Edge STPs (signal transfer points) are networking hardware devices embedded with software that performs

routing Routing is the process of selecting a path for traffic in a network or between or across multiple networks. Broadly, routing is performed in many types of networks, including circuit-switched networks, such as the public switched telephone netw ...

, signaling,

firewall Firewall may refer to: * Firewall (computing), a technological barrier designed to prevent unauthorized or unwanted communications between computer networks or hosts * Firewall (construction), a barrier inside a building, designed to limit the spre ...

, and packet conversion functions. Their primary purpose is to unify networks that use various transports and signaling protocols – such as SS7, SIP,

SIGTRAN SIGTRAN is the name, derived from ''signaling transport'', of the former Internet Task Force (I) working group that produced specifications for a family of protocols that provide reliable datagram service and user layer adaptations for Signaling ...

TDM TDM may refer to: * ''TDM (film), TDM'', a 2023 Indian Marathi language, Marathi comedy film * TDM (Macau) (), a Macanese radio and television network * The Yamaha TDM, a motorcycle model * Target Disk Mode, a boot mode on certain Macintosh compute ...

, IP, etc. – into cohesive service environments. Unified environments are simpler for

telecommunications Telecommunication is the transmission of information by various types of technologies over wire, radio, optical, or other electromagnetic systems. It has its origin in the desire of humans for communication over a distance greater than that fe ...

companies to manage, and also enable them to cost-effectively transition to next-generation networks based on the Internet Protocol (IP). Edge STPs support voice, data and video services. Among their key functions are optimizing traffic flow; providing advanced load sharing between

network segment A network segment is a portion of a computer network. The nature and extent of a segment depends on the nature of the network and the device or devices used to interconnect end stations. Ethernet According to the defining IEEE 802.3 standards ...

s; managing multi-node congestion; translating addresses; filtering and screening packets; and protecting important information. They also provide on-the-fly translation between networks that employ different transports and signaling protocols. That translation capability enables, for example, services that were designed to run on SS7 to run on IP networks instead, and vice versa.

Edge STPs at work

Unlike traditional STPs, Edge STPs process packet traffic away from the network core, where sensitive applications and customer information reside. They can either perform simple packet routing or deep packet inspection (DPI) that supports content-based

. DPI is a time-consuming and processor-intensive function that can bog down

core network A backbone or core network is a part of a computer network which interconnects networks, providing a path for the exchange of information between different LANs or subnetworks. A backbone can tie together diverse networks in the same building ...

functions and reduce customer response times. Shifting it to the network edge improves overall network performance. Moving functionality to the network edge, companies can add, modify, and expand services without disrupting core network functions. Edge STPs perform a broad range of roles in evolving telecommunications networks. They include optimizing services such as short message service (SMS) for improved performance; providing precise security policies to

subnetwork A subnetwork or subnet is a logical subdivision of an IP network. Updated by RFC 6918. The practice of dividing a network into two or more networks is called subnetting. Computers that belong to the same subnet are addressed with an identical ...

s; preventing service interruptions during switch migrations; and connecting server-based applications to switched networks. In the latter scenario, telecommunications companies that are implementing IP subnetworks use Edge STPs to integrate them with their existing SS7 signaling infrastructure.

References

IEEE, http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/Xplore/login.jsp?url=/iel5/6842/18390/00847947.pdf?arnumber=847947 Dynamic edge provisioning for core IP networks IETF SIGTRAN RFC 2719: Architectural Framework for Signaling Transport.

External links

“Edge device and method for interconnecting SS7 signaling points (SPs) using edge device,” http://www.freepatentsonline.com/6940866.html The new zone of opportunity in telecom networking is on the edge * http://www.compactpci-systems.com/articles/id/?3178 US Patent 6940866 - Edge device and method for interconnecting SS7 signaling points(SPs) using edge device * https://web.archive.org/web/20110612190213/http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/6940866/claims.html {{DEFAULTSORT:Edge Stp Telephony signals Telecommunications infrastructure

Edge STPs at work

See also

References

External links