Course 108: Softswitch Planning, Design and Implementation

Softswitch are software products that can replace very expensive hardware in VoIP systems. Having completed this course the participants will be able to understand carrier-grade softswitch concepts and how softswitch is implemented, deployed and managed in today's networks. This comprehensive course which explores softswitch applications, protocols and platforms, gives the attendees an inside look at the software.

Aimed at network planners and system integrators at carriers and service providers, softswitch vendors, and at developers of high-value services, this course aims to demystify the rationale behind softswitching and clearly explains what makes it tick, what are the drawbacks, where's the hype, and whose claims can we believe? It sets out to help attendees understand how softswitch will affect their systems, services and vendors, and it explores how to get hardware-style quality, salability and signaling from a softswitch. The course is about the definition, need and scope of the softswitch from both a technical and service perspective.

If you want to know more about softswitch and its role in the next generation voice, broadband, and wireless networks, you should attend this excellent course on softswitch technology as the enabling platform for next-generation packet communications.

The course does an outstanding job of showing how softswitch technology and applications enable global service providers and carriers to optimize their networks and generate new revenue streams with new services and applications. In other words, the course explores how softswitch technology disrupts incumbent service providers and their vendors. The course helps to identify some of the success and technological challenges of the industry based on the softswitch.

After completing this course, students will be able to:

• Explain the basics of VoIP
• Understand the engineering tools and procedures required for a voice network
• Understand existing and emerging standards for VoIP
• Explain the concepts of carrier-grade VoIP
• Explore Softswitch Technologies
• Understand Regulatory Compliance
• Explain Softswitch Network Features
• Review Subscriber Features Supported by Softswitch
• Discuss Softswitch Interworking
• Review Softswitch Operations, Maintenance, and Troubleshooting (OAM&P)
• Explain performance and voice quality considerations
• Explore project planning process of Softswitch
• Review successful VoIP deployments for wireline, wireless, and cable operators
• Discuss successful and unsuccessful Softswitch deployments (VoIP, ATM and PSTN)
• Step through a practical process for managing a Softswitch deployment project
• Explore the current and future market trends

Background Information

• A Snapshot of the Today's Telecom Infrastructure
• Class 4 and 5 Switches
• Telecommunications Industry's Future
• The Economic Issues of Voice and Data Services
• The Functions Of The PSTN Voice Switch
• Building a Next Generation Network with a Softswitch
• Will PSTN be Replaced by an all-IP network?
• Deploying a Next Generation Network Architecture
• Voice and Data Services
• Building a Foundation for Tomorrow's Network-based, Multi-Media Applications
• Cost Savings
• Enhanced Revenues
• Operational Savings (OAM&P)

Introduction to VOIP

• VoIP Overview
• IP Telephony Network Architectures
• Call Signaling
• Gateway Control
• Media Transport
• Video and Media Encoding
• Media Gateway (MG)
• Media Gateway Controller (MGC)
• Signaling Gateway (SG)
• VoIP Related Protocols
• The Signaling Challenge in IP
• ITU H.323
• RAS SIgnaling
• Session Initiation Protocol (SIP)
• Media Gateway Control and The Softswitch Architecture
• MGCP
• Megaco
• VoIP and SS7
• SS7 Network Architecture
• The SS7 Trunking Gateway
• IETF Sigtran
• Simple Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP)
• MTP3 User Adaptation Layer (M3UA)
• MTP2 User Adaptation Layer (M2UA)
• Quality of Service (QoS)
• DiffServ
• The Resource Reservation Protocol (RSVP)
• Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS)

CARRIER-GRADE VoIP ARCHITECTURE

• The Birth Of VoIP
• Differences In Voice Communication Between Switched and Packet
• Quality Of Transmission
• MG, MGC and SG
• H.323, SIP, MGCP and Mecago/H.248
• Definition of a Gateway
• Differences Between Gateway and Gatekeeper
• Size of PSTN and Gateway Hardware
• The Gatekeeper
• Requirements for Media Gateway Control
• Call Processing
• A Third Model Without any Use of the PSTN
• Seperation of Media and Call Control
• VoIP Requirements For 'PSTN-Like' Functionalities

What Is A Softswitch?

