In this section:




IMPORTANT

The SBC 5100, SBC 5110, SBC 5200, and SBC 5210 platforms are no longer supported beginning with the SBC Core 10.0.0R0 release. This release supports SBC 5400/7000/SWe platforms. Contact Ribbon Sales for upgrade information.

Node-Locked Licensing 

For SBC functions and features to be fully available, a valid license must be obtained from Ribbon and installed in the system. Each SBC license provides a base set of capabilities to which additional features and capacity can be added and enabled as required. In node-locked licensing, an installed license file locks sessions and features to a specific SBC node which is identified through its hardware serial number or Virtual Machine Universal Unique Identifier (UUID).   

License files are referred to as license bundles. A license bundle contains a set of feature keys, each of which corresponds to a specific SBC feature or capability. The set of license keys enabled in your license bundle determine the features available on your system. A feature is enabled when its value is set to 1 (or another positive number in cases where licensed sessions are counted). A feature is disabled in a license when its corresponding license key is set to 0. Work with your Ribbon sales representative to determine your specific licensing requirements and to obtain your license bundle.

 Because a count of only "1" is required to enable the feature, the actual count is not used, just the fact that it is greater than 0.

On/Off license for the same feature in multiple bundles are not additive.

The count displayed selected is by:

  1. If one bundle expires later than the other ones, the count from that bundle is taken.
  2. If all the bundles expire at the same time, then one of the bundles is chosen.


SBC Feature Licenses

When other types of SBC functionality are required, additional license keys must be enabled in the license bundle. For example, SIP-I interworking requires enabling the SBC-SIP-I license key. The license bundle should therefore contain both the SBC-RTU and the SBC-SIP-I license keys. 

The currently available feature licenses and the platforms to which they apply are listed in the table below.

SBC Feature Licenses

Feature License Key

Description

Platform

DSP-AMRNB

RTU media interworking using AMRNB. Use license to enable AMR-NB audio transcoding. 

SBC Core

DSP-AMRWB

RTU media interworking using AMRWB. Use license to enable AMR-WB audio transcoding.

SBC Core

DSP-EVRC

RTU media interworking using EVRC. Use license to enable EVRC audio transcoding.

Note: This license is not applicable to SBC SWe, which does not support EVRC.

SBC Core

DSP-EVSRTU media interworking using EVS. Use license to enable EVS transcoding.

SBC Core

DSP-L16Enables LINEAR16 (Linear PCM) codec processing on any RTP media session receiving Virtual DSP services (The latter is activated with the VDSP-RTU license).

SBC Core

DSP-OPUSAdds OPUS codec processing on any RTP media session receiving Virtual DSP services (The latter is activated with the VDSP-RTU license).

SBC Core

DSP-SILKRTU media interworking using SILK. Use license to enable SILK transcoding. 

SBC Core

ENCRYPT

Encryption function for signaling using TLS, IPsec

SBC Core

LB-INSTANCEActivates an SBC SWe SLB (SIP-Aware Front-End Load Balancer) instance for operation. SIP sessions carried across the SLB are licensed separately (SBC-LB).SBC SWe

SBC-1X10GMP

SBC 5400 RTU license to enable media port(s) operating at 10 Gbps. This will activate two 10 Gbps packet ports

SBC 5400

SBC-4X1GMP

SBC 5400 RTU license to enable all four media ports. each operating at 1 Gbps.

Note: If the SBC 5400 is configured for two 1 Gbps media ports (default configuration), no license is required.

SBC 5400

SBC-A100GPU

Enables SBC SWe to forward supported SBC workloads (e.g., DSP-related operations, etc.) to a single Nvidia(r) A100 Tensor Core GPU. 

Notes:

  • The feature license key is not applicable to GPUs other than the A100.
  • The quantity of the feature license key identifies the licensed quantity of GPUs the SBC may use to support operations.
  • You must acquire Virtual DSP services (Activated with the VDSP-RTU-D) for any SIP session that requires DSP-related services on an A100 GPU.
SBC Core
SBC-ETSI-LI

Enables ETSI/3gpp-related IMS Lawful Intercept services.

Refer to Lawful Intercept for more information on the supported specifications and extent of support.

SBC Core
SBC-FIPS-INST

Enables the SBC device-wide FIPS-140 supporting operation.

Notes:

  • SIP session-specific FIPS-140 operation requires the session to have licensed signaling and media encryption (ENCRYPT and SRTP, respectively) and FIPS-140 operations (SBC-FIPS-RTU).
  • As described above, all sessions on any SBC device configured for FIPS-140 operation must be licensed for SIP session-specific FIPS-140 operation.
SBC Core
SBC-FIPS-RTU

Enables SIP session-specific FIPS-140 supporting operation.

