The PathStar access server: Facilitating carrier-scale packet telephony

The maturation of large-scale Internet protocol (IP) routing and the standardization of voice over IP (VoIP) protocols have accelerated the deployment of packet telephony products in the public network. Service providers such as the Regional Bell Operating Companies, competitive local exchange carriers, multiple system operators, and Internet service providers (ISPs) are beginning to seek out next-generation products to consolidate voice, video, and data onto converged packet-based networks. To address this market, Lucent Technologies has developed and introduced a suite of data networking and packet telephony products, one of which is the PathStar Access Server. This revolutionary new product integrates Bell Labs software innovations such as the Inferno® operating system with access and interconnection technologies developed by the Switching, Access, and Data Networking areas of Lucent Technologies. The PathStar Access Server combines the functionality and features of traditional circuit switches with advanced packet routing techniques to enable end-to-end converged network solutions. This paper presents an overview of the PathStar Access Server and briefly explores its hardware and software architectures.