[Asterisk-Dev] [Fwd: Re: [openss7]Project: Asterisk PBX]

Olle E. Johansson oej at edvina.net
Tue Jan 6 01:53:02 MST 2004


There have been some Asterisk discussions on the OpenSS7 list recently.

/Olle

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: [openss7]Project: Asterisk PBX
Date: Mon, 05 Jan 2004 06:32:17 -0500
From: Tom Scott <telecomtom at vedatel.com>
Organization: Vedatel
To: openss7 at openss7.org
References: <BPEMKOOJGEKPKKNFDNKKAENPCOAA.vhatz at kinetix.gr> <3FF83032.6050002 at m-wise.com>

Greetings,

Have you looked at the softswitch architecture at the IPCC website
(packetcomm.org and softswitch.org)? Here's the url:
http://packetcomm.org/dms/contentlist.asp?catID=28&parentid=19

I put their softswitch architecture diagram here:
http://vedatel.com/Isdn/cisco_ss7_interconn_ref_model.html#mozTocId32198

The five main functional types are: signaling conversion SC, media gateway MG,
media gateway controller MGC, application server AS, media server MS. I think
what we're looking for is the left-hand column (SS7/IMT access plane: SG, MGC
and MG). The other blocks in the application plane and H.323/ISDN access plane
may not be directly on-topic in this openss7.org list, but at least we could
use the reference architecture to distinguish the components and decide where
to discuss them (either here or at asterisk.org lists).

Could someone explain what are the main problems in adding the SS7 access plane
to the asterisk pbx? what are the issues? speed? scale?

-- TT


-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: [openss7]Project: Asterisk PBX
Date: Sun, 04 Jan 2004 17:24:34 +0200
From: Nir Simionovich <nirs at m-wise.com>
To: Vlasis Hatzistavrou <vhatz at kinetix.gr>
CC: openss7 at openss7.org
References: <BPEMKOOJGEKPKKNFDNKKAENPCOAA.vhatz at kinetix.gr>

Hi Vlasis,

    Well, we can go about and connecting a Cisco 54xx router between the Asterisk
box and the SS7 entity, however, this connection costs around 80,000$ and is limited
to 16xE1 lines only. I've also checked if it will support SS7 over IP (SIGTRAN),
which
it is supposed to support correctly, however, the price tag on that is even higher
than the previous one. From my POV, it kind of misses the concept of using Open
Source
on this issue, as I can get a NexTone Softswitch that will support SS7 for the same
price - but I guess we are all here as we want to use OpenSource, aren't we?

Nir S

Vlasis Hatzistavrou wrote:
> Hello,
>
> To the comment of Nir, I would like to add that I know from many partners of
> ours that they would benefit from a SS7-capable platform like Asterisk.
>
> Are there any alternatives platforms to Asterisk which use OpenSS7?
>
> Best regards,
> Vlasis Hatzistavrou.
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: openss7-admin at openss7.org [mailto:openss7-admin at openss7.org]On Behalf
> Of Nir Simionovich
> Sent: Sunday, January 04, 2004 10:22 AM
> To: openss7 at openss7.org
> Subject: RE: [openss7]Project: Asterisk PBX
>
>
> Hi All,
>
>   I've conversed with Brian on this issue a while back, and according to
> him, Asterisk
> is just TOO slow to handle SS7 (I may have misunderstood him) and in
> addition, the current
> channel implemenation method that Asterisk works with is not compatible
> with SS7.
>
>   However, I would like to point out that the VoIP BOOM lately sure
> justifies the re-animation
> of this project. I'm confident that many people are in need of this
> project (me including).
> I'm currently involved in a large scale installation in China, where
> Asterisk is involved,
> and the carrier being connected now popped that he DEMANDS SS7
> connectivity for a capacity
> of over 10xE1 connections.
>
>   In addition, I've also got projects running in other countries that
> would benefit from
> SS7 connectivity for Asterisk. If the problem is directing funds to this
> development, I'm
> confident that I can arrange a contribution of funds for this
> development, but we would like
> to know that this project is re-animated.
>
>   Asterisk and GnuGK are becoming well accepted VoIP/Switching
> alternatives in the Telco market,
> and having Asterisk use OpenSS7 is no longer a nice to have, it's a MUST
> in order to make sure
> that OpenSource technologies remain a valid choice for Telco managers
> and descision makers.
>
> Regards,
>   Nir S
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: openss7-admin at openss7.org [mailto:openss7-admin at openss7.org] On
> Behalf Of Herry Sitepu
> Sent: Saturday, January 03, 2004 2:37 AM
> To: openss7 at openss7.org
> Subject: [openss7]Project: Asterisk PBX
>
>
> Does this project still running. Any available code or documentation
> yet??
>
> Regards,
> Herry Sitepu
>
>
> ---
> Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
> Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
> Version: 6.0.558 / Virus Database: 350 - Release Date: 2/1/2004
>