• The Emergence Of Voice Over Packet
• Definition of Softswitch
• The Architecture for a VoIP Replacement of the PSTN
• The Economics and Politics of Softswitch and VoIP
• Reliability ("five 9s")
• Scalability
• Quality of Service
• Features and Applicaitons
• Signaling Options
• Does softswitch technologies might meet or exceed the performance parameters of the PSTN infrastructure?
• The Reaction Of Legacy Switch Vendors
• A New Slant On Call Centers
• Real Time Technical Problems With IP Services
• FCC Rulings
• IPCC Reference Architecture

Introduction To Softswitch Technologies

• The Softswitch and The PSTN Market
• The Economic Virtues of Softswitch
• Integration of Softswitch Functionality
• Operating Environment for the MGC
• Why Is Softswitch The Latest Buzz?
• Architecture of Circuit Switched Voice
• Call Routing
• Call Control:  Softswitch vs. Class 5 Switch
• Issues In Reliability
• Virtues of Softswitch Technology
• Softswitch Connectivity
• Platform-Independent Software
• Real-Time Problems With Softswitch
• Real-Time Management In The PSTN
• Real-Time Issues For Softswtich

Softswitch Technical Details

• Introduction
• Communications with the Network
• Overview of Features and Functions
• Supported Signaling Types
• Softswitch Signaling
• CAS Signaling
• SS7 Signaling
• ISDN Signaling
• MGCP Signaling
• MEGACO Stack
• SIP and SIP-T Signaling
• H.323 Signaling
• SIGTRAN Stack
• Reliability and Availability of Components
• Vendor-specified Hardware
• System Sizing Options
• Medium Platform Options
• Requirements for Small Platform Option
• Regulatory Compliance

Softswitch Network Features

• Support for Numbering Plans and Dialing Procedures
• E.164 Dialing Plan Implementation
• Casual Dialing (Dial Around)
• Easily Recognizable Codes
• Emergency Services (911)
• Information Service Calls (900 and 976)
• n11 support (311, 411, 611, 711, 811)
• Operator Services
• Toll Free Services
• Vertical Service Codes
• Support for Network Services
• Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement (CALEA)
• Dialing Parity (IntraLATA Toll Presubscription)
• Local Number Portability (LNP)
• T.38 Fax Relay Interface
• Toll-Free Database Service

Subscriber Features Supported by Softswitch

• Call Forwarding Features
• Calling Identity Features
• Direct Inward/Outward Dialing for PBX
• Analog DID for PBX
• DID for Centrex
• Features for Centrex Subscribers Only
• Outbound Call Restriction Options

The Softswitch Interworking

• The Trunking Gateway
• The Residential Or 'Host' Gateway
• User Connections to the Softswitch
• Billing
• Interoperability Issues
• Authentication, Mapping and Accounting System
• Control and Management

Softswitch Operations, Maintenance, and Troubleshooting (OAM&P)

• Softswitch Functions
• Application Environment
• Operator Interfaces
• Turn-Up, Control and Troubleshooting
• Softswitch Configuration and Provisioning
• Important Provisioning Functions
• Maintenance of External Resources
• Softswitch Fault and Performance Management
• Managing Event Reports and Summaries
• Event Report Levels and Operator Response
• Managing the Event Log
• Managing Alarm Reports and Summaries
• Taking Corrective Action On Events and Alarms
• Billing Events/Alarms and Corrective Action
• Call Processing Events/Alarms and Corrective Action
• OSS Events/Alarms and Corrective Action
• Signaling Events/Alarms and Corrective Action
• Statistics Events/Alarms
• Overview of Security Management
• Billing
• Traffic Measurements Counters
• SNMP Interface
• CORBA & JAIN in Softswitch
• Backing Up Data
• Manual System Recovery
• Restoring Data