GSX4000 Open Services Switch A IMS Architecture Component WITH MORE EXPERIENCE THAN ANY OTHER VENDOR IN BUILDING LARGE-SCALE, CARRIER-CLASS VOIP NETWORKS, SONUS HAS BEEN SHAPING THE WORLD S LARGEST SERVICE PROVIDER VOIP DEPLOYMENTS SINCE 1999. CONTINUING TO DRIVE THAT EVOLUTION, SONUS HAS INTRODUCED A NEW CLASS OF VOICE SWITCHES CARRIER CLASS LOW-TO-MEDIUM DENSITY SWITCHES THAT ENABLE SERVICE PROVIDERS TO AFFORDABLY EXPAND THEIR CORE VOIP NETWORKS INTO NEW MARKETS, NEW GEOGRAPHIES AND WITH NEW ENHANCED SERVICES. THESE NEW SWITCHES ARE IDEALLY SUITED TO TAP THE VOIP BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY A MARKET CHARACTERIZED BY BROAD CONSUMER ACCEPTANCE AND ANALYST PROJECTIONS OF MASSIVE SERVICE PROVIDER REVENUE GROWTH WORLDWIDE THROUGHOUT THE CENTURY S FIRST DECADE. FIGURE 1: The GSX4000 is a low-to medium density, carrier-class VoIP switch, making it affordable to expand a service provider's IP network footprint. Leveraging its experience as the market leader in high-density carrier-class voice switches, Sonus Networks offers service providers the GSX4000TM Open Services Switch the industry s first and only carrier-class, low-to-medium density VoIP switch. Complementing the highly scalable, high density GSX9000TM Open Services Switch, the GSX4000 is right-sized for affordably extending the reach of service providers network boundaries and their businesses. Ideal for opening new markets, widely deploying in multiple locations and offering new IP-based multimedia services, the GSX4000 is designed in a small package, yet features the full carrierclass functionality, reliability and manageability that are the hallmarks of products. AN INTEGRAL COMPONENT OF SONUS MARKET-LEADING IMS ARCHITECTURE The GSX4000 is a key component of Sonus IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem) Architecture. (See Figure 7.) The GSX4000 fulfills the role of IMS border management by enabling the service provider s network to interoperate with other IMS networks, IP access networks and legacy PSTN (i.e., TDM) networks, all from a single platform. While today s voice networks are predominantly based on circuit switching, the inevitability of the voice traffic moving to an all-ip network is widely anticipated for both fixed-line and mobile deployments. Given the magnitude of this undertaking, this evolution will likely unfold over a number of years.
As a result, service providers must purchase products today that facilitate a smooth transition from circuit to packet. Sonus GSX Open Services Switches address this transition by providing market leading IP-to-TDM gateway functionality with IP-to-IP network border switching functionality in the same platform. As the voice networks transition from TDM to IP, the GSX4000 can easily adapt with minimal financial, operational and service impact. (See Figure 2.) Furthermore, as service providers expand their multimedia services to include more than voice, the software functionality of the GSX product family will be enhanced to support the emerging multimedia SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) extensions and media control capabilities. This ensures a level of investment protection that cannot be provided by commonplace, single-purpose media gateway and session border controller products. In conjunction with high-density GSX9000s deployed in primary markets, the GSX4000 affordably extends a service provider s network by creating more broadly distributed IP-to-TDM and IP-to-IP network connections. This reduces expensive backhauling of multimedia traffic for local packet-to-circuit switched calls and intercarrier packet-topacket peering. It provides a costeffective platform for the widespread deployment of consumer and business VoIP services (e.g., delivering services to multiple markets from centralized IMS infrastructure application and media servers.) As well, the GSX4000 can affordably deliver managed services to business enterprise campuses. FIGURE 2: GSX4000 switches provide IP-to-TDM gateway as well as IP-to-IP network interconnectivity.
