and uses common computer devices, the price/performance ratio of softswitch increases by 80% every year, much higher than that of Circuit traffic (2O % every year ).
3. Design Principles of Softswitch Technology
Because the Softswitch technology is not limited by a specific operating system, it is designed to create a distributed software system based on which has good performance, it includes scalability performance, interface standard performance, and business openness. However, it must comply with the following requirements during design:
● The system should be different from the protocol and device call, and be more independent;
● In the softswitch network, it can avoid adverse effects caused by incorrect or malicious applications and ensure secure execution with multiple third-party systems;
● Support synchronous communication and operation of multiple systems;
● The system should support the exchange technology of software bundling during running time, And the exchange technology for improving the structure of synchronization communication networks;
● The Softswitch technology should be able to support the recovery of all underlying faults during operation and provide Scalable Performance for networks of various sizes;
● Third-party hardware vendors must be able to support newly added protocols or devices during the application process;
● The system should provide the full system policy capabilities for the applications and services provided by others, it also provides performance and behavior to ensure that these applications and services are not at any risk during use.
4. Functions of Softswitch
First, the Media Gateway access function. It can be considered as an adaptation function, mainly to connect various media gateways, such as PsTN/IsDN IP relay media gateway, wireless media gateway, and data media gateway, and then complete the protocol function. It can also connect H.323 terminal and SIP client terminal to provide related services.
Second, call control and processing functions. The call control and processing function is one of the important functions of SoftSwitch. It can provide control functions for the establishment, persistence, and release of basic services and multimedia service calls, including call processing, Connection Control, smart call trigger detection, and resource control. Supports basic call control functions of both parties and multiple call control functions.
Third, services provide functions. In the evolution from circuit switching to group switching, Softswitch plays an important role in it. It supports all services provided by the PSTN/ISDN switch, including basic services and supplementary services. In addition, the Softswitch technology can be matched with the intelligent network to promote and promote existing intelligent network services.
4. interconnection functions. Collaboration, interconnection, and smooth evolution with existing networks are required. Communication with p s I N can be achieved through the signaling gateway; communication with the wireless local call network can be achieved through the signaling gateway; both of them can implement call establishment, release, supplementary service, capability exchange, and other functions, and can communicate with the p s t n smart network through the signaling gateway; intercommunication between different carriers is achieved through internet_interface Softswitch devices.