Integration of Internet and Telecommunications- An Architecture for Hybrid Services

In this article, we propose an architecture for hybrid services, i.e., services that span many network technologies, such as the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), cellular networks and networks based on the Internet Protocol (IP). These services will play an important role in the future because they leverage on the existing infrastructures, rather than requiring new and sophisticated mechanisms to be deployed. We explore a few issues related to hybrid services and propose a platform, as well as a set of components, to facilitate their creation and deployment. The existing infrastructure is only required to generate specific events when requests for hybrid services are detected. We present the design of a service layer, based on Java, that handles the treatment of these special requests. Our service layer is provided with a set of generic components realized according to the JavaBeans model. We illustrate the strength of our architecture by discussing two hybrid-service examples: a calendar service and a call forwarding service

The generic context sharing protocol GCSP : Application to signaling in a cross-network and multi-provider environment

This paper proposes a new signaling paradigm and a new signaling protocol called the Generic Context Sharing Protocol (GCSP) for the construction of a global control plane over present and future communication networks. After identifying the special nature of the control plane software involved in the setup of a conversational service instance it examines the various mechanisms for information sharing which leads to our new proposal. We show that this new data-based protocol is better suited to control plane requirements than the present day’s command-oriented signaling mechanisms. We indicate the basic principles of the protocol and we give a brief description of the generic context. We show the place of this proposal in the present day research efforts and we mention a practical implementation case.8th IFIP/IEEE International conference on Mobile and Wireless CommunicationRed de Universidades con Carreras en Informática (RedUNCI

Carrier grade adaptation for an IP-based multimodal application server: moving the softbridge into SLEE

Magister Scientiae - MScProviding carrier grade characteristics for Internet Protocol (IP) communication applications is a significant problem for IP application providers in order to offer integrated services that span IP and telecommunication networks. This thesis addresses the provision of life-cycle management, which is only one carrier grade characteristic, for a SoftBridge application, which is an example of IP communication applications. A SoftBridge provides semi-synchronous multi-modal IP-based communication. The work related to IP-Telecommunication integrated services and the SoftBridge is analyzed with respect to life-cycle management in a literature review. It is suggested to use an Application Server in a Next Generation Network (NGN) to provide life-cyclemanagement functionality for IP-Telecommunication applications. In this thesis, the Application Server is represented by a JAIN Service Logic Execution Environment(JSLEE), in which a SoftBridge application can be deployed, activated, deactivated, uninstalled and upgraded online.Two methodologies are applied in this research: exploratory prototyping, which evolves the development of a SoftBridge application, and empirical comparison, which is concerned with the empirical evaluation of a SoftBridge application in terms of carriergrade capabilities. A SoftBridge application called SIMBA provides a Deaf Telephony service similar to aprevious Deaf Telephony SoftBridge, However, SIMBA’s SoftBridge design and implementation are unique to this thesis. In order to test the life-cycle management ability of SIMBA, an empirical evaluation is carried out including the experiments oflife-cycle management and call-processing performance. The final experimental results of the evaluation show that a JSLEE is able to provide life-cycle management for SIMBA without causing a significant decrease in performance. In conclusion, the life-cycle management can be provided or a SoftBridge application by using an Application Server such as a JSLEE. Futhermore, the results indicate that approach of using Application Server (JSLEE) integration should be sufficiently general to provide life cycle management, and indeed other carrier grade capabilities, for other IP communication applications. This allows IP communication applications to be integrated into an NGN.Providing carrier grade characteristics for Internet Protocol (IP) communication applications is a significant problem for IP application providers in order to offer integrated services that span IP and telecommunication networks. This thesis addresses the provision of life-cycle management, which is only one carrier grade characteristic, for a SoftBridge application, which is an example of IP communication applications. A SoftBridge provides semi-synchronous multi-modal IP-based communication. The work related to IP-Telecommunication integrated services and the SoftBridge is analyzed with respect to life-cycle management in a literature review. It is suggested to use an Application Server in a Next Generation Network (NGN) to provide life-cyclemanagement functionality for IP-Telecommunication applications. In this thesis, the Application Server is represented by a JAIN Service Logic Execution Environment(JSLEE), in which a SoftBridge application can be deployed, activated, deactivated, uninstalled and upgraded online.Two methodologies are applied in this research: exploratory prototyping, which evolves the development of a SoftBridge application, and empirical comparison, which is concerned with the empirical evaluation of a SoftBridge application in terms of carriergrade capabilities. A SoftBridge application called SIMBA provides a Deaf Telephony service similar to aprevious Deaf Telephony SoftBridge, However, SIMBA’s SoftBridge design and implementation are unique to this thesis. In order to test the life-cycle management ability of SIMBA, an empirical evaluation is carried out including the experiments oflife-cycle management and call-processing performance. The final experimental results of the evaluation show that a JSLEE is able to provide life-cycle management for SIMBA without causing a significant decrease in performance. In conclusion, the life-cycle management can be provided or a SoftBridge application by using an Application Server such as a JSLEE. Futhermore, the results indicate that approach of using Application Server (JSLEE) integration should be sufficiently general to provide life cycle management, and indeed other carrier grade capabilities, for other IP communication applications. This allows IP communication applications to be integrated into an NGN.South Afric

