Transcript The Use of Rollback to Prevent Incorrect Operation of

The Migration of Functionality
to the Network Edge
Dave Marples
[email protected]
What do you mean?
As customers require more and more functionality from
their communications infrastructure so current vendors
with their largely proprietary systems are unable to
meet their needs at viable price points.
As a result customers are demanding more open
interfaces so that they can develop their own
capabilities. Systems built with these new capabilities
often do not share the quality and reliability of
traditional communication networks.
Market Forces
IP Telephony
 Number Portability
 Conditional Routeing
 TAPI/TSAPI(?)
 Personal Scripting
 Bespoke Functionality
 Unified Messaging

Examples
Popping a database with the details of
the person that’s calling.
 Routeing a call automatically - perhaps
so a customer always has a single point
of contact.
 Handling calls for individuals
intelligently when they’re not available.
 Integrating different messaging media
at the desktop (fax, e-mail, voice mail).

A Conventional PABX
To/From
Outside world
PBX Hardware
Switching
Software
Telephone
Telephone
Telephone
A PC Phone
To/From
Outside world
PBX Hardware
Switching
Software
Telephone
Telephone
PC
S/W
Intelligent Terminal
The ‘Third Party’ Approach
To/From
Outside world
Switching
Software
CSTA Link
Server
PBX Hardware
Switching
Software
Telephone
PC
S/W
Intelligent Terminal
Telephone
A heterogeneous
IP/Conventional Network
IP To/From
Outside World
To/From
Outside world
Switching
Software
Server
PBX Hardware
PC
S/W
Switching
Software
Telephone
Intelligent Terminal
Telephone
PC
S/W
PC
S/W
Intelligent Terminal
A Nightmare Scenario?
IP To/From
Outside World
Switching
Software
To/From
Outside world
Switching
Software
Server
Server
PBX Hardware
PC
S/W
Switching
Software
Telephone
Intelligent Terminal
PC
S/W
PC
S/W
Telephone
Intelligent Terminal
PC
S/W
PC
S/W
PC
S/W
Intelligent Terminal
Implications?
Multiple independent agencies with
their own world view will start acting on
calls.
 There is little inter-agency co-operation
and interworking beyond basic call
signalling.
 Difficult to apportion ‘blame’ for
systems failures - debugging is a
nightmare.
 More distinct components == more
chance of both hard and soft failures.

Options?
Create a whole new system to get the
new capabilities we’re looking for?
 Put up with the deficiencies and
limitations that are endemic in today's
solutions?
 Develop open, enforceable,
interworking standards that allow
communications components to work
together in a collaborative, fault
tolerant, fashion?
 Suggestions?

Discussion