The outcome
of this work was what we refer to today as the Intelligent Network. The IN introduced
a new layer into the network, specifically designed for controlling all telephone
calls that required a trunk to connect to another switch. In very basic terms, the IN is
a data network that allows switches and databases to communicate with one another
autonomously regarding voice services, telephone call by telephone call.
Another major advantage of the IN was the ability to put more intelligence into the
core of the network. This was important, because subscribers wanted more than just
voice communications. Consider how delivery of a Calling Name would be accomplished
without the IN.
Calling Name delivery requires a database that is capable of matching the calling
party telephone number with a name. If we were to try to provide this service without
the IN, it would require this database to be resident within every single switch in the
network. Databases are not cheap, so this would require a major investment on the part
of the service provider.
Cost aside, the simple maintenance of such a database would also be a major undertaking.
Any time a single change was to be made to the database, the change would
have to be replicated at every single switch.
4 Chapter 1
However, if the database could be placed in the core of the network, the switches
could then connect to the single database and all take advantage of a single resource.
Pages:
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41