-- 
__________________________________________________________________
Nir Simionovich
IT Manager
m-Wise Ltd.
e-Mail: nirs at m-wise.com
    cell: +972-54-482826





-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: [openss7]Project: Asterisk PBX
Date: Mon, 5 Jan 2004 06:09:53 -0700
From: Brian F. G. Bidulock <bidulock at openss7.org>
Reply-To: bidulock at openss7.org
Organization: http://www.openss7.org/
To: Tom Scott <telecomtom at vedatel.com>
CC: openss7 at openss7.org
References: <BPEMKOOJGEKPKKNFDNKKAENPCOAA.vhatz at kinetix.gr> <3FF83032.6050002 at m-wise.com> <3FF94B41.80506 at vedatel.com>

Tom, Vlasis, Nir,

OpenSS7 has components at all the points of the reference architecture (SC-F,
MGC/AS-F, MG/MS-F).  Did you think it was *just* SS7?

Judging from what I have seen of Asterisk code, it could not come close to
passing a simple Q.921/931 conformance suite.  It might be possible to run
partially implemented state machines line-side on BRI or PRI (where the
switch will protect against under- or poor implementation), however,
trunk-side this is unacceptable.

The reason I didn't implement just a "channel driver" for SS7 on the Digium
cards was that the Asterisk soft-HDLC code could not handle SS7 (FISUs and
LSSUs), was putting too many flags between frames, was discarding frames,
wrapping on the receive buffers, ... It would not be possible to meet 10E-6
BER because the Asterisk soft-HDLC was introducing more errors than that
leaving nothing for the transmission facility.  Skips and drops and pops
might be ok for voice and even line-side ISDN signalling, but is unacceptable
for trunk-side transmission and signalling.

It is clear that Asterisk lacks SS7, but why do you think that OpenSS7
needs Asterisk?

On another note, what distros are people wanting to run OpenSS7 on lately?
RedHat?  Suse?  Some embedded distro?  Debian?

