Acme Packet Net-Net 4500 ATCA blade

Acme Packet’s Net-Net 4000 ATCA blade supports next-gen, converged fixed-mobile architectures defined by 3GPP IMS, 3GPP2 MMD, ATIS, ETSI TISPAN, GSMA, the Multi-Service Forum and PacketCable. The blade operates the Net-Net OS and supports all Acme Packet Net-Net Session Border Controller (SBC), Multiservice Security Gateway (MSG) and Session Routing Proxy (SRP) configurations, functions and features. It provides the critical controls for delivering trusted, first class interactive communications—voice, video and multimedia sessions—and data services across IP network borders.

These controls span five areas - security, service/application reach maximization, SLA assurance, revenue and cost optimization, and regulatory compliance.  The Net-Net 4000 ATCA blade with Net-Net OS secures the subscriber access and interconnect/peering borders and enables interoperability of heterogeneous endpoints, service infrastructure elements and networks to maximize service reach. It controls admission, overload, IP network transport and session routing to assure SLAs, maximize revenues and minimize costs. Lastly, it enables regulatory compliance with emergency service (E911), national government priority service (GETS) and lawful intercept (CALEA) requirements.

The Net-Net 4000 ATCA blade is designed to be easily integrated by wireless and wireline communication systems vendors into their ATCA chassis. The blade, consisting of an ATCA front card and rear transition module, is purpose-built hardware and exploits the power and capacity of the industry’s best processing and memory components including IPsec, TLS and SRTP hardware acceleration modules.

System capacity, performance and availability 

*Performance and capacity vary by signaling protocol, call flow, codec, configuration and feature usage.

Session Border Controller (SBC) configurations

The Net-Net 4000 ATCA blade may be configured to support either SBC deployment model - integrated or decomposed. As an integrated SBC, the Net-Net 4000 ATCA blade tightly integrates signaling and media control within the platform and provides comprehensive support for SIP, H.323, SIP-H.323 interworking, MGCP/NCS and H.248 signaling and media sessions. Net-Net OS offers proven signaling interoperability with all major softswitches, IMS CSCF elements, SIP servers, H.323 gatekeepers, call agents, application servers, media servers, media gateways, IP PBXs and numerous IP-based voice and video endpoints. Decomposed SBC configuration options include SIP signaling only control with an H.248 control interface to a border gateway, or media only control with an H.248 control interface from a SIP call/session agent.

Specific SBC configuration options include:

• Net-Net Session Director (SD) – integrated SBC with multi-protocol signaling and media control
• Net-Net Border Gateway (BG) - decomposed SBC with media control only, uses H.248 control interface to master Acme Packet Session Controller or third-party SIP signaling element
• Net-Net Session Controller (SC) - decomposed SBC with SIP signaling control only, uses H.248 control interface to slave Acme Packet Border Gateway or third-party media proxy/relay
• Net-Net Signaling Firewall (SF) - decomposed SBC with SIP signaling security and other control functions

Configurations supporting subscriber access are available with and without IMS P-CSCF SIP functionality to complement the IMS CSCF functions offered by Acme Packet’s partners in their products.

Multiservice Security Gateway (MSG) configurations 

The Net-Net 4000 ATCA blade may be configured to support MSG configurations for securing voice and data services over untrusted wireless or wireline networks using IPsec tunnels.  The Net-Net Security Gateway (SG) supports the following roles within the 3GPP architecture:

• I-WLAN Tunnel Terminating Gateway (TTG) - 3GPP Interworking-Wireless LAN (I-WLAN) Tunnel Terminating Gateway (TTG) secures SIP interactive communications services and packet data services
• UMA Security Gateway (SeGw) - 3GPP Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA) Security Gateway (SeGW) secures GSM voice services and packet data services

The Net-Net 4000 ATCA blade can support multiple, separate logical I-WLAN TTG and UMA SeGW functions within a single physical system. Virtualization enables service providers to use a single system to support multiple services— I-WLAN and UMA, residential and enterprise, retail and wholesale, or multiple mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) customers—minimizing capital and operating expenses. Acme Packet’s industry-leading SBC functionality (SD, BG, SC and SF configurations) can be also be physically integrated with the I-WLAN TTG configuration and virtualized, speeding time to service via proven interoperability and minimizing capital and operating expenses.

Session Routing Proxy (SRP) configurations

The Net-Net 4000 ATCA blade supports the Net-Net Session Router (SR) configuration, a high-performance session routing proxy (SRP) responsible for efficiently routing  SIP-based interactive communication sessions—voice, video, instant messaging and multimedia—within and between networks. The Net-Net SR plays a central role in Acme Packet’s Open Session Routing Architecture (OSR) which is designed to simplify and consolidate core and inter-network session routing and reduce capital and operational expenditures.

The Net-Net SR works in conjunction with best-of breed routing database products and services from Acme Packet partners. These complementary product vendors and service providers offer centralized routing databases and database provisioning tools for dynamic route selection. Acme Packet’s Net-Net SR queries these databases using industry-standard ENUM, SIP and DNS protocols. The Net-Net SR’s local route tables may also be provisioned by these members’ products or by the Acme Packet Net-Net EMS using XML.

Using these databases, the Net-Net SR dynamically routes sessions between all border types - access and interconnect, IP and TDM. More specifically, the Net-Net SR routes sessions between stateful service control elements such as Acme Packet SBCs, wireless Mobile Switching Centers (MSC), IMS subscriber call control elements, CLASS 5 softswitches, Cable Modem Termination Systems (CMTS) and softswitches controlling media gateways.  Since the source and destination SIP signaling elements are session-stateful, the Net-Net SR can operate in a stateless or transaction-stateful mode, maximizing its performance.

Common SBC, MSG & SRP functions

Net-SAFE, Acme Packet’s security function, is supported via the tight integration of the Net-Net 4000 ATCA blade hardware and Net-Net OS software. NET-SAFE features powerful denial-of-service/distributed denial-of service (DoS/DDoS) protection at the L3, L4, IPsec and SIP signaling level; and intrusion detection/prevention capabilities. Other security features support dynamic access control, topology hiding, privacy and confidentiality, service infrastructure DoS/DDoS  protection, virus and SPIT protection, and fraud prevention.

Net-Net EMS, a GUI/browser-based client/server application supporting configuration, fault, performance and security management for multiple border elements in multiple networks, is one of many management tools available.   Net-Net EMS can efficiently integrate into existing and next-generation operational support systems through industry-standard SOAP/XML, SNMP v2c and syslog interfaces. Other management tools include CLI, telnet, FTP and RADIUS.