Bell Labs Technical Journal · 2002 · 22 citations · 0 references
ComputingComputer EngineeringComputer ScienceComputer NetworksDistributed SystemsInterconnection NetworksCircuit SwitchingCommunication NetworksCommunication SystemsNetwork ArchitectureNetwork SwitchingPacket SwitchingCircuit Switched NetworksDistributed SwitchingPlatform CreationSwitch ArchitectureTelecommunication InfrastructureTelecommunications NetworksTelephone SystemsTelephony Systems
The Lucent Softswitch emerged from Project Saras to address the need for service providers to interconnect customers with evolving packet‑based networks while preserving the reliability and functionality of the traditional circuit‑switched public switched telephone network. The study aims to develop a software system that solves major telephony challenges and to describe the Lucent Softswitch’s application in building next‑generation converged networks. The Lucent Softswitch, originally the PacketStar IP Services Platform marketed for signaling interoperability and service creation, was renamed to reflect its role as a software‑based distributed switching‑and‑control platform.
The Lucent Technologies Softswitch was created as a result of Project Saras, which was initiated by two Bell Labs researchers. The purpose of Project Saras was to develop a software system that solves several major problems that providers of telephony services now face. Today's public switched communications infrastructure consists of a variety of different networks, technologies and systems, most of which are still based on the wireline circuit-switched structure. The technology, however, is evolving to packet-based networks, and service providers need the ability to interconnect their customers with these flexible and cost-effective networks without losing the reliability, convenience, and functionality of the public switched telephone network. The Lucent Softswitch, formerly known as the PacketStar† IP Services Platform, resulted from a focus on these needs. This Softswitch was initially marketed as a signaling-interoperability and services-creation platform under the umbrella brand name PacketStar for Lucent data networking products. It was renamed in light of the recognition that it represented an emerging concept in the industry called a “softswitch,” referring to a software-based distributed switching-and-control platform. This paper provides a high-level description of the Lucent Softswitch and its application to building next-generation converged networks.