WebSphere IP Multimedia Subsystem Connector

Helps accelerate the deployment of IMS services and applications

Leveraging the principles of a service-oriented architecture (SOA), new WebSphere software delivers a flexible, modular execution platform for next-generation telecommunications services:

• Leverage common off-the-shelf software to deliver rich new services combining voice, data and video across wireline and wireless networks.
• Utilize IP-based technologies and open standards such as Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), Java 2 Enterprise Edition (J2EE), and Telecom Web Services (Parlay X) to evolve to a common, flexible service platform.
• Accelerate the deployment with pre-built enablers for connecting service applications to IMS control plane elements.
• Collect, manage, and distribute real-time presence information and create and manage network-stored groups across a wide range of applications.
• Enhance applications and revenue opportunities by enabling secure, standards-based third-party access to telecom network capabilities like call control and presence.

WebSphere IMS Connector adds IMS-specific interfaces to the industry-leading WebSphere Application Server V6.1 platform to deliver a fully IMS standards-compliant SIP application server.

With support for IMS-ready HTTP and SIP applications on a single platform, WebSphere IMS Connector, together with WebSphere Application Server, can enable truly converged IMS applications to be built and deployed on a single service execution platform. This can help customers and business partners reduce the complexity and cost of their IMS solutions.

WebSphere IMS Connector adds two key IMS-compliant interface elements, as defined by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) and Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) to the WebSphere Application Server platform:

• IMS Session Control (ISC) interface that enables standards-based connectivity to Call/Session Control Functions (CSCF) in the IMS control plane.
• Diameter stack and interfaces that support subscriber management and charging functions in accordance with IMS standards

The ISC interface in WebSphere IMS Connector can enable session control, supporting communications between the applications running on WebSphere Application Server and the different CSCFs of the IMS control plane. It allows SIP parameters, including the IMS specific private headers, to be presented to the applications.

The bi-directional ISC interface support in WebSphere IMS Connector can also help maximize application flexibility by allowing for applications to be deployed in the roles of originating, terminating, and back-to-back user agents.

The diameter stack and interfaces in WebSphere IMS Connector provide easy-to-use connectivity to subscriber management and billing systems. They include a standard Sh interface for subscriber profile management and a standard Rf interface for off-line charging, as defined by 3GPP standards.

• Through the Sh interface, IMS service plane applications can reliably manage, with security, subscriber profiles from and to the Home Subscriber Server (HSS) in the service provider's environment. With the support for asynchronous notifications, the application can react to real time subscriber profile changes.
• Through the Rf off-line charging interface, IMS service plane applications can securely and reliably support post-paid business models for service usage.

As a binary protocol, the standardized diameter protocol and interfaces are complex. WebSphere IMS Connector can help reduce this complexity and simplify the job of an IMS application developer by providing easy-to-use Web services application programming interfaces (APIs) for the diameter functions. These simple Web services abstractions hide the complexities of interfacing with the diameter elements and can also act as component APIs for service orchestration and choreography in a SOA deployment.

IBM actively engages with Network Equipment Providers (NEPs) around interoperability of the WebSphere IMS Connector with IMS core network elements provided by the NEPs. IBM also helps to enable Business Partner applications from NEPs and independent software vendors on the flexible WebSphere software based IMS application platform.

Learn more

• More product details (US)

Buy WebSphere IP Multimedia Subsystem Connector

More Less

• IMS Session Control (ISC) reference point enabling standards-based SIP connectivity to Call/Session Control Functions (CSCF) in the IMS control plane.

• Diameter stack and interfaces supporting subscriber management and charging functions in accordance with IMS standards; complying with standards for IMS reference points, Sh, Ro and Rf.

• Enhanced security with the introduction of the IMS Security Trust Association Interceptor (TAI). The TAI provides an efficient mechanism to take advantage of the authentications performed at the boundaries of the SIP and HTTP networks.

• Improved statistical information management by from WebSphere through native SNMP monitoring capability for reporting the PMI performance metrics as well as faults and alarms raised from the product components to SNMP managers.

• Improved monitoring of Key Performance Indicators which are added to the diameter base implementation and Rf, Ro, Sh Web Services implementations.

• Converged Container: Support for JSR116 Servlet application programming interfaces (APIs) enabling a truly converged HTTP and SIP container for IMS applications.

• SIP Interface: Bi-directional SIP interface support allows for applications built to be deployed in the roles of originating, terminating, and back to back user agents allowing for the maximum flexibility.

• Private Headers: IMS Connector exposes and supports the PATH header and the IMS specific private headers such p-asserted-id and p-charging-vector to the applications. This enables the applications to fully exploit the IMS capabilities and eases deployment in to a service provider’s operational environment.

• Sh reference point: IMS service plane applications can securely and reliably manage subscriber profiles from and to the Home Subscriber Server (HSS) in the service providers’ environment. With the support for asynchronous notifications, the application can react to real-time subscriber profile changes.

• Rf reference point: IMS service plane applications can securely and reliably support post-paid business models for service usage.

• Ro reference point: IMS service plane applications can securely and reliably support pre-paid/credit business models for service usage.