Packet Tandem ApplicationsT
[ specifications ]

Unified Network Architecture™
Convergent Networks’ Unified Network Architecture provides a carrier-ready transport platform for packet tandem applications with proven PSTN compatibility, the richest set of transport options, extremely high availability and improved tandem function integration to eliminate adjunct service platforms.This architecture provides faster call transfer, which facilitates revenue-sustaining long-distance services, as well as significant capital and operational cost savings.

The Unified Network Architecture consists of the PacketMatrix Controller™, the ICS2000™ media gateway, the ICSG™ signaling gateway and the Aladdin™ management system.

The PMC holds routing and service intelligence for a network of ICS2000 media gateways, acting as a mediation point between IP applications and AIN applications, and a peering point to other next generation call management and application elements in the network. The ICS2000 media gateway provides flexible voice call interworking between IP, ATM and TDM circuits for both trunking and access applications. The ICSG provides consolidated SS7 signaling support for a network of ICS2000 media gateways and PMCs, while Aladdin provides standards-based element management and billing mediation.

Packet Tandem Voice Services Over ATM and IP Networks
The Unified Network Architecture allows service providers to deliver new enhanced services and applications, while easily adding trunking capacity, provisioning new routes, easing data congestion points and capping investments in costly Class 4 legacy equipment.

In Packet Tandem applications, the ICS2000 provides IP to ATM or TDM interworking, call processing and resource management; while the ICSG provides links to the SS7 signaling network and extends reliable signaling transport over IP to other call processing elements to support functions such as LNP, CNAM and 8XX number lookup. Screening, blocking, number translations and routing functions are provided to other network elements via the PMC.

Capable of supporting multiple applications from the same platform, the Unified Network Architecture allows carriers to deploy a single solution for IP or ATM tandem functions, including:

• Long Distance/Toll Tandem Services - For carriers who want to reduce their capital costs in communicating voice calls over long distance trunks between their voice switches.
• SIP-based Applications - For carriers who want to build upon a SIP-based architecture, the solution supports third-party vendors to deliver a wide variety of new services, such as hosted PBX and messaging.
• Business VPNs - For carriers who want to offer business customers services such as Centrex, need to either add voice to existing IP VPNs or set up initial VPNs with voice and link branch offices with low-cost fixed-rate service.

Packet and TDM Support Maximizes Investment
In tandem applications, IP DiffServ, MPLS labeling and ATM AAL1 constant bit rate service provide the quality or class of service and traffic engineering functionality critical to maintaining high-quality voice traffic over a packet network.

Multi-application interworking between IP, ATM and TDM networks is supported by the ICS2000 media gateway using optional modules, including an IP service unit (ISU), an ATM service unit (ASU) and a TDM service unit (TSU).In addition to DS3 connections, the TSU supports VT1.5 and M13 multiplexing which allows direct OC3 connectivity to optical networks and eliminates the need for an external multiplexer.The ASU provides ATM connections between ICS2000s and other ATM network elements at speeds up to OC12, while the ISU provides the high-performance interface to IP networks with Gigabit Ethernet connectivity.

For maximum flexibility, Digital Signal Processor (DSP) resources can either be dedicated to a TDM (TSU 3) line card or hosted on an optional Time Slot Processor (TSP) module, to support functions such as echo cancellation, voice packetization, voice compression, tones and announcements, silence suppression, packet loss concealment.

The highly flexible TSP module further enables the use of resources for application-specific provisioning, over-subscription and redundancy.The TSP cards are dynamically loaded with different software that supports VoIP packet processing.In this scenario, TDM voice traffic is directed to a TSP card configured for VoIP packet processing, as well as the additional codecs that are used for VoIP such as G.726.Once the TDM voice stream has been compressed and packetized, it is then directed through an ISU via a Gigabit Ethernet interface.

Extreme Scalability with Virtual Switch Configuration
A single ICS2000 chassis can switch up to 24,192 protected calls in a fully redundant configuration, and by stacking three ICS2000s in a standard seven-foot rack, more than 72,000 IP calls can be supported. Further, a single ICS2000 can scale to more than 16,000 non-blocking simultaneous Class 5 users (over 80,000 subscriber lines with 5:1 oversubscription).

