Table of Contents

Cisco Wholesale Voice Solution
Release Notes

August 1, 2001

Contents

This document presents the following major topics:

• Document Release
  
  
• Introduction
  
  
• System Requirements
  
  
• New Features
  
  
• Caveats
  
  
• Important Notes
  
  
• Related Documentation
  
  
• Obtaining Technical Assistance
  
  

Document Release

This is the first release of this document. Reasons for subsequent releases will be noted in this section.

Introduction

The Cisco Wholesale Voice Solution provides service providers (SPs) with the required architecture design, network components, software features, functional areas, and provisioning methodologies needed to run a VoIP wholesale service. With an understanding of the concepts underlying the architecture, including interconnect topologies, components, and a variety of important issues that must be considered, the SP can then deploy options from a set of configuration templates. The result is a wholesale network that allows the SP to sell unbranded voice services to retailers, such as Internet telephony service providers (ITSPs), application service providers (ASPs), interexchange carriers (IXCs), or Post Telephone and Telegraph administrations (PTTs).

Central to the delivery of wholesale voice services are voice points of presence (POPs), which are interconnected to other service providers. The specific recommended components and design methods are determined by the type of interconnection or "call topology" that the wholesale SP is supporting. These call topologies are used to build a set of deployment templates for an SP to enable wholesale applications. Figure 1 illustrates the interconnection possibilities that a wholesale VoIP provider must accommodate.

The Cisco Wholesale Voice Solution is a set of solutions and network design and configuration templates that provide trunk-level transport of global switched telephone traffic distributed over VoIP. Calls originate in the PSTN, are routed through IXCs, and are handed off to a wholesale VoIP carrier for transport. To the end user, the service looks like any other long-distance call, except that it is less expensive. To the originating long-distance carrier, the wholesale carrier is only one of a number of termination options.

By using OPT (Open Packet Telephony) distributed architectures, the Cisco Wholesale Voice Solution maintains separate call control, connection control, and transport planes. At the heart of the solution are Cisco gateways (GWs), gatekeepers (GKs), and directory gatekeepers (DGKs), as well as an IP backbone. This solution will provide other network providers with connectivity between basic telephone areas and international routes. (Local residential services and features will not be provided.) The remaining components of the solution are third-party shared services that will vary with each application—such as settlement servers, billing servers, and AAA (authentication, authorization, and accounting) servers, among others.

See Related Documentation, in particular the Cisco Wholesale Voice Solution Overview, for a complete discussion.

Benefits and Features

The Cisco Wholesale Voice Solution provides the following benefits:

• Voice quality that is comparable to that of the PSTN
  
• A cost-effective, reliable VoIP network infrastructure
  
  
• Support for least-cost routing and other enhanced call-routing methods
  
• Intercarrier call authorization and accounting (peer to peer)
  
• Support for intercarrier clearinghouse and settlement services
  
• Support for local, national, and international dial plans
  
• Connectivity with the PSTN over carrier interfaces
  
  
• Connectivity with other VoIP service providers and other vendors' VoIP equipment
  
  
• A world-wide network of other VoIP service providers interested in interconnecting
  
  

System Requirements

The Cisco Wholesale Voice Solution uses both Cisco and third-party components, as listed in the following sections:

• Cisco Hardware and Software Components
  
  
• Cisco Network Management Components
  
  
• Third-Party Components
  
  

Cisco Hardware and Software Components

Cisco Core Components and Minimum Requirements

The components comprising the Cisco Wholesale Voice Solution were tested with Cisco IOS software releases 12.2(2)XA and 12.2(T). The caveats listed under Caveats, relate to these releases. However, those caveats will be resolved in releases 12.2(2)XA1 and 12.2(2)T1. Cisco recommends that you use the later releases. Please contact your Cisco account representative for further information.

Tip To determine the release currently running on a machine, see Determining Software Release Versions.

Table 1 lists minimum requirements of the tested Cisco components that support the gatekeeper core for both SS7 and non-SS7 applications. Flash and DRAM memory requirements must be met to download the image.

