Going global: MSF sets pace for the future

There's no stopping the VoIP train. With the potential to create new services and revenue streams never thought of on the traditional TDM-based phone network, VoIP holds promise for both service providers and end users. However, obstacles still remain in making VoIP a global mainstream reality. Despite the hype of new entrants, which have enjoyed low barriers to deployment, the technology still has a long way to go before it becomes ubiquitously deployed across the mainstream carrier network infrastructure.

Enter the Multiservice Switching Forum (MSF), which has touted itself as the glue that will integrate the various piece parts to not only deploy VoIP in one network, but also connect the various network islands of VoIP that exist today. Since its inception in the late 1990s, the MSF's vision has been to create a network system based on a distributed, open architecture that incorporates multiple switching methods--whether they be frame-, cell- or packet-based--to support voice, video, private line and data, including ATM, frame relay and IP services.

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Continuing in that tradition, the MSF this past October gathered 28 participants on four continents to conduct its Global MSF Interoperability event. Taking what it learned form the GMI 2002 event, GMI 2004 added new functions key to a VoIP network, including QoS, IPv6, value-added services and security.

Conducted at four carrier test labs. including Qwest (United States), BT (United Kingdom), NTT (Japan) and KT (Korea), the GMI 2004 event tested the disparate network elements required to support a fully integrated VoIP network deployment. Each of the participating vendors, which included those offering application servers, media servers, session border controllers, service brokers and call agents, were able to test the specific protocols defined in the MSF IAs (interoperability agreements) required to support an integrated VoIP network. Further, the participants demonstrated interoperability in the network via predefined test suites utilizing MSF IAs for both SIP and MPLS, which have become universally accepted as the protocols of choice for IP networks.

"It's all about getting the piece parts to fit together," said MSF President Roger Ward. "We're serious about openness, so a service provider won't get stuck with vendor x for everything. The MSF can go beyond the standard and create a way to implement the network devices at the end of the pipe."

During the GMI 2004 event, the forum tested its Release 2 architecture, which includes guidelines for service providers and vendors to build and evolve existing networks to a multi-vendor, multi-service switched network. The MSF essentially tested value-added services, PSTN connectivity, value-added architecture and enhanced QoS across five real-world scenarios.

By utilizing a value-added service architecture that consisted of Parlay applications, SIP application server, call agent and media server, the MSF was able to demonstrate various packet-based services, including video telephony and IP conferencing. Key to this architecture is the service broker, which coordinates among various services resources, and the media server, which delivers generic media resources across all service sources. But what are great services if you can't deliver true QoS? MSF is meeting the challenge of QoS by implementing two QoS mechanisms that are based on both MPLS and DiffServ traffic engineering.

"By creating various hooks between each SIP element in the network, a carrier can now rapidly create new services," said Chris Daniel, MSF's vice president. "Carriers will be able to use off-the-shelf media servers (IP Unity), Parlay (V-Angel) and bridge all of those elements back into a common network layer. The hook is the ability to have new objects to create services from a variety of vendor platforms."

In addition, the MSF also conducted tests on various other issues that can affect large-scale packet deployments, including an IPv6 test scenario. This is possible through a joint memorandum of understanding between the MSF and the North American IPv6 Task Force Moonv6 Project, a collaborative effort between the North American IPv6 Task Force, Regional IPv6 task forces, UNH-IOL (InterOperability Lab), Internet2, the federal government, vendors and providers. As a newly minted element of this year's MSF GMI event, the IPv6 test scenario tested VoIP, videophone, SIP security and QoS over an all-IP network.

Going forward, the MSF is taking its findings to influence ongoing standards efforts within the ITU and ETSI. Perhaps even more compelling is that the group is now beginning to work help shape the future of fixed mobile convergence.

COPYRIGHT 2004 Horizon House Publications, Inc.
COPYRIGHT 2005 Gale Group