Notes:

  • SIP session-specific FIPS-140 operation requires the session to have licensed signaling and media encryption (ENCRYPT and SRTP, respectively).
  • SIP session-specific FIPS-140 operation also requires the SBC to have licensed device-wide FIPS-140 operation (SBC-FIPS-INST).
  • All sessions on any SBC device configured for FIPS-140 operation must be licensed for SIP session-specific FIPS-140 operation, as described above.
SBC Core
SBC-LBEnables the SLB feature on the SBC. If the value is non-zero, it allows a specified number of SLB sessions on the system. If zero, no SLB sessions are allowed.SBC SWe
SBC-LI

Enables PacketCable-related Lawful Intercept services.

Refer to Lawful Intercept for more information on the supported specifications and extent of support.

SBC Core
SBC-MRF-RTU

The SBC-MRF-RTU license is required to enable transcoding using an external Media Resource Function (MRF) device.

This license is not a substitute for the SBC-RTU session license. Both licenses are required to allow a session towards the MRF.

Note: The SBC-MRF-RTU license is only applicable to the S-SBC when deploying the distributed SBC architecture.

SBC SWe

SBC-POL-E911

RTU license for E911 service.

SBC Core

SBC-POL-ENUM

SBC ERE support for accessing ENUM databases.

SBC Core

SBC-POL-RTU

Enables on-board Advanced ERE (Embedded Routing Engine) services query support for a given SIP session (the latter being activated with the SBC-RTU feature license key).

Notes:

  • Ribbon recommends off-board PSX policy and routing services as opposed to the limited services available with the Advanced ERE (Refer to Routing Engines Comparison for more information).
  • If Advanced ERE services are required, the count of SBC-POL-RTU must match the count of licensed concurrent SIP sessions (licensed via the SBC-RTU) for proper operation.

SBC Core

SBC-PSX-RTU

Enables off-board PSX policy and routing services query support for a given SIP session (latter activated with the SBC-RTU).

Notes:

  • Ribbon recommends off-board PSX PSX policy and routing services as opposed to the limited services available with the Advanced ERE (refer to Routing Engines Comparison for more information).
  • If PSX services are required, the count of SBC-PSX-RTU must match the count of licensed concurrent SIP sessions (licensed via the SBC-RTU) for proper operation.
SBC Core

SBC-RCS

Enables OOD (Out of Dialog) SIP session-related RCS (Rich Communications Services) support.

Notes:

  • The license key is associated with a value that identifies an OOD RCS transaction rate on a per-second basis.
  • Refer to Rich Communication Suite Support for more information.

SBC Core

SBC-RTU

Enables a single SIP signaling session with an associated media session. The following types of media sessions are enabled:

  • Pass-through audio
  • Pass-through audio and video (no conferencing)

Additional signaling and/or media services require complementary feature license keys to enable the services.

SBC Core

SBC-SIP-I

SIP-I Interworking function

SBC Core

SBC-SIP323

SIP/H.323 Interworking function

SBC Core

SBC-SIPREC

SIPREC session recording support

SBC Core

SBC-SOSBC-RTU

Enables a single SIP signaling session when the SBC is configured for signaling-only mode.

Note: When the SBC is configured for signaling-only mode, the total SIP sessions allowed are the total of the SBC-SOSBC-RTU and SBC-RTU licenses.

SBC Core
SBC-STSH

Adds STIR/SHAKEN-related processing on a SIP session (the latter is activated with the SBC-RTU).

Refer to STIR-SHAKEN Support for more information.

SBC Core

SBC-SURV

Adds Local Survivability support on a SIP session (the latter is activated with the SBC-RTU).

Refer to SIP Trunk Group - Local Survivability for more information.

SBC Core
SBC-TOIPEnables T.140/Text over IP processing on any RTP media session receiving Virtual DSP services (the latter is activated with the VDSP-RTU). 

SBC Core

SBC-VIDEO

Video interworking support, including Content Sharing (BFCP), Far-End Camera Control (FECC) and H.239 for H.323

SBC Core

SIP-REG

Enables SIP Registrar functionality. The count associated with the feature license key denotes the maximum concurrent registered SIP clients supported by the SBC.

Notes:

  • If the register receives more than the configured license count, the SBC rejects the Register with a 503 error response.
  • The maximum number of registrations (license count) allowed is 256,000.
SBC Core

SRTP

Enables the encryption function for media using the Secure Real-time Transport Protocol (SRTP).