Requirements can vary depending on whether IP Plus or Enterprise Plus Cisco IOS software images are used, and whether the images support OSP (Open Settlement Protocol). For more detail about the various images and their filenames, see Table 2.

Cisco IOS Software Image Filenames for Gateways and Gatekeepers

Table 2 lists the filenames of the images required on the Cisco gateways and gatekeepers. Cisco IOS software can optionally support OSP. Although the functionality is the same, the binary images are different. Please check with your Cisco account representative for details regarding the image variants and your requirements.

The image variants are identified as follows:

Cisco Network Management Components

Table 3 lists Cisco optional Cisco network management components and their minimum requirements.

Third-Party Components

Table 4 lists third-party components that have been tested as optional adjuncts to the Cisco Wholesale Voice Solution. For the most current information, contact your Cisco account representative, visit the manufacturer's website, or contact the manufacturer's representative.

Determining Software Release Versions

Cisco IOS

To determine the release version of Cisco IOS software currently running, log in to the router and enter the show version EXEC command. The following sample output from the show version command indicates the version number on the second output line:

Router> show version

Cisco Internetwork Operating System Software 
IOS (tm) 12.1 Software c5300-i-mz, Version 12.1(6), RELEASE SOFTWARE

Cisco SC2200

Enter the following MML command on the Cisco SC2200:

rtrv-ne

New Features

Table 5 lists key new features that are applicable to components that support the Cisco Wholesale Voice Solution with Cisco IOS Release 12.2(2)XA. These features and others in that release are described in detail under New Features in Release 12.2(2)XA at the following URL:

http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/software/ios122/122newft/122limit/122x/122xa/122xa_2/index.htm

Caution   For all available features, always refer to the most recent Cisco IOS documentation, including release notes, for the Cisco IOS a particular platform is running. See Cisco IOS Software Configuration at the following URL: http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/software/index.htm

Platform Support Through Feature Navigator

Cisco IOS software is packaged in feature sets that support specific platforms. To get updated information regarding platform support for this feature, access Feature Navigator. Feature Navigator dynamically updates the list of supported platforms as new platform support is added for the feature.

Feature Navigator is a web-based tool that enables you to quickly determine which Cisco IOS software images support a specific set of features and which features are supported in a specific Cisco IOS image.

To access Feature Navigator, you must have an account on Cisco.com. If you have forgotten or lost your account information, send a blank e-mail to cco-locksmith@cisco.com. An automatic check will verify that your e-mail address is registered with Cisco.com. If the check is successful, account details with a new random password will be e-mailed to you. Qualified users can establish an account on Cisco.com by following the directions at http://www.cisco.com/register.

Feature Navigator is updated when major Cisco IOS software releases and technology releases occur. As of May 2001, Feature Navigator supports M, T, E, S, and ST releases. You can access Feature Navigator at the following URL:

http://www.cisco.com/go/fn

Caveats

Table 6 lists severity 1 and 2 caveats for the Cisco Wholesale Voice Solution, and presents workarounds where applicable.

Tip If you have an account with Cisco.com, you can use Bug Navigator II to find caveats of any severity for any release. To reach Bug Navigator II, go to Cisco.com and press Login. Then go to Software Center > Cisco IOS Software > Cisco Bugtool Navigator II. You can also go directly to http://www.cisco.com/support/bugtools/.

Important Notes

The Cisco IOS software releases that were tested as part of the Cisco Wholesale Voice Solution are undergoing improvements to resolve the caveats listed in Caveats. Consequently, the Cisco IOS image filenames listed in Table 2 may become obsolete, and Cisco recommends that you use the later releases.

Tip Referring to the Cisco IOS software release names listed in Table 1, examples of such software revisions would be from 12.2(2)T to 12.2(2)T1, and from 12.2(2)XA to 12.2(2)XA1.

Related Documentation

Solution-Specific Documents

Documents supporting the Cisco Wholesale Voice Solution, including these release notes, are available at the following URL:

http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/access/sc/rel7/soln/wv_rel1/index.htm

These include the following:

• Cisco Wholesale Voice Solution Overview
  
  
• Cisco Wholesale Voice Solution Design and Implementation Guide
  
  

The above provide all necessary links to reference material required to implement the solution.

