Additional sections:
In this section:
The
Configuration | Basic ERE | Advanced ERE | Standalone ePSX | Replica ePSX | Centralized External PSX |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Number of SBCs Deployed | Small | Small | Small | Small | Large |
Routing Complexity | Simple | Complex | Complex | Complex | Complex |
For performance and capacity comparison of ERE, ePSX and PSX, refer to Routing Engines Comparison.
ePSX is not supported on SBC Software Edition (SBC SWe) platform.
The ERE provides less routing and policy management functionality and is intended for smaller networks with no complex routing needs. Basic ERE is the default routing engine on the SBC 5000 series for performing basic call routing services.
The ERE can be installed by selecting the embedded routing engine (ERE) option while installing the
The Advanced ERE is a licensed option for customers requiring expanded routing functionality.
You can configure the SBC to use an external PSX for routing and the ERE for fallback routing. When the external PSX is up and running, all routing is handled by the external PSX and ERE routing configurations are ignored.
Thus, in the unlikely event that the external PSX goes down, you can fall back to ERE routing by simply setting the SBC's remote server state to 'disabled' from the EMA UI.
To set up an external PSX for routing, perform the following:
The centralized PSX server combines call routing functionality with exceptional capacity of storing tens of millions of call routes in a single database. This
The following figure depicts the
To configure external PSXs as Active and Standby remote policy servers from the
The following figure depicts the standalone ePSX which uses EMA for provisioning.
The ePSX provides the ability to run a fully functional PSX within a virtual machine running on
The core technology of virtualization is the hypervisor. A hypervisor manages virtual machines, allocates resources and provides hardware emulation to the guest systems. A type 1 hypervisor runs directly on the hardware, providing services for all running systems. A type 2 hypervisor runs under a native operating system and provides services to all but the host system. KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) is a type 2 hypervisor for Linux systems and is used to provide SBC virtualization services. The ePSX application executes as a completely independent machine from the host
The ePSX shares the host’s network interfaces, but maintains a separate IP address. This is accomplished by linking the physical and virtual interfaces via a Linux bridge device. The bridge is a layer 2 software switch that allows multiple logical interfaces to be combined on the same physical interface. Network processor (NP) enhancements to support multiple virtual interfaces are needed to maintain network performance and security.
The ePSX is delivered as an additional package in SBC software bundle. During SBC installation, either ERE or ePSX can be selected as the routing engine. The ePSX is delivered as an OVF (Open Virtualization Format) package. OVF is an emerging standard for the distribution of virtual machines, and provides mechanisms for defining the resource requirements of the guest and for tailoring applications to their target environment.
To enable ePSX functionality during initial
The ePSX cannot be added to an SBC with an existing ERE configuration. A fresh installation is required.
The ePSX supports two modes: Replica ePSX and Standalone ePSX. In Replica ePSX mode, the ePSX functions like a PSX slave, where all configuration data is replicated from its designated master. In Standalone ePSX mode, the ePSX behaves similar to a PSX master where all configuration data is provisioned via EMS/EMA. The Standalone ePSX does not replicate data to any external PSX slaves.
The ePSX is not supported on SBC 5100 due to the hard drive size limitation.
ePSX is not supported in SBC Software Edition (SBC SWe).
For more information on installing and configuring a Standalone ePSX, see Installing Standalone ePSX on SBC HA Pair, Call Routing: System Provisioning - ePSX and Configuring SBC to Use External PSX.
For more information on the PSX policy server capabilities, refer to Sonus Policy Server (PSX) documentation.
The following figure depicts replica ePSX deployments using an external PSX Master for provisioning and external EMS for FCAPS functionality.
For more information, see Installing Replica ePSX, Call Routing: System Provisioning - ePSX, Configuring SBC to Use External PSX, and/or Allowing a Replica ePSX Installed with a Higher Version than the Master PSX. For more information on the PSX policy server capabilities, refer to Sonus Policy Server (PSX) documentation.
The sequence to upgrade PSXs when there is a replica ePSX acting as a slave to an external PSX Master is similar to the existing Master-Slave PSX upgrade scenarios. For more information on the LDM or other upgrade scenario sequences, refer the Sonus Policy Server (PSX) documentation.
The following SBC configuration objects are not available (hidden) when the ePSX is installed because the configurations are controlled by PSX.
| ERE Reference | ePSX Reference |
---|---|---|
Install SBC Application | Installing SBC Application - ERE Configuration | Installing SBC Application - ePSX Configuration |
Upgrade application | Upgrading SBC Application | Upgrading the ePSX |
Provision routing | Category - Call Routing (via EMA) |
|
Set up a basic call flow | Basic Call Flow Using ERE | |
Configure ERE/ePSX |