Multiple ICS2000 chassis can be supported by a single ICSG signaling gateway with a single code point supporting up to 500,000 non-blocking DS0s. For maximum scalability, these ICS2000s can then be interconnected to form a virtual switch over an IP or ATM-based network. When leveraging the distribution of call control between the ICS2000 media gateway and ICSG signaling gateway in tandem and trunking applications, SS7 signaling capacity is designed to scale up to 10 million Busy Hour Call Attempts (BHCA).

Trunk groups can further span multiple ICS2000 shelves providing extreme trunk group port capacity.The ICS2000 provides the ability to group any number of PRIs within one chassis into a hunt group or configure the hunt group to span multiple chassis.Calls can also originate or terminate in an ICS2000 virtual switch via ATM SVCs or VoIP from other ICS2000s, from other ICS2000 virtual switch configurations, from ATM integrated access devices on a customer premise or from a Convergent Networks’ platform providing Class 5 services.

The Virtual Switched Network
Convergent Networks’ Unified Network Architecture allows carriers to create a Virtual Switched Network (VSN), providing the advantages of distributed processing, with the benefits of central administration. The VSN, which consists of the all of the equipment in a network that share the same call routing data, provides a revolutionary and extremely cost-effective alternative for building out carrier infrastructures. Multiple ICS2000s and PMCs can be distributed in a VSN, service providers can manage and input all service data centrally in a single PMC Database, easily provisioning associations with ICS2000 media gateways in the network.

In some cases, the VSN may be geographically dispersed with routing and processing centers in several major cities. Again, since only one PMC is required for multiple ICS2000s, per location - multiple geographically distributed PMCs have the ability to exchange high-level routing table information. Using the PMC Web Client or the PMC CLI, connectivity to the VSN can be made from anywhere over an IP network and routing information can be entered.

Carrier-Grade Reliability and Redundancy
The ability to configure the ICS2000 broadband switch with economical 1:N interface redundancy, as well as full common equipment redundancy and hot standby operation, provides a highly reliable platform.In a virtual switch configuration, trunk groups spanning multiple shelves eliminate service disruption caused by potential downtime of individual network elements.By ensuring 99.9999% availability, the NEBS-certified ICS2000 broadband switch, the ICSP service proxy and ICSG signaling gateway provide carriers with the telephony-grade reliability required of today’s public networks.

Specifications

Protocol Standards
PSTN: SS7 ISUP, TCAP, GR 303, GR 317, GR 444, GR 394, E911, OSDA, ISDN, PRI, MF, T1 CAS
IP: SIP, RTP, DiffServ*, MPLS*
ATM: UNI 4.0, AAL1 SVCs, AAL2 SVCs

Call Processing and Routing Features
Multi-service Interworking: PSTN, IP, ATM
PSTN/IN Routing: Number translations (1-18 digits), equal access, prepended masking, digit manipulation, carrier access code-based or dial around calls, operator services, directory assistance, trunk hunting, NANP, NPA, NPA-NXX, 10-digit routing, international routing including city code, called party number routing, number pooling, alternate routes for called party number, CIC, dial around 101-XXXX routing, CNAM, TCAP proxy, easily recognized codes, 8XX number lookup and translation, LNP

Voice Processing Features
Echo Cancellation: G.168 up to 128ms tail delay
Voice codecs: G.711, G.726, G.729 a/b*, G.723.1*
Silence suppression, tones and announcements, test lines, E911 CAMA, tone generation/detection
Class 5 Feature support

SS7 Protocols
ANSI ISUP,SCCP/TCAP AIN 0.1,MTP Layers,A,E or F-links,SS7 over IP (Sigtran,SCTP)*

*Future release

For more information, call (978) 323-3300 or e-mail info@convergentnet.com.

Application Notes:

Packet Tandem Applications

Class 5 Services

Enhanced Voice Services with SIP

PRI and Business Voice Services