Obtaining Documentation

The following sections provide sources for obtaining documentation from Cisco Systems.

World Wide Web

You can access the most current Cisco documentation on the World Wide Web at the following sites:

• http://www.cisco.com
  
  
• http://www.cisco.com/public/countries_languages.shtml
  
  

Documentation CD-ROM

Cisco documentation and additional literature are available in a CD-ROM package, which ships with your product. The Documentation CD-ROM is updated monthly. The CD-ROM package is available as a single unit or as an annual subscription.

Ordering Documentation

Cisco documentation is available in the following ways:

• Registered Cisco Direct Customers can order Cisco Product documentation from the Networking Products MarketPlace:
  
  

http://www.cisco.com/public/ordsum.html

• Registered Cisco.com users can order the Documentation CD-ROM through the online Subscription Store:
  
  

http://www.cisco.com/go/subscription

• Nonregistered Cisco.com users can order documentation through a local account representative by calling Cisco corporate headquarters (California, USA) at 408 526-7208 or, in North America, by calling 800 553-NETS(6387).
  
  

Documentation Feedback

If you are reading Cisco product documentation on the World Wide Web, you can submit technical comments electronically. Click Feedback in the toolbar and select Documentation. After you complete the form, click Submit to send it to Cisco.

You can e-mail your comments to bug-doc@cisco.com.

To submit your comments by mail, use the response card behind the front cover of your document, or write to the following address:

Attn Document Resource Connection
Cisco Systems, Inc.
170 West Tasman Drive
San Jose, CA 95134-9883

We appreciate your comments.

Obtaining Technical Assistance

Cisco provides Cisco.com as a starting point for all technical assistance. Customers and partners can obtain documentation, troubleshooting tips, and sample configurations from online tools. For Cisco.com registered users, additional troubleshooting tools are available from the TAC website.

Cisco.com

Cisco.com is the foundation of a suite of interactive, networked services that provides immediate, open access to Cisco information and resources at anytime, from anywhere in the world. This highly integrated Internet application is a powerful, easy-to-use tool for doing business with Cisco.

Cisco.com provides a broad range of features and services to help customers and partners streamline business processes and improve productivity. Through Cisco.com, you can find information about Cisco and our networking solutions, services, and programs. In addition, you can resolve technical issues with online technical support, download and test software packages, and order Cisco learning materials and merchandise. Valuable online skill assessment, training, and certification programs are also available.

Customers and partners can self-register on Cisco.com to obtain additional personalized information and services. Registered users can order products, check on the status of an order, access technical support, and view benefits specific to their relationships with Cisco.

To access Cisco.com, go to the following website:

http://www.cisco.com

Technical Assistance Center

The Cisco TAC web site is available to all customers who need technical assistance with a Cisco product or technology that is under warranty or covered by a maintenance contract.

Contacting TAC by Using the Cisco TAC Website

If you have a priority level 3 (P3) or priority level 4 (P4) problem, contact TAC by going to the TAC website:

http://www.cisco.com/tac

P3 and P4 level problems are defined as follows:

• P3—Your network performance is degraded. Network functionality is noticeably impaired, but most business operations continue.
  
  
• P4—You need information or assistance on Cisco product capabilities, product installation, or basic product configuration.
  
  

In each of the above cases, use the Cisco TAC website to quickly find answers to your questions.

To register for Cisco.com, go to the following website:

http://www.cisco.com/register/

If you cannot resolve your technical issue by using the TAC online resources, Cisco.com registered users can open a case online by using the TAC Case Open tool at the following website:

http://www.cisco.com/tac/caseopen

Contacting TAC by Telephone

If you have a priority level 1 (P1) or priority level 2 q(P2) problem, contact TAC by telephone and immediately open a case. To obtain a directory of toll-free numbers for your country, go to the following website:

http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/687/Directory/DirTAC.shtml

P1 and P2 level problems are defined as follows:

• P1—Your production network is down, causing a critical impact to business operations if service is not restored quickly. No workaround is available.
  
  
• P2—Your production network is severely degraded, affecting significant aspects of your business operations. No workaround is available.
  
  

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All rights reserved.