The IEEE P1520 A presentation to OMG Tel DTF

1
The IEEE P1520 - A
presentation to OMG Tel DTF

• Jit Biswas

IEEE P1520Application Programming Interfaces
for NetworksAn Introductionhttp//www.ieee-pin.
org/
Kent Ridge Digital Labs, Singapore (Formerly
Institute of Systems Science) 30 July, 1998
2

Outline

• The problem domain and context
• Open signalling
• The open signalling research community
• The IEEE P1520 project overview
• P1520 Reference Model and its usage
• Relationship to OMG

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The Problem

• .

• Signalling challenges arising from multimedia
  application/service demands
• Multi-stream, multi-point, multi-media,
  high bandwidth, dynamic
• Evolution of legacy telecom, data comm
  infrastructure towards broadband multimedia

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Signalling

• .

Multi-stream
Multi-point
Video Distribution Video Conferencing ...
...
AIN
INTERNET
Call screening
IN Call features
translation
Call waiting
Point to point
POTS
Transport
Voice (64kbps)
Data(Packets)
Video (H261, MPEG...)
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State of the Art

• .

Call routing, call set-up, LIJ, Dynamic QoS, ...
Standard
Node B
Node A
Signalling Stack
Signalling Stack
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Limitations

• .

• Lack of flexibility, variety
• Leading to sub-optimal solutions
• Slow in standardization (consensus)
• Limiting the impact of new technologies (e.g.,
  ATM)
• Hard to extend
• Limiting the growth

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Lesson from Computing

• Mainframes
• Tightly coupled hardwaresoftware business
• PCs
• Separate hardware and software industry
• Open standard Interface between hardware and
  OS, between OS and applications
• While CPU and OS are nearly monopoly, PC boxes
  and Applications are free for all

• .

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PC Model for Signalling
Network Applications

• Separation of network hardware, network OS and
  network applications

Network OS
Network Hardware
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Lesson from Network Management

• .

Manager

• Standards are defined for management information
  and access to such information
• MIBs and SNMP (CMIP)
• No standard on management applications
  (algorithms)

SNMP
Agent
Agent
MIB
MIB
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NM Model for Signalling

• .

• Standardize the MIB for signalling, and
  protocols for accessing the MIB
• Leaving signalling intelligence (algorithms) open

Signalling Application
Access Protocol
Agent
Agent
Signalling MIB
Signalling MIB
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Leveraging on Distributed OO

• Benefits of Object-oriented software engineering
  technology
• modularity, re-usability, scalability,
  reliability
• Benefits of distributed computing
• Location transparent remote access
• Dynamic binding
• full-strength programming

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An open signalling concept

• Adopt CORBA as the software platform for
  engineering the network OS
• Use CORBA IDL as spec language for signaling
  MIB -gt Binding Interface Base (BIB)
• IDL interface invocation instead of SNMP

Signalling Applications
CORBA IDL
Agent
Agent
BIB
BIB
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Benefits

• Creating an environment where both existing and
  new signalling protocols could be supported
• Service creation will become faster
• Separation of software business from hardware
  business
• Separation of signalling business from transport
  business

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The Opensig Community

• Columbia Xbind project
• KRDL, NEC Princeton, Ericsson, Lancaster,
  Pretoria, Brazil, Cambridge, ...
• Opensig workshops (semi-annual, since 95 Fall) -
  next one in Toronto (Oct. 98)
• IEEE Openarch98 Conference, April 98

Kent Ridge Digital Labs (formerly ISS)
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Other Developments

• Geoplex (ATT)
• Opening switches and Telecom infrastructure
  (SummaFour, Excel)
• Open Network Interface - BT, Seimens, DGMS Tel.,
  Microsoft, Nortel
• Suns JAIN (endorsed by SS7 stack vendors
  Ericsson Infotech, DGMS, ADC NewNet)
• BANG (Broadband Active Network Generation) -
  Hitachi and GMD Fokus collaboration
• IETFs SGCP (Simple Gateway Control Prot.) for
  VoIP
• Ascends GX550 with IP (MPLS) capability
• Cell Based Queuing (Xedia and others)
• Gigatech Kits - (Univ. of Wash. at St. Louis)

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Snapshot of Experimental Work

• CORBA-based BIB implementation on ATML and Fore
  switches with applications
• Wireless ATM signalling and control over CORBA
• Multicast implementation and BIB
• Open the box through GSMP and SNMP
• Switchlets supporting multiple control
  paradigms (Cambridge)

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Need for Standardization
Signalling Applications

• Agreement on Programming Interfaces
• Allow signalling application developers to write
  software that runs on all opensig networks
• All network equipment vendors to support BIB

Binding Interface Base
Network Hardware
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IEEE P1520

• Application Programming Interfaces for
  Networks or PIN
• PAR approved on Dec 9, 1997
• Some major participants
• Columbia University, USA
• Ericsson, Europe
• KRDL (formerly ISS), Singapore
• NEC Princeton, USA
• Xbind Inc., USA
• Nortel
• Alcatel

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Project Scope

• To define the upper-edge and lower-edge of the
  BIB middle layer.
• Target for ATM, IP, Telephony networks
• Will not define new signalling protocols nor
  re-define existing signalling protocols
• Co-existence and inter-operating with existing
  systems left as business and engineering decision
  by developers/users

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The P1520 Reference Model
End User Applications
Algorithms for value-added communication services
created by network operators, users, and third
parties
Value-Added Services Level
Algorithms for routing, connection management,
admission control, etc.
Network Generic Services Level
Virtual Network Devices (Software Abstractions)
Virtual Network Device Level
Physical Elements (hardware, namespace)
PE Level
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An example of connection management
using P1520 Interfaces
.
User host
User
Process
U Interface
CreateConnection (source, destination)
host for
R M
connection
getRoute
factory
Network Generic
host for
setupOp
Services Level
CF/
route manager
CM
setupOp
setupOp
setupOp
Conn
Destination
Switch Control
Switch Control
agent
host
Conn
Processor
Processor
Source
agent
host
Conn
Conn
setupOp
setupOp
agent
setupOp
agent
L Interface
Virtual Network
virtual switch
virtual switch
Device Level
switch
switch
PE Level
GSMP daemon
GSMP daemon

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Mapping of P1520 Reference Model to the SS7
architecture
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Mapping of P1520 Architecture to IP
Routers/Switches
Applications invoking methods on objects below
U Interface

L Interface
Software representation of routing resources
CCM Interface
Data
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Relevant Efforts

• MPEG 4
• Digital Storage Media - Command and Control,
  Multimedia Integration Framework (DMIF)
• OMG Telecom Domain Task Force
• CORBA-based Intelligent Network
• TINA-C
• Connection management framework

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Summary of P1520

• The project aims to define programming interfaces
  not algorithms
• Standardize horizontal interfaces instead of
  vertical interfaces.
• Promoting openness in signalling algorithms and
  control intelligence

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Relationship to OMG

• Reference Model
• Telecommunication Domain Interfaces
• Naming Model
• Binding Model
• Topology-discovery Model
• Proxy Model
• Service Broker Model
• Service Component Model
• Third-party Service Delivery Model
• ..