FORUM ON NEXT GENERATION STANDARDIZATION
(Colombo, Sri Lanka, 7-10 April 2009)
Interoperability, why it is important
Dr. Ghassem Koleyni
Colombo, Sri Lanka, 7-10 April 2009
Content
 Business
approach to products and
standardization
 Open standards
 Interworking and interoperability
 What makes networks not to
interoperate?
 Functional architectures and
interfaces
 Concluding remark
Colmbo, Sri Lanka, 7-10 April 2009
2
Business approach to products and
standardization
Business case
study
Standardization
•
•
•
Problem analysis
Requirement analysis
architecture
Implementation
•
•
Pilot project
Full product
Deployment
Colmbo, Sri Lanka, 7-10 April 2009
3
Open standards (I)

Open standards are developed and
maintained in a transparent way
through participation and collaboration
of many organizations, vendors and
operators. Open standards consider:
User, business and technical
requirements
Multi-service, multi-network and multivendor environments
Reuse or integration of existing open
standards to the extent practicable
Colmbo, Sri Lanka, 7-10 April 2009
4
Open standards (II)
 Implementation
based on open
standards is a major component to
support the market
Having interoperable system makes
sense and is a good marketing and
business strategy
What is interoperability?
Colmbo, Sri Lanka, 7-10 April 2009
5
Recognizing that interoperability
of international telecommunication
networks was the main reason to
create ITU in the year 1865
(International Telegraph Union),
and that this remains one of the
main goals in the ITU strategic
plan;
ITU-T Resolution 76
Colmbo, Sri Lanka, 7-10 April 2009
6
Interworking and interoperability
Is interworking the same as interoperability?
No
Let’s see why
Colmbo, Sri Lanka, 7-10 April 2009
7
Interworking (I)
The term ''interworking'' is used to express
interactions between networks, between
end systems, or between parts thereof, with
the aim of providing a functional entity
capable of supporting an end-to-end
communication. The interactions required to
provide a functional entity rely on functions
and on the means to select these functions.
Source: ITU-T Rec. Y.1411
Note: In ITU-T Rec. I.741 term “Interconnection” is used which when
examined is the same as interworking
Colmbo, Sri Lanka, 7-10 April 2009
8
Interworking (II)
Network
A
Interworking
function
Colmbo, Sri Lanka, 7-10 April 2009
Network
B
Inter- Network
working
C
function
9
Interworking example
ATM
IWF
MPLS
VC/VP
IWF
MPLS LSP
ATM
VC/VP
Upper Layers
Upper Layers
AAL
AAL
IWF
ATM
Physical
ATM
Physical
IWF
MPLS
LSP
Stacks
MPLS
LSP
Stacks
MPLS
LSP
Stacks
MPLS
LSP
Stacks
Link Layer
Link Layer
Link Layer
Link Layer
Physical
Physical
Physical
Physical
ATM
ATM
Physical
Physical
Y.1411_F02
Colmbo, Sri Lanka, 7-10 April 2009
10
Interoperability
The ability of two or more systems or
applications to exchange information and
to mutually use the information that has
been exchanged.
Source: ITU-T Rec. Y.101
Network
A
Colmbo, Sri Lanka, 7-10 April 2009
Network
B
11
Colmbo, Sri Lanka, 7-10 April 2009
12
Colmbo, Sri Lanka, 7-10 April 2009
13
What makes networks
un-interoperable?
 Lack of interoperability happens when two
networks which are implemented based on
the same standards (functionally equivalent)
can’t talk to each other; or
 When two networks (again functionally
equivalent) which are to provide similar
services are based on two different
standards (e.g. one has been implemented
based on a proprietary specification and
another one based on a global standard
Colmbo, Sri Lanka, 7-10 April 2009
14
What is the solution?
Compliance to global
standards
But
Does everyone comply?
Simply no
Colmbo, Sri Lanka, 7-10 April 2009
15
NGN Generalized functional architecture
Applications
ANI
Management functions
Application support functions & service support functions
(may include own authentication, authorization and accounting)
Service
control
S-5: S. user
profile FE
S-15: General
services control FE
S-2: Proxy call session
control FE
T-12: T. user
profile FE
NGN
UNI
T-11:
T. authentication
& authorization
FE
End-user
Function
Legacy
terminal
T-13: T. location
management FE
S-13: Media resource
control FE
RACF
T-4: Access
relay FE
Legacy
terminal
T-1: Access
media
gateway FE
IP
multimedia
networks
T-16: Policy decision FE
T-16: Policy decision FE
T-17: Transport
resource control FE
T-17: Transport
resource control FE
T-10:
Network access
configuration FE
Core transport
T-8:
Media
resource
processing
FE
Access transport
T-3: Edge
node FE
T-2: Access
node FE
NGN
terminal
T-5:
Access
border
gateway
FE
Access packet transport functions
Core packet transport functions
Scope of NGN
Colmbo, Sri Lanka, 7-10 April 2009
Other NGN
S-9: Media
GW control FE
RACF
T-14: Access management FE
RGW
Customer
network
S-7: Interconnection
border gateway
control FE
S-10: Breakout
gateway control FE
S-1: Serving call session control FE
S-8: Access GW
control FE
NACF
T-15: Home gateway
Configuration FE
S-12: Network signalling
interworking FE
S-3: Interrogating call
session control FE
S-4: Subscription
locator FE
S-11: User signalling
interworking FE
S-6: S. authentication
and authorization FE
S-14: Media
resource broker FE
Application
T-9:
Signalling
gateway
FE
:
T-6:
Interconnection
border
gateway FE
T-7:
Trunking
media
gateway
FE
PSTN/ISDN
Q.3030(08)_F01
Source: ITU-T Rec. Q.3030
16
Reference points in IPTV functional architecture
Application Functions
IPTV Terminal
Functions
IPTV Application Functions
SADS
Functional Block
Application
Client Functions
A4
A5
Application Profile
Functional Block
M1
E0
IPTV Application
Functional Block
SADS Client
Functional Block
A3
A6
E1
SCP Functions
IPTV Application
Client
Functional Block
C3
Content Preparation
Functions
C2
A1
E2
C1
A2
Service Control Functions
SCP Client
Functions
Content Delivery Functions
Content Distribution & Location Control Functions
S1
Location Control
Functional block
Service User Profile
Functional Block
Control Client
Functional Block
IPTV Service
Control Functional
Block
E3
Distribution Control
Functional Block
D1
Content Delivery & Storage Functions
S2
S5
Content Delivery Control Functional Block
Content Delivery Client
Functions
Cache/Storage
Functional Block
Distribution Functional
Block
Error Recovery
Client
Functional Block
Error Recovery
Functional Block
Content Processing
Functional Block
Unicast Delivery
Functional Block
Multicast Delivery
Functional Block
Unicast Content
Delivery Client
Functional Block
S3
S4
Multicast Content
Delivery Client
Functional Block
E5-Cu
E4
E5-Cm
Md
Ud
Mc
Home Network
Functions
H1
E6
Authentication &
IP Allocation
Functional Block
T1
Access Network
Functions
Delivery Network
Gateway
Functional Block
Resource Control
Functional Block
R1
Edge Functions
Multicast Control Point Functional Block
H2
Multicast Replication Functional Block
Core Transport
Functions
Network Functions
Multicast
Transport
Functions
H3
End-User
Functions
Colmbo, Sri Lanka,
7-10 April 2009
Unicast Transport Functions
Source: ITU-T Draft Rec. Q.IPTVSA
Functional architectures and interfaces
Both NGN and IPTV functional architectures
clearly identify open interfaces and specify
signalling protocols which pass through
them
 To be interoperable means all devices built
based on the same standard have the same
behaviour at the same reference point