A programmable architecture for the provision of hybrid services

The success of new service provision platforms will largely depend on their ability to blend with existing technologies. The advent of Internet telephony, although impressive, is unlikely to make telephone customers suddenly turn in favor of computers. Rather, customers display increasing interest in services that span multiple networks (especially Internet Protocol-based networks and the telephone and cellular networks) and open new vistas. We refer to these services as hybrid services and propose an architecture for their provision. This architecture allows for programming the service platform elements (i.e., network nodes, gateways, control servers, and terminals) in order to include new service logics. We identify components that can be assembled to build these logics by considering a service as a composition of features such as address translation, security, call control, connectivity, charging and user interaction. Generic service components are derived from the modeling of these features. We assure that our proposal can be implemented even in existing systems in return for slight changes: These systems are required to generate an event when a special service is encountered. The treatment of this event is handled by an object at a Java Service Layer. Java has been chosen for its platform-neutrality feature and its embedded security mechanisms. Using our architecture, we design a hybrid closed user group service

The internet integrated intelligent network

This thesis is based on research, design and prototype implementation work done towards defining an Intelligent Network system integrated with Internet functionality and potential services to be provided by such a system. The main driving force behind the project has been an idea to explore the possibility of adding value to services offered by the two most ubiquitous public communication networks of today, by connecting those networks. The goal of the project was to define such a connection and the services that would become possible through its existence. The thesis begins with presenting the background to the project. First of all, it contains the definition and description of Intelligent Networks, as the standard means of providing, in telephone networks, services other than basic connectivity. Further, it defines the Internet and looks at the already existent computer network - telephone network integration systems. In the second part of the thesis, the design of the Internet-Integrated Intelligent Network (DIN) system is laid out. The IHN has been defined using definition methods already standard for the IN, as far as this was possible with regard to the entirely different nature of the Internet. The fundamental role of the World Wide Web Internet application in the functioning of the designed system is shown. Following the research and design work description is an account of the implementation work done to build an IIIN prototype and a group of sample services chosen and implemented to demonstrate IIIN functionality. This account includes a list of demonstration scenarios that have successfully been tested on the system prototype

The generic context sharing protocol GCSP : Application to signaling in a cross-network and multi-provider environment

This paper proposes a new signaling paradigm and a new signaling protocol called the Generic Context Sharing Protocol (GCSP) for the construction of a global control plane over present and future communication networks. After identifying the special nature of the control plane software involved in the setup of a conversational service instance it examines the various mechanisms for information sharing which leads to our new proposal. We show that this new data-based protocol is better suited to control plane requirements than the present day’s command-oriented signaling mechanisms. We indicate the basic principles of the protocol and we give a brief description of the generic context. We show the place of this proposal in the present day research efforts and we mention a practical implementation case.8th IFIP/IEEE International conference on Mobile and Wireless CommunicationRed de Universidades con Carreras en Informática (RedUNCI