IMS and Media Control

1
IMS and Media Control
James Rafferty, Cantata Technology August 10, 2007
2
IMS and Media Control
3
IMS and Media Control

• Relationship to Overall IMS
• Media Resource Function
• Prior Art
• Relationship to Application Servers
• MRFC
• MRFD
• MRF Interfaces
• Putting the MRF to Work
• Application Examples

4
The IMS Architecture
IMS focus for Media control MRF
5
Media Resource Function

• 3GPP has borrowed the MRF concept from several
  sources
• Basic idea of MRF or Media Server is to service
  the media needs of applications
• Collect Digits, Process tones, voice play/record,
  video play/record,

6
MRF Prior Art

• MRF concepts derived from several predecessors
• Concept of Decomposed architecture came from
  Softswitch Movement (ISC, ITU, IETF)
• Concept of SIP for Media Server control begun by
  Snowshore and validated by IPCC Reference
  Architecture
• Several companies have been working with SIP plus
  XML based markup languages for Media Control over
  last few years
• Several variants including Netann (RFC 4240),
  VoiceXML, MSCML, MSML/MOML

7
Timeline for Media Server Protocols
Conference-Control Optimized Interface for SIP
Environment RFC Editor Queue
Multifunction Media Server Interface SIP Paradigm
Added Basic Media Services for Device Control
Applications No known applications
Fixed MGCP Problems Focus on Gateways IETF
Standard
SIP/MSCML
Utility for Media Server
Attempt to Address Intellectual Integrity Issues
SIP/netann
Media Server Afterthought Not IETF Standard
H.248.1
SIP/MSML
All the Features of MGCP, But With SIP Transport
H.248
MGCP
SIP/MOML-MSML
Time
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
8
MRF ArchitectureComponents
App Server
ISC
S - CSCF
Mr (SIP)

• Lots of discussion on best way to handle in 3GPP
  / IETF
• Some implementers will combine MRFC/MRFP (MRF)

MRFC
Mp (H.248)
MRFP
9
MRFC

• MRFC Multimedia Resource Function Controller
• Definition
• MRFC can accept SIP Invites requesting tones and
  announcements, ad-hoc conferences and transcoding
• Works with MRFP on carrying out media operations
  if not a combined MRFC/MRFP

10
MRFP

• MRFP Multimedia Resource Function Controller
• Definition
•     Provides resources to be controlled by the
  MRFC
•    Mixes incoming media streams (e.g. for
  multiple parties).
•     Sources media streams (for multimedia
  announcements).
•    Processes media streams (e.g. media analysis).

11
Related Interfaces

• Mr (S-CSCF MRFC) interface
• Based on SIP
• Active work item in 3GPP related work in IETF
• Mp (MRFC - MRFP) interface
• Based on H.248 (Megaco)
• Active work item in 3GPP related work in ITU-T
  

12
The Controversy

• Most robust media servers are controlled via SIP
• 3GPP specified media interfaces only at high
  level up until now
• SIP for Mr (to control MRFC)
• H.248 for Mp (to control MRFP)
• Many leading MS vendors strongly support a
  SIP-only MRF
• However, 3GPP is moving ahead with H.248 as the
  protocol for the Mp interface

13
Issues with MRFC/MRFP Decomposition

• With no Media Processing Experience
• Belief Was MRFCMGCMRFPMG
• Lots of Media Resources Controlled By Controller
• Separates Media Control (Control Plane) From
  Media Processing (Media Plane)

MGC
MRFC
MRFP
MRFP
MRFP
MRFP
14
What Is Todays Reality?

• MRFC Capacity
• 600 Sessions/Box (VoiceXML)
• 1000 Sessions/Box (Trivial IVR, Basic
  Conferencing)
• MRFP Capacity
• Early Media Servers 20,000 Sessions/Box
• Ratio MRFCMRFP in deployment is at Least 201

MRFC
MRFC
MRFC
MRFC
MRFC
MRFC
MRFC
MRFC
MRFC
MRFC
MRFC
MRFC
MRFC
MRFC
MRFC
MRFC
MRFC
MRFC
MRFC
MRFC
MRFC
MRFC
MRFC
MRFC
MRFC
MRFP
15
Another Possible Approach

• Network Function Required
• MRFC Capability Discovery
• MRFC Allocation Load Balancing
• Consolidated CDR, OAM, Provisioning
• Media Resource Function Broker (MRFB)

16
Potential MRFB Interfaces

• Clearly, MRFB Uses Mr (SIP) to S-CSCF
• Do Not Change S-CSCF
• Should MRFB use H.248 or SIP to MRFC?
• H.248 Would Change MRFC
• Creates many Technical Issues Raised Above
• MRFB Makes Collection of MRFC/MRFP (MRF) Look
  Like Single Media Resource

17
Putting the MRF to Work
SIPMSCML
SIP
3G
SIPVoiceXML
SIP
IMG
SIP Routing Cloud
2.5G
IMG
SIPSIP w/ VoiceXML SIP w/ MSCML
SIP
Web Content
HTTP
PSTN
RTP
FTP
MPEG-4
MRF
NFS
Cable
IP Phones
Network Storage
(MRFC/MRFP)
18
Example IMS Network Gaming Demo

• Developed with IBM and partners
• Qualphone client on mobile handset
• Uses presence for user availability
• MRF provides conferencing (trash talk) and IVR
• Terraplay Lock n Load Multi-player game

19
IMS Gaming Service Delivery
Ubiquity SIP AS
Gaming Data
Gaming Data
WiFi
Cantata MRF
Terraplay Game
Qualphone Client
CDMA Mobile Call
MGW-IMG
PLMN
NexTone CSCF
Outbound T1 PRI
BayPacket Prepaid
CDMA Mobile Calls
IBM Presence
BayPackets Prepaid
20
Example Sponsored Call Service

• Developed by ARGELA Technologies
• Sponsored Call
• 3G subscriber views a video commercial from a
  sponsor

• Subscriber receives a discount on service
• Rapid development
• 4 weeks from development to trial

21
Case Study Video Messaging Deployment
Provider TMN With more than five million
subscribers in Portugal and a total of 25 million
accounts worldwide, TMN is Portugals largest
mobile operator.

• Developed by OpenWave
• Service Features
• 3G VideoMail
• Greeting
• Message drop-off
• Subscriber retrieval
• VoiceMail
• Converged Application
• Access From PC Over Broadband As Well As Wireless

New video service deployed for European Soccer
Championship Games in Portugal 2004
22
Other Likely IMS Applications

• FMC Fixed Mobile Convergence
• IP Centrex Hosting for Businesses
• Audio and Video combined with other services
• For example, conferencing, push-to-communicate,
  Multimedia over Broadband, Multimedia IM
• Legacy Migration
• Voice mail, conferencing, SMS, Prepaid Services

23
Workshop Questions

• What are some examples of media within an MRF?
• What are examples of prior art that are
  influencing the MRF?
• Which protocols are proposed to control the
  following IMS elements?
• MRFC
• MRFP

24
Summary

• MRF is the Media Resource Function in the IMS
• Strongly influenced by prior art in control of
  Media Servers
• 3GPP is working on standards for MRF control,
  with IETF and ITU
• Still much debate in standards bodies about
  details
• Pre-IMS solutions using SIP and XML markup are
  being deployed today

25
(No Transcript)