SBC Core

SWE-INSTANCEActivates an SBC SWe instance for operation.SBC SWe

VDSP-RTU

Enables RTP media processing services in the SBC SWe.

The SBC delivers RTP media processing services by applying the Virtual DSP (Digital Signal Processing) feature to a media session. Examples of such services include (partial list):

Notes: 

  • If the VDSP-RTU value is non-zero, the value specifies the number of concurrent calls on the system that may receive DSP-based RTP media services. If zero, then no calls receive such services.
  • The VDSP-RTU (SBC SWe) value must always be less than or equal to the SBC-RTU (SBC Core). Otherwise, no transcoded calls are allowed.
  • Any additional emergency oversubscription is not supported for transcoded emergency calls.
ServiceDescription
Fax call support
  1. Fax tone detection and interworking to T.38
  2. G.711 fax media pass-through, as DSP intervention reduces the likelihood of in-band fax signaling/media issues
In-band ↔ Out-of-band Interworking

Required for the following:

  1. In-band DTMF tone detection interworking with out-of-band RFC 4733 (supersedes RFC 2833)
  2. In-band DTMF tone detection interworking with SIP INFO messages
  3. Interworking RTP dynamic payload types; required when the subtended SBC peers use differing payload type identifiers from the dynamic RTP payload range (For example, 96-127) to identify a common payload format (in other words,  codec)
Jitter compensationUsed to maximize user experience with voice quality.
Media originating from the SBCto support call developments

Examples:

  1. Announcement playback
  2. Local ringback tone
  3. Music on Hold
  4. Comfort noise
Silence suppressionThe SBC removes RTP packets carrying no meaningful media to save packet traffic.
Transcoding
  1. Example transcoding scenarios are G.711 (common codec in enterprises) ↔ G.729ab (common codec in public networks) translation, G.711 A-law ↔ G.711 µ-law normalization, etc.
  2. The VDSP-RTU includes select codec transcoding support without additional codec-specific licensing.
    1. The included codecs are G.711, G.729, T.38, G.723, G.722 variants other than G.722.2, & iLBC.     
    2. All other codecs require a supplementary license for transcoding support.
    3. Examples of such codecs (partial list) are all variants of SILK, OPUS, Linear-16, EVS, EVRC, AMR-NB/AMR-WB, T.140/Text over IP, etc.
  3. Refer to Supported Codecs and Transcoding for the list of codecs supported by the SBC.
Transrating

Transrating includes call legs that carry a different time sample size of media, where the SBC performs the translation.

Enterprises and service providers often use transrating to save bandwidth by reducing packet SBC Core at the expense of voice quality (should a packet get dropped).

SBC SWe

WEBSOCKET

Enables WebRTC-related processing on a SIP session (the latter is activated with the SBC-RTU).

Notes:

  • You must acquire transcoding, encryption, and other features subject to licensing to tailor WebRTC-related session services to use cases.
  • Refer to SBC for WRTC for more information.
SBC Core


License File Prerequisites

When a license bundle file is generated, it is bound to the host ID of the SBC to which it will be applied.

  • For chassis-based systems (SBC 5400 / SBC 7000), the host ID is the serial number attached to the hardware.
  • SBC SWe systems use the Virtual Machine UUID as the host ID.

License files can contain up to two SBC serial numbers (or UUIDs). For a stand-alone SBC, the machine’s host ID must be contained in the license file to be valid. Likewise, for an SBC HA pair, the host ID of both machines must be contained in the license file to be valid. 

Serial Numbers

To obtain the serial number of either a stand-alone or a HA pair SBC, log into the SBC EMA and navigate to Monitoring > Dashboard > System Status. The System Status window appears. The serial number(s) display in the third column of the Server Status table as depicted in the examples below.

SBC 5400 HA Pair

SBC 7000 HA Pair

UUIDs

SBC SWe and SBC CNe systems uses the Virtual Machine's Universal Unique Identifier (UUID) number instead of a serial number as shown in the example below.

SBC SWe

SBC CNe

Installing Licenses

Once purchased, customers install and manage SBC licenses using the Embedded Management Application (EMA) user interface. Refer to License Management - Node Locked License Settings for the procedure to install a new license bundle.

License Expiry

Once a license is expired, the SBC treats the licensed functionality as disabled system wide. Any existing sessions that are active on expiry continue unimpaired. Traps are raised from the SBC to notify the user when a license is nearing expiration. For more information on Alarms, refer to the SBC Core Alarms Guide.