ITU-T has produced Recommendations
which provide signalling and control
procedures for protocols passing
through open interfaces
Colmbo, Sri Lanka, 7-10 April 2009
18
ITU and interoperability
 ITU-T
resolution 76 indicates:
ITU-T study groups develop the necessary
conformance testing Recommendations for
telecommunication equipment as soon as
possible;
ITU-T Recommendations to address
interoperability testing shall be progressed as
quickly as possible; and
Assist developing countries in establishing
regional or sub-regional conformity and
interoperability centres suitable to perform
conformity and interoperability testing as
appropriate.
Colmbo, Sri Lanka, 7-10 April 2009
19
Interoperability, standards and
conformance (I)
 Open standards are designed based
on common agreement; however,
they don’t guarantee interoperability
 Verification, conformance and
compliance testing should be an
integral part of standardization
process
 Regulatory bodies should encourage
and make sure that deployed devices
are interoperable
Colmbo, Sri Lanka, 7-10 April 2009
20
Interoperability, standards and
conformance (II)
 Reference
points and protocols going
through them are the most
important players for interoperability
 Test suites should be provided to
verify conformance
 Certified organizations to perform
conformance testing are needed
Would be ideal to have these
organizations in different regions
Colmbo, Sri Lanka, 7-10 April 2009
21
Conclusion
 In
general, implementations based on
global standards should be
interoperable
But this may not be true unless tested and
certified by reputable organizations
 When
procuring NGN or IPTV devices,
care should be taken to assure
interoperability
i.e. products are implemented based on an open
standard and backed up by certification from a
reputable organization
Colmbo, Sri Lanka, 7-10 April 2009
22
Conclusion (II)
ITU-T considers support of interoperable
devices a major component of its activities
 ITU-T reuses open and global standards

Increases chance of interoperability
May reduce implementation cost
Procuring devices compliant to
global standards will help ensure
interoperability
Colmbo, Sri Lanka, 7-10 April 2009
23
List of Acronyms













AAL
ATM
IWF
IPTV
LSP
MPLS
NGN
QoS
Rec.
RFID
USN
VC
VP
ATM Adaptation Layer
Asynchronous Transfer Mode
Interworking Function
Internet Protocol Television
Label Switched Path
Multi-Protocol Label Switching
Next Generation Network
Quality of Service
Recommendation
Radio Frequency IDentification
Ubiquitous Sensor Network
Virtual Channel
Virtual Path
Colombo, Sri Lanka, 7-10 April 2009
24
Thank you for your attention
Dr. Ghassem Koleyni
Email: ghassem@rogers.com
Tel: +1 613 592 5344
Colmbo, Sri Lanka, 7-10 April 2009
25
BACKUP SLIDES
Colmbo, Sri Lanka, 7-10 April 2009
26
ITU-T actions for support of
interoperability

Creation of one working party in SG 11 for
test specifications
Q.8/11: Protocol Test Specifications for
NGN
Q.9/11: Monitoring parameters for NGN
protocols
Q.10/11: Service test specification for NGN
Q.11/11: QoS tests specification for NGN
Q.12/11: USN and RFID test specification
Colombo, Sri Lanka, 7-10 April 2009
27