Aricent’s
nexGen Signaling Platform is an easy-to-use product that allows network
operators and application developers to quickly connect SS7 and IP networks.
It offers simultaneous support for SS7 over traditional E1/T1 links as well
as new SIGTRAN/IP links, and offers a plug-and-play architecture that
simplifies development and integration.
The
nextGen Signaling Platform blends Aricent's field-proven SS7 and SIGTRAN
stacks with carrier-class features such as High Speed Link (HSL) support,
which ensures interoperability across networks as well as vendors. Its
exclusive, distributed stack architecture is optimized to generate the
maximum output from each processor and link.
Specifically designed to accelerate service deployment, minimize costs, and
increase ROI, the nexGen Signaling Platform offers unmatched flexibility
along with comprehensive manageability. Its high price-to-performance ratio
allows developers to roll out services at progressively lower prices,
thereby reducing customers’ CAPEX requirements.
Aricent’s Companion Lifecycle Services
The majority of Aricent’s products are delivered with
tailored combinations of our Lifecycle Services, including Global Innovation
and Design, Product Development, Testing and Certification, Network
Engineering, Maintenance and Support, and Business Operations and Systems
Integration. Aricent’s engineers and consultants have successfully completed
thousands of services engagements globally using flexible delivery models
ranging from on-site to off-shore. Aricent’s services offer deep
communications domain expertise, cost and time efficiencies, quick ramp up
and contemporary commercial engagement models including end-to-end
commitments.
Aricent’s nexGen Signaling Platform consists of
integrated application stacks (MAP/CAP-SCF/ISUP/INAP-SCF) with SS7/SIGTRAN
connectivity, along with a user application and Service User Client library.
The nexGen Application Platform system architecture is
vertically divided into a front end and a back end:
- Front End Processor [FEP], to handle SS7 traffic
- Back End Processor [BEP], to process application
stacks
- User Application integrated with Service User
Client library [TEP], which enables integration with services provided
by the BEP.
This architecture enables the distribution of traffic
at various SS7 stack layers. It also provides flexibility in achieving
scalability and hybrid combinations of protocol variants (ITU, ANSI, and
Chinese).
- Multiple self point codes
- Combined link sets for load sharing on links
across link sets
- Multiple Network Appearance (MNA) based on
multiple national and international Network Indicators (NI) and variants
(ITU, CHINESE, and ANSI). MNA is the ability to serve multiple networks
with a single node.
- Multiple, simultaneous SS7 variants (ANSI, ITU,
and Chinese)
- Hybrid stack combinations, comprising of ANSI TCAP
over Chinese SCCP/MTP, and Chinese TCAP over ANSI SCCP/MTP
- SIGTRAN (M3UA/SUA*/M2UA/SCTP) connectivity (ASP or
IPSP) with network peers
- MAP interface for messaging-based applications
- CAP interface for charging-based applications
- INAP for IN based applications
- ISUP Interface for voice and call control
applications
- Supports High Speed Link (HSL)
The nexGen Platform offers extensive support for
configuration, provisioning and information management through a redundant
element manager. There are several management options:
- Configuration/provisioning file
- Command line interface
- Open management interface to enable users to
develop their own customized management front-end.
- SME application for upper layers like
MAP/CAP/ISUP/INAP
- Alarms
- Open APIs to dispatch alarm/events to the user
management application.
- A centralized, system-wide configuration manager
makes it easy for the user to configure all the subsystems of a
distributed system.
Several types of traces are provided to reiterate the
exact state of the system.
The nexGen Platform has been extensively tested and
benchmarked on platforms of choice. It offers clear competitive advantages:
The nexGen Platform offers unrivaled performance
figures obtained through a series of repetitive optimization activities
conducted at system, stack, and transport level. The nexGen Platform has
been benchmarked for high performance in - low-end, mid-end and high-end
solution deployments.
The nexGen Platform can be easily scaled up from 2 to
2000 links. This allows network operators to start by deploying a messaging
solution handling an initial subscriber base of 5000 subscribers, and then
later scale it up to handle millions of subscribers. Scaling can be achieved
with a marginal incremental investment to the initial CAPEX, bringing down
the overall cost of ownership as the service grows in popularity.
The nexGen Platform provides unmatched flexibility for
handling multiple configurations, and for simplifying migration from one
configuration to another. Migration is accomplished with complete
transparency and without any changes in the overlying application. For
example, customers may initially deploy a nexGen Platform solution over an
SS7 network and subsequently migrate to an IP network as the need arises.
Similarly, a customer may start with a nexGen Platform-based media server
with no interface to the external SCP, and then add an INAP interface over
time.
The nexGen Platform is interoperable out of the box,
eliminating laborious and time-consuming testing. It has been integrated
with all major vendors, including Alcatel, Ericsson, NEC, Lucent, Nortel,
Siemens, Italtel and Nokia.
The Aricent nexGen Platform is available in the
following packages:
The developer package is specifically meant for
application development and is therefore available for use in both
laboratories as well as development environments. It consists of API
libraries, header files, programmer's guide, installation manual, user
manual, and quick start utilities.
Consisting of standard executables, the installation
manual, the user manual, and compliance documents, the deployment package is
available for field deployment in live networks.