--brian

Tom Scott wrote:                                        Mon, 05 Jan 2004 06:32:17
 > Greetings,
 >
 > Have you looked at the softswitch architecture at the IPCC website
 > (packetcomm.org and softswitch.org)? Here's the url:
 > http://packetcomm.org/dms/contentlist.asp?catID=28&parentid=19
 >
 > I put their softswitch architecture diagram here:
 > http://vedatel.com/Isdn/cisco_ss7_interconn_ref_model.html#mozTocId32198
 >
 > The five main functional types are: signaling conversion SC, media gateway MG,
 > media gateway controller MGC, application server AS, media server MS. I think
 > what we're looking for is the left-hand column (SS7/IMT access plane: SG, MGC
 > and MG). The other blocks in the application plane and H.323/ISDN access plane
 > may not be directly on-topic in this openss7.org list, but at least we could
 > use the reference architecture to distinguish the components and decide where
 > to discuss them (either here or at asterisk.org lists).
 >
 > Could someone explain what are the main problems in adding the SS7 access plane
 > to the asterisk pbx? what are the issues? speed? scale?
 >
 > -- TT
 >
 >
 > -------- Original Message --------
 > Subject: Re: [openss7]Project: Asterisk PBX
 > Date: Sun, 04 Jan 2004 17:24:34 +0200
 > From: Nir Simionovich <nirs at m-wise.com>
 > To: Vlasis Hatzistavrou <vhatz at kinetix.gr>
 > CC: openss7 at openss7.org
 > References: <BPEMKOOJGEKPKKNFDNKKAENPCOAA.vhatz at kinetix.gr>
 >
 > Hi Vlasis,
 >
 >     Well, we can go about and connecting a Cisco 54xx router between the Asterisk
 > box and the SS7 entity, however, this connection costs around 80,000$ and is limited
 > to 16xE1 lines only. I've also checked if it will support SS7 over IP (SIGTRAN),
 > which
 > it is supposed to support correctly, however, the price tag on that is even higher
 > than the previous one. From my POV, it kind of misses the concept of using Open
 > Source
 > on this issue, as I can get a NexTone Softswitch that will support SS7 for the same
 > price - but I guess we are all here as we want to use OpenSource, aren't we?
 >
 > Nir S
 >
 > Vlasis Hatzistavrou wrote:
 >  > Hello,
 >  >
 >  > To the comment of Nir, I would like to add that I know from many partners of
 >  > ours that they would benefit from a SS7-capable platform like Asterisk.
 >  >
 >  > Are there any alternatives platforms to Asterisk which use OpenSS7?
 >  >
 >  > Best regards,
 >  > Vlasis Hatzistavrou.
 >  >
 >  >
 >  >
 >  > -----Original Message-----
 >  > From: openss7-admin at openss7.org [mailto:openss7-admin at openss7.org]On Behalf
 >  > Of Nir Simionovich
 >  > Sent: Sunday, January 04, 2004 10:22 AM
 >  > To: openss7 at openss7.org
 >  > Subject: RE: [openss7]Project: Asterisk PBX
 >  >
 >  >
 >  > Hi All,
 >  >
 >  >   I've conversed with Brian on this issue a while back, and according to
 >  > him, Asterisk
 >  > is just TOO slow to handle SS7 (I may have misunderstood him) and in
 >  > addition, the current
 >  > channel implemenation method that Asterisk works with is not compatible
 >  > with SS7.
 >  >
 >  >   However, I would like to point out that the VoIP BOOM lately sure
 >  > justifies the re-animation
 >  > of this project. I'm confident that many people are in need of this
 >  > project (me including).
 >  > I'm currently involved in a large scale installation in China, where
 >  > Asterisk is involved,
 >  > and the carrier being connected now popped that he DEMANDS SS7
 >  > connectivity for a capacity
 >  > of over 10xE1 connections.
 >  >
 >  >   In addition, I've also got projects running in other countries that
 >  > would benefit from
 >  > SS7 connectivity for Asterisk. If the problem is directing funds to this
 >  > development, I'm
 >  > confident that I can arrange a contribution of funds for this
 >  > development, but we would like
 >  > to know that this project is re-animated.
 >  >
 >  >   Asterisk and GnuGK are becoming well accepted VoIP/Switching
 >  > alternatives in the Telco market,
 >  > and having Asterisk use OpenSS7 is no longer a nice to have, it's a MUST
 >  > in order to make sure
 >  > that OpenSource technologies remain a valid choice for Telco managers
 >  > and descision makers.
 >  >
 >  > Regards,
 >  >   Nir S
 >  >
 >  > -----Original Message-----
 >  > From: openss7-admin at openss7.org [mailto:openss7-admin at openss7.org] On
 >  > Behalf Of Herry Sitepu
 >  > Sent: Saturday, January 03, 2004 2:37 AM
 >  > To: openss7 at openss7.org
 >  > Subject: [openss7]Project: Asterisk PBX
 >  >
 >  >
 >  > Does this project still running. Any available code or documentation
 >  > yet??
 >  >
 >  > Regards,
 >  > Herry Sitepu
 >  >
 >  >
 >  > ---
 >  > Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
 >  > Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
 >  > Version: 6.0.558 / Virus Database: 350 - Release Date: 2/1/2004
 >  >
 >
 > --
 > __________________________________________________________________
 > Nir Simionovich
 > IT Manager
 > m-Wise Ltd.
 > e-Mail: nirs at m-wise.com
 >     cell: +972-54-482826
 >
 >
 >

-- 
Brian F. G. Bidulock    ¦ The reasonable man adapts himself to the ¦
bidulock at openss7.org    ¦ world; the unreasonable one persists in  ¦
http://www.openss7.org/ ¦ trying  to adapt the  world  to himself. ¦
                         ¦ Therefore  all  progress  depends on the ¦
                         ¦ unreasonable man. -- George Bernard Shaw ¦


------------------------------------------------------------------------


-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: [openss7]Project: Asterisk PBX
Date: Mon, 5 Jan 2004 17:08:51 -0500
From: Vance Shipley <vances at motivity.ca>
Organization: Motivity Telecom Inc.
To: Nir Simionovich <nirs at m-wise.com>, Tom Scott <telecomtom at vedatel.com>,   openss7 at openss7.org
References: <BPEMKOOJGEKPKKNFDNKKAENPCOAA.vhatz at kinetix.gr> <3FF83032.6050002 at m-wise.com> <3FF94B41.80506 at vedatel.com> 
<20040105060952.A23256 at openss7.org> <3FF98BA3.7020408 at m-wise.com> <20040105145409.A29067 at openss7.org>


The problem with Asterisk is that they have taken the VoIP
concept way too far.  The hardware implementation doesn't
include a telephony bus such as H.100.  That's fine if you're
in a VoIP environment but if you have a TDM call and want to
switch it you have to packetize it over the PCI bus and that
is just plain wrong.  The lack of HDLC engines on board is
an extension of this problematic attitude.  Their argument is
that it is cheaper to build the boards with a smaller chip
count.  For that argument to hold water the cost of their
boards should be a small fraction of the market rate for
these types of boards however it is not.

Just my (service provider centric) opinion.

	-Vance




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