Cluster Computing:

RADISYS DEMONSTRATES SIP SERVER BASED ON ATCA FORM FACTOR

At Telecom Geneva, RadiSys Corp. demonstrated the industry's first high density SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) server with scalable performance in an ATCA (Advanced TCA) form factor. The RadiSys ATCA server blade, a product under development, is a server compute cluster containing four Intel Pentium III processors running SIP server software provided by Hughes Software Systems (HSS). The RadiSys ATCA server blade not only facilitates next generation call center functions but can also be used for a variety of compute intensive operations such as web hosting, encryption and load balancing for storage servers, interworking and I/O operations, among others.

ATCA is gaining popularity and emerging as the next generation standard for communications infrastructure equipment. Features such as high availability, system/shelf management and distributed computing make ATCA-based solutions ideal for various applications such as Radio Network Controller (RNC), (Serving GPRS Support Node) SGSN, Media Gateways (MG) and Carrier Grade Telecom Servers.

SIP is becoming the preferred alternative to H.323 for many call server applications. As a result, Next Generation Wireless (3G/UMTS) and wireline network elements will be equipped with either separate, or embedded/integrated, SIP servers to perform complex functions such as call setups/teardowns and load balancers. The RadiSys demonstration illustrates an ATCA-based, cost effective, scaleable solution that achieves high density SIP performance that can meet customers' current and future requirements.

"The RadiSys ATCA server blade demonstration is another proof point that ATCA is gaining momentum and multiple ecosystem partners are working together to enable industry wide standards and solution sets," said Anthony Ambrose, general manager, Intel Modular Platform Programs. "Combining Intel's processing power with RadiSys technology means customers now have access to a standards based, scaleable, modular communication platform to address a wide variety of 3G network and compute intensive applications."

The RadiSys demonstration consisted of four Intel Pentium III Processor PMCs (PrPMC) on an ATCA server blade. In this configuration each PrPMC runs the HSS SIP server and comes complete with gigabit Ethernet connectivity with a switch on the server blade, which connects into the ATCA Ethernet base fabric. The demonstration illustrated the versatility and density of a single ATCA server blade. With one to four PrPMCs on one blade, and up to twelve blades in one chassis, the RadiSys ATCA server blade enables distributed computing and scalability. Customers can enhance application processing power simply by adding additional PrPMCs/server blades when required. General availability of this board will be the first quarter of 2004.

"The RadiSys ATCA server blade provides the ideal foundation for solutions like the SIP Server," said Ajay Gupta, Assistant Vice President, Business Development with Hughes Software Systems. "HSS' SIP technology provides telecom equipment vendors with a rich set of functionality and APIs that enable development of niche solutions. The HSS SIP Server's architectural flexibility ensures that it can be configured to suit diverse architectural requirements. Powered by the HSS SIP Server, equipment vendors, incorporating the RadiSys server into their designs will be able to achieve time-to-market, increased revenue and much needed scalability for SIP based applications."

"ATCA provides a carrier grade compute architecture for both high performance server and network applications," said Venkataraman Prasannan, senior director of product marketing at RadiSys. "Our demonstration shows an innovative approach to addressing scalability taking advantage of the modularity of PrPMCs. Such an approach provides OEMs the flexibility to deploy as demand builds as well as provide processor upgradeability over time."