In another step consolidating telecommunication and IT, OMNIQUBE, a TeleStax partner, and its team have setup OMNICORE a true Cloud based Carrier Ready service platform for testing and validation of our operator and enterprise services. Deploying the Telestax Open-Source based Platform on top of JBOSS Application Server provides us with a versatile and scalable platform running various network applications. With this platform we can connect to MNOs and/or MVNO/Es using our in house STP (Cisco ITP) deploying multiple SIGTRAN connections. We can fire up multiple service instances and route various traffic to the required instance for both testing and potential production traffic services like SMSC, USSD GW, Intelligent Routing and our HLR/AuC under development.
Besides carriers and MVNO/Es we also target the enterprise providing routing and interworking services truly bridging the gap between Enterprise and Operator. In our setup we have proven interworking of Microsoft Lync 2013 (Skype for Business) with our JAIN-SLEE SIP applications and RESTCOMM SDP for rapid and agile application development for Web, IoT or Mobile Application developers. Options are network routing between various Lync Instances, Self Service Endpoints but we are also working on features like: Network Queueing, Skilled Based Routing and Mobile Busy Detection.
Gradually we now see virtualization maturing creating opportunities for Virtualized Network Functions like SMS, USSD and now even HLR/HSS. All these services can now run virtualized and can take full advantage of (auto) scaling, high availability, optimizing on a global scale and pay as you use.
MICROSOFT AZURE
Azure provides us with a low cost, highly versatile and extremely scalable compute platform for our services running on Centos. Azure also provides with powerful and flexible Virtual Network settings scaling up with multiple compute environments and comprehensive VPN connections. Scaling up one individual platform is easy increasing number of CPUs, memory or selecting SSD discs. Also Web Services, MySQL Databases, Active Directory, Storage and the related Load Balancing and Traffic Management will enable us to scale the platform on demand maintaining availability.
Our setup is done in a flexible way not locking into the Azure domain. It is our goal to be versatile and therefore it should be easy to move to other Cloud Services like Dimension Data, Amazon or dedicated hardware where we have experience with like Cisco UCS, IBM BladeCenter and low cost Dell PowerEdge. We use our proven deployment methods to enable this.
TeleStax TELSCALE Platform
We choose TelScale JAIN-SLEE because of its accessibility, robustness and scalability. Key in our selection is the availability of DIAMETER and a full featured SS7 stack, including MAP. The MAP stack is mandatory for our HLR and Authentication Center, providing a low entry SS7 protocol engine. Compared to other SLEE vendors this is a real advantage having a low entry with the growing number of challengers in the market for Internet Of Things (IoT) with a growing need for Machine To Machine communication for both consumers and businesses. Our test setup in the Azure cloud enables us to continue validating interconnectivity and further validation of our solution developed for HLR and further Lync 2013 integration.
MICROSOFT LYNC 2013
Many enterprises move away from fixed desk phones and implement Microsoft Communication Server on top of their existing Microsoft IT services like Office Enterprise/365. With very limited investment on the desktop side (USB Headset) and a gateway function, full collaboration with chat, voice and video is available using Skype for Business and/or Office365. Challenges remain using portable clients on smartphones and/or tablets going off premise, connecting to a mobile network. Some fixed mobile solutions are feasible on the Lync Server, but both Lync Server and Mobile Network remain unaware of exact Phone/subscriber status on either end. Combining our broad knowledge of MSPL Routing Logic and UCMA Service logic with our network based SLEE Service logic and Carrier Connectivity and understanding SLEE SIP services, enables us to implement hybrid SIP services and enhanced Fixed Mobile convergence.
OUR SETUP
In our setup, through our ITP, we can configure a number of links routing to our test platforms. The ITP makes sure we don’t have to reconfigure our jSS7 and SLEEs continuously but we can just add a route on the STP. Using GT and SSN routing, but also routing on IMSI (range) we have a flexible setup making sure our test platforms is not polluted and we can create new instances without interference. We can connect to SLEE with regular SIP call control Client where a media server can be invoked for IVR.
Through our own SBC, EDGE Gateway and Microsoft Lync Services, one can connect using SkypeForBusiness or a POTS phone dialing a +3188xxx number. Our SBC will take care of the necessary security and routing logic required for our SIP domain where can involve our asterisk server for simple ‘in lab’ routing and ISDN interconnect.
GOAL
With this setup it is our goal to validate Azure as a suitable platform to test and potentially run our own services or host/manage our client’s services. We will have a close look at usability and scalability of the platform, including performance, (I/O) latency and usability. Particularly connecting SS7 SIGTRAN signaling directly to the cloud, we must ensure to be compliant to the required (timer) standards. Also we will have a very close look at database performance, clustering, scaling and latency on transaction increase. On success of this validation process, we will take a next step launching a small service from this cloud platform. We are targeting a SS7 MAP interworking application and LYNC fixed mobile enrichment.