FIGURE 3: Sonus GSX4000 enables service providers to incrementally and affordably build out their networks to reach new market segments, enter new regions and deploy new consumer and business services. INNOVATIVE ENGINEERING DELIVERS CARRIER-CLASS FUNCTIONALITY IN A SMALL PACKAGE The GSX4000 s small packaging is achieved through innovative integration of IMS border management for packet and circuit networks on a single module all based on market-leading GSX9000 technology. Carrier-class features include full redundancy for high availability, full SS7 functionality, NEBS compliance, BITS/SETS timing and much more. The low-to-medium port density GSX4000 resides at highly distributed borders of service provider networks to switch traffic among different transport types (e.g., IP-to-TDM, TDM-to-TDM and IP-to- IP) and among signaling types (e.g., SS7, ISDN, CAS, SIP, H.323). The GSX4000 is designed for port density ranges of 500 to 2,000 for IP-to- TDM internetworking and has a fixed configuration addressing the needs of E1/T1 to STM 1/OC3 interfaces. This complements the GSX9000 s single chassis range of 288 to 18,144 ports and multichassis virtual switch configurations of millions of ports. CARRIER-CLASS RELIABILITY With its small footprint, yet uncompromising carrier-class features, the GSX4000 switch is offered in nonredundant as well as redundant configurations for high availability. This gives service providers the flexibility to deploy fully redundant configurations everywhere or deploy nonredundant configurations in particular markets and upgrade to full redundancy in the field as business dictates. NEBS-compliant, the fully redundant GSX4000 configuration leverages the GSX9000 s customer-proven 99.999% reliability design. In a fully redundant configuration, active calls are maintained seamlessly in the event of a component failure. Also, in the fully redundant configuration, components are hot-swappable to maintain active calls during field maintenance. True to carrier-class requirements, the complete redundancy scheme supports live software upgrades, allowing the network to remain up while implementing new functionality.
figure 4: The GSX4000 is right-sized for affordably establishing a comprehensive presence across a wide geographic area and in remote regions. TOLL-QUALITY VOICE The GSX4000 implements the same field-proven technologies as the GSX9000's carrier-class quality of service required by voice networks. For IP networks, this includes Type of Service (TOS) bits for provisioning priority on a call-by-call basis, giving service providers a differentiated approach to quality of service (QoS). The GSX4000 uses the same complement of codecs as the GSX9000 to deliver toll-quality voice. This includes: the G.711 codec for fullrate voice encoding; the G.723.1, G.726 and G.729A/B compression codecs; world-class G.168 echo cancellation algorithms; and T.38 fax and RFC2833 tone delay. Combining the codecs with the extremely low delay inherent in GSX technology provides voice quality equal to or better than the PSTN. ROBUST SIGNALING SUPPORT To integrate legacy and packetbased networks, the GSX4000 has robust IMS media gateway control functionality (MGCF) embedded in its processing module. (See Border and Media Control Layer in Figure 7.) The MGCF provides control and signaling to terminate and originate the wide range of protocols that service providers worldwide expect of a carrier-class switch. Circuit protocols include ISDN PRI, Channel Associated Signaling (CAS) and worldwide variants of SS7/C7. With large scale service provider VoIP deployments since 1999, Sonus pioneered the commercialization of packet signaling protocols, such as H.323, SIP and H.248 all of which are supported by the GSX4000. In addition, the GSX4000 includes interworking of ISUP variants through the SIP-T protocol. The distribution of gateway control functionality in the GSX4000, as well as the GSX9000, is one of many attributes of Sonus IMS Architecture that streamlines processing and data
FIGURE 5: Creating a centralized application hosting facility served by highly distributed GSX4000s is an effective strategy for deploying enhanced services directly to subscribers and to other service providers. flows within the network to maximize performance and scalability. ROBUST, EASY-TO-USE MANAGEMENT AND BACK-OFFICE INTEGRATION An entire network of GSX4000s, along with all other elements of Sonus IMS Architecture (routing servers, feature servers, SS7 signaling gateways, GSX9000 switches, application servers, etc.), can be managed by the Web-based Sonus Insight TM Management System from a single console. Insight includes two sophisticated, yet easyto-use components: The Insight Element Management System: For flow-through provisioning, configuration, service level/performance management, fault management, advanced alarming and diagnostics, call history reports and advanced security (e.g., secure socket layer, RADIUS and secure shell). It ensures trusted control of the network and its elements. The Insight DataStream Integrator: Includes a graphical user interface and powerful automated programming tools to format network data for OSS and back-office billing systems. It can simultaneously distribute data to multiple destinations. For example, the GSX4000 streams billing records to the DataStream Integrator, which formats the information appropriately for the upstream billing systems. As a result, service providers are assured faster service deployment and return on investment. EFFICIENT NETWORK-WIDE ROUTING CAPABILITY A network of low-to-medium density GSX4000s, along with the highdensity GSX9000 switches, utilizes Sonus PSX TM Breakout Gateway Control Function (BGCF), the industry s most comprehensive and flexible platform for voice/multimedia service routing and translations.
