Lineblocs - Transcoding

Intelligent Transcoding Solutions for VoIPand fax solutions

In order to provide high-quality end-to-end connectivity for real-time media streams the best codecs must be used for the network environment. Lineblocs transcoding solutions allow the endpoints within the network to operate independently in order to ensure the best user experience for voice, video, fax, or conferencing sessions.

Lineblocs transcoding solutions use high-performance DSP chips so the systems are scalable to thousands of sessions with perfect quality for any codec transcoding requirements. The Lineblocs solutions come with our media handling server (MST3) or as a component of our INX session controller.

Optimizing Transcoding Resources with Lineblocs Transcoders for Cost-Efficiency

Lineblocs transcoders provide intelligent use of their DSP resources by enabling transcoding at the end of the session setup messaging. So the network manager can ensure that transcoding resources are only utilized when absolutely necessary based on the termination devices. In addition, the systems provide high-capacity switching of the non-transcoded calls in order to save rack space and cost.

Lineblocs Virtualized SBC

As networks evolve to the SDN and NFV architectures they retain the need for handling large quantities of sensitive real-time media traffic. For these networks, Lineblocs is providing session control on Virtual Machine hypervisors such as VMWare and KVM. The Lineblocs can also be quickly deployed as a VM resident session controller across any cloud infrastructure such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Compute Engines (GCE), and IBM Bluemix. With Lineblocs session controller communications service providers can realize the benefits of cloud computing: rapid deployment, scaleable computing capacity, and lower upfront investment.

Lineblocs session controller enables service providers to offer voice, video, and multimedia services to residential, enterprise, and wholesale customers via the cloud. Additional capacity and locations can be quickly tested and turned up including backup and disaster recovery (DR) replacing the need for expensive co-location facilities.

Lineblocs cloud-based session controller eliminates the need to invest in hardware and colo space up front, so service providers can develop and deploy applications faster. The Lineblocsi can be used to launch as many or as few virtual session controllers as are needed, where they are needed, and can scale up or down to handle changes in requirements or spikes in popularity, reducing your need to forecast traffic. Lineblocs leverages the virtual images which can be pre-configured in a single or redundant Lineblocs session control instances depending on the application and capacity requirements. The Lineblocs session control is created from the same award-winning Lineblocs software available for appliance-based deployments. In addition, communications service providers can dynamically allocate sessions across Lineblocs virtual instances without paying site licenses. This dynamic allocation can also be shared with appliance-based Lineblocs deployments. In addition, communications service providers can dynamically allocate session licenses across multiple Lineblocs virtual instances: KVM, VMware, AWS, Google, IBM, and or Bare Metal without paying additional site licenses. This dynamic session license allocation can also be shared with appliance-based Lineblocs deployments.

Key functionality provided by the Lineblocs includes the following:

Network topology protection and asset hiding
Prevention of distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks through sophisticated network security mechanisms
Advanced management of signaling and media throughput under all load conditions
Firewall and network address translation (NAT) traversal, near and far end
Secure Real-Time Transport Protocol (SRTP) support
TLS – signaling encryption
Local number portability (LNP) dipping and complete control of inbound/outbound RN handling
Session routing based on ANI and DNIS jurisdictional control
Manages 90M routes in 1,000 different route tables
Generate call detail records (CDR) with retrieval via RADIUS, FTP, RSync, and SCP
Performance monitoring with metrics updated in real-time
Protocol interworking for SIP and H.323
Media transcoding, including fixed and wireless audio codecs and video codecs

The Lineblocs is an evolution of the Lineblocs based on the same proven software platform and enables Service Providers to securely connect existing VoIP service networks to the new WebRTC applications and end users. The Lineblocs exposes the RESTful RAPID API for app developers to execute advanced media plane control and SIP-WebRTC interconnect from within their WebRTC-enabled apps.

The Lineblocs performs WebRTC to SIP interworking in order to provide browser-to-SIP applications. This allows graceful migration from existing SIP applications to more numerous WebRTC endpoints.

MST Media Handling

The Lineblocs MST is a transcoding subsystem that enables communications service providers to convert the media encoding of audio, fax, and video traffic. The MST enables operators to support an increased variety of devices and codecs, reduce carrier termination costs, and enhance security through traffic encryption. The MST functions as a transcoding resource within the Lineblocs session controller. The Lineblocs uses H.248 to direct media streams to the MST as a part of normal session control functions and traffic handling. By deploying the MST as a part of Lineblocs session control, transcoding is performed with the same active level of session control, reporting, and high availability as standard Lineblocs media handling.

The Lineblocs cost-effectively support a distributed deployment, enabling service providers to extend security functions and optimize session routing. Transcoding as a part of distributed deployment offers two clear benefits for service providers:

Eliminates added signaling, CDRs, and session ports required by outboard transcoding
Transcodes with minimal network hops and minimizes possible traffic hair-pinning

Transcoding as a part of session control functions results in simplification of network operations as well as optimized session routing which can result in reduced latency and jitter.

MST setup and configuration are performed through added elements in the Lineblocs GUI. Sessions are targeted for transcoding by trunk ID (TID). Codecs are specified using a drop-down selection.

The MST is a straightforward addition for Lineblocs operators looking to add transcoding.

Blocs SIP Routing

Blocs Session Initiation Protocol routing refers to the process of determining the path that SIP messages (signals) take through a network to establish and manage real-time communication sessions. SIP is a protocol commonly used for setting up audio and video calls, instant messaging, and other communication sessions over IP networks.

Blocs SIP routing involves making decisions about how to route SIP messages from one endpoint to another to establish a communication session. This routing can occur within a local network, across different networks, or even between different service providers. The goal of SIP routing is to ensure that the messages reach the intended recipient efficiently and reliably.

Proxy Servers:

Proxy servers are intermediaries that handle SIP messages on behalf of endpoints. They can perform functions like security checks, message modifications, and determining the best route for the message.

Location Service

Blocs SIP routing often involves looking up the current location or IP address of the recipient of the communication. This could involve DNS (Domain Name System) lookups or other location-based methods.

Topology Hiding:

Blocs SIP routing can involve hiding the network topology from outside users for security reasons. This is often done through the use of proxy servers that shield internal network details.

Load Balancing

In larger networks or service provider environments, load balancing mechanisms might be used to distribute SIP traffic across multiple servers or resources to ensure efficient utilization of resources.

Failover and Redundancy

Blocs SIP routing can include failover mechanisms to ensure that if one route or server becomes unavailable, the communication session can be routed through an alternative path.

Peering and Interconnection

In the context of service providers and large networks, peering agreements and interconnection points need to be established to enable SIP messages to flow seamlessly between different networks.

Blocs SIP routing plays a crucial role in enabling real-time communication services like VoIP (Voice over IP) calls, video conferencing, and instant messaging. It ensures that communication sessions are established, maintained, and terminated effectively while considering factors like network efficiency, security, and quality of service.

Transcoding