Good question. I did mean IP PBX SIP connect trunking. I'd normally think of carrier to carrier as transport or something similar rather than trunking. Thanks everyone for the answers. Sounds like Sonus fronted by an Acme Session Director is the answer I was looking for. Thanks, Ric On 8/4/09 5:03 PM, "Mark Holloway" <mh at markholloway.com> thought to write:

When you refer to SIP Trunking are you referring to IP PBX sip connect trunking? Or carrier to carrier SIP peering?

On Aug 4, 2009, at 3:33 PM, kilroy at washere.com wrote:

...

Does anyone here know what soft switch Global Crossing is using in their network on their SIP trunk services? Google is turning up multiple, non-authoritative answers and I hoped someone here might know bette.r

Thanks, Ric

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-- Ric

Ric Messier wrote:

Good question. I did mean IP PBX SIP connect trunking. I'd normally think of carrier to carrier as transport or something similar rather than trunking.

SIP trunking simply refers to a static arrangement of IP endpoints for the purpose of setting up multiple sessions between them in order to pass traffic. It can either be access (for a customer) or traffic of an intra-industrial nature, such as private SIP peering between carriers or ITSPs. Also, the endpoints of a trunk need to be network elements related to service delivery rather than end-user handsets, ATAs and similar devices designed for end-user access. Client-side equipment designed for further switching - most notably, a PBX - qualifies under that definition, insofar as a PBX is a micro-switch of sorts, but anything that would be typically attached to that PBX as an extension does not. Like many terms imported into VoIP from the TDM world by marketing departments, the term "trunking" is neither precise nor astute. The essence of its original meaning, which draws on key pieces of electromechanical, digital and analog telephony history and heritage, is lost when marshaled in a VoIP context. "Trunks" make most sense when applied to physically distinctive bundles of circuitry intended to move traffic in between distribution nodes in an intensely hierarchical topology; most classically, the distribution nodes are central offices/telephone exchanges containing some sort of switch, but more recently, premise-based "miniature" switches like PBXs, which have the distinction of "internal" lines (to handsets) versus "outside lines" used for PSTN access, too. "SIP trunking" is really no better than "virtual PRI" in this respect. It's a transplanted figment of marketing imagination that otherwise lacks conceptual integrity from an engineering perspective - in my opinion, at least. Although, I suppose the notion of a VoIP "line" really takes the cake. Even a SIP "channel" is really pushing it; SIP does not establish "channels," it establishes sessions. Aside from certain logical configuration parameters (network and transport-layer reachability information) on equipment, there is no kind of intrinsic "container" in which those sessions participate, so there's nothing to "channelise" as with a T1 electrical or ISDN link-layer synchronous framing structure. -- Alex -- Alex Balashov Evariste Systems Web : http://www.evaristesys.com/ Tel : (+1) (678) 954-0670 Direct : (+1) (678) 954-0671 Mobile : (+1) (678) 237-1775

Technical concepts are often different from Marketing terms. At my last company we used the term "SIP Trunking" to refer to configured SIP connectivity to an end customer's equipment, generally limited by a network element to a specific number of maximum concurrent calls with one form or another of flat-rate pricing. "Virtual PRI" is a good analogy. We used the term "O&T" (Origination and Termination) to refer to wholesale SIP arrangements to another carrier/large customer's switch that was metered (pay for all calls) and was not limited (by anything other than available bandwidth and upstream PSTN trunks) in terms of concurrency. This would equate to carrier SS7 and ISUP trunks in the PSTN. Perhaps a good analogy is "Peering" vs. "Transport" or "Transport" vs. "Internet Access" in the IP connectivity world. They are all just pipes for moving packets but they come with different agreements and pricing, often due to the "size" of the deal, and they are often provisioned very differently from a technical/facilities standpoint. -Scott -----Original Message----- From: voiceops-bounces at voiceops.org [mailto:voiceops-bounces at voiceops.org] On Behalf Of Ric Messier Sent: Wednesday, August 05, 2009 10:05 AM To: Alex Balashov Cc: voiceops at voiceops.org Subject: Re: [VoiceOps] GLBX soft switch On Wed, 5 Aug 2009, Alex Balashov wrote:

SIP trunking simply refers to a static arrangement of IP endpoints for the

purpose of setting up multiple sessions between them in order to pass traffic. It can either be access (for a customer) or traffic of an intra-industrial nature, such as private SIP peering between carriers or ITSPs.

I'm familiar with what SIP trunking is. You're right that it's imprecise. However, the carrier/service provider I used to work for did make a distinction, as I recall. Ultimately, the mechanism is the same or at least similar (different facilities may be used). Ric _______________________________________________ VoiceOps mailing list VoiceOps at voiceops.org https://puck.nether.net/mailman/listinfo/voiceops

And I do so love those 3 AM troubleshooting calls. Me: "You guys aren't responding to our SIP messages, can we get a trouble ticket opened" Carrier Tech Support: "Sure, what's your main trunk number?" Me: "It's a SIP trunk, there is no main number. We have thousands of numbers with you guys" CTS: "SIP, what's SIP?" Me: "It's a VoIP connection" CTS: "Ahh, OK. So where do I send the repairman to fix your T1 line?" Me: "Vint Cerf's house?" Sigh...... Hiers, David wrote:

I like the terms "SIP Trunk" and "Virtual PRI" because:

1. It gives me mercifully short meetings with management

2. Our sales force knows how to sell those things

Sure, all of us here know that we deal in multimedia sessions ("A multimedia session is a set of multimedia senders and receivers and the data streams flowing from senders to receivers. A multimedia conference is an example of a multimedia session."), but we killed entire crops of sales guys trying get those words to come out of their mouths in the right order.

David Hiers

CCIE (R/S, V), CISSP ADP Dealer Services 2525 SW 1st Ave. Suite 300W Portland, OR 97201 o: 503-205-4467 f: 503-402-3277

-----Original Message----- From: voiceops-bounces at voiceops.org [_mailto:voiceops-bounces at voiceops.org_] On Behalf Of Ric Messier Sent: Wednesday, August 05, 2009 7:05 AM To: Alex Balashov Cc: voiceops at voiceops.org Subject: Re: [VoiceOps] GLBX soft switch

On Wed, 5 Aug 2009, Alex Balashov wrote:

...

SIP trunking simply refers to a static arrangement of IP endpoints for the purpose of setting up multiple sessions between them in order to pass traffic. It can either be access (for a customer) or traffic of an intra-industrial nature, such as private SIP peering between carriers or ITSPs.

I'm familiar with what SIP trunking is. You're right that it's imprecise. However, the carrier/service provider I used to work for did make a distinction, as I recall. Ultimately, the mechanism is the same or at least similar (different facilities may be used).

Ric

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Howard Hart wrote:

Me: "You guys aren't responding to our SIP messages, can we get a trouble ticket opened" Carrier Tech Support: "Sure, what's your main trunk number?" Me: "It's a SIP trunk, there is no main number. We have thousands of numbers with you guys" CTS: "SIP, what's SIP?" Me: "It's a VoIP connection" CTS: "Ahh, OK. So where do I send the repairman to fix your T1 line?" Me: "Vint Cerf's house?"

Ha, yeah. I've been stubbornly and insistently asked for TCICs, point codes and BTNs in reference to a SIP trunk issue. -- Alex Balashov Evariste Systems Web : http://www.evaristesys.com/ Tel : (+1) (678) 954-0670 Direct : (+1) (678) 954-0671 Mobile : (+1) (678) 237-1775