FIGURE 6: GSX4000s enable service providers to tap enterprise business with managed network services by affordably locating VoIP switching at the edge of an enterprise customer's campus or office park. In accordance with the IMS architecture, the PSX BGCF resides within the core IMS infrastructure to provide service selection and routing capabilities for packet-based calls destined for foreign circuit networks. A single PSX controls the routing for all IMS call control and application functions, including the GSX border switches. By provisioning the entire network from a single point of control, the PSX has been proven to dramatically speed the introduction of network improvements and reduce the manual labor required to update and manage routing tables associated with legacy circuit-switched and softswitched technologies. TESTED FOR RAPIDLY DEPLOYING ENHANCED SERVICES With its Open Services Partner Alliance (OSPA) and its world-class interoperability lab, Sonus has tested and certified its products interoperability with industry leading consumer-voip and business-voip application software, media servers, integrated access devices and SIP phones. By handling the timeconsuming, costly integration and testing of third-party applications and network devices, Sonus reduces the risk, cost and time-to-market typically associated with deploying multimedia services. BUILDING VOIP NETWORKS: REAL- WORLD GSX4000 APPLICATIONS Extending Large Networks: The GSX4000 is the optimal switch for extending the VoIP portion of voice networks closer and closer to subscribers, so large service providers can reap the full benefits of VoIP: Fast deployment of enhanced services Easier (i.e., IP-style) service provisioning and management Lower operational costs. (See Figure 3.) The high-density GSX9000, along with the SGX TM (IMS SGW, or signaling gateway, for packet-tolegacy PSTN/S77 connectivity), is optimized for creating large core VoIP networks (e.g., hundreds of thousands to millions of TDM-to- IP interconnections in high-density subscriber locations). The low-to-medium density GSX4000 can be deployed in less dense subscriber locations a major step forward toward an all-ip network that reduces the service provider's reliance on the more expensive, cumbersome PSTN infrastructure. Starter Networks: The GSX4000 is right-sized for affordably establishing a presence across a wide geographic area and in remote regions. (See Figure 4.) Perfect for
FIGURE 7: Since their inception, Sonus products have been based upon the same distributed intelligence principles that underlie the industry standards IP Multimedia Subsystem architecture for service providers. The Sonus GSX switches reside in the IMS Architecture s Border and Media Control layer for packet-to-pstn and IP-to-IP network connectivity. initial service rollouts, a service provider can use the GSX4000 to quickly cover many highly distributed markets or create an initial presence in a large market. In each market, as business grows, additional GSX4000s can be added incrementally or replaced by the highly scalable GSX9000 while the original GSX4000s are easily redeployed to new locations. A single PSX border gateway control function (BGCF) located anywhere in the network can cost-effectively provide service selection and routing capabilities to the multiple GSX4000s. (See Figure 4.) CENTRALIZED APPLICATION SERVICES effective strategy for deploying enhanced services directly to subscribers and to other service providers. (See Figure 5.) Centralized facilities for hosting storage, email, voicemail, Web and media servers can leverage the economies of scale and lower overall equipment and support costs. For example, large GSX9000s can be deployed directly at the hosting facility to serve large nearby markets directly via ISDN PRI connections, while right-sized GSX4000s can be deployed in medium and small markets to provide cost-effective IP remote service delivery and backhauling to the centralized servers. MANAGED NETWORK SERVICES locating VoIP switching at the edge of an enterprise customer s campus or office park (see Figure 6). Whether offering services to customers in an existing market, or attempting to penetrate a competing incumbent s account, service providers can use the GSX4000 to offer business customers lower-cost VoIP for their telephony services. For example, via PRI, the GSX4000 can simply connect to the campus PBXs to give them access to the VoIP network and direct calls back to the PSTN via IP-to-TDM connections elsewhere. Creating a centralized application hosting facility served by highly distributed GSX4000s is an GSX4000s enable service providers to tap enterprise business with managed network services by affordably
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