WebSphere brand IBM WebSphere IP Multimedia Subsystem Connector, Version 6.2

Configuration considerations for the WebSphere IMS Connector

The IBM® WebSphere® IP Multimedia Subsystem Connector provides interfaces and services used when developing applications that must interact with elements within the IMS core environment.

Overview of WebSphere IMS Connector

The IBM WebSphere IP Multimedia Subsystem Connector–consisting of the IBM WebSphere IMS™ Service Control Interfaces Component (ISC Interfaces), the Diameter Enabler, and the Trust Association Interceptor (TAI) security component–provides interfaces and services for use in developing applications that interact with elements in the IMS core environment.

The interfaces and services include the following:
  • Serving-Call Session Control Function (S-CSCF)
  • Home Subscriber Server (HSS)
  • Charging functions: Online Charging System (OCS) and Charging Collection Function (CCF).
The WebSphere IMS Connector also provides authentication services and management services. The standard WebSphere IMS Connector configuration appears in the following diagram, where Diameter represents the Diameter Enabler, and IMS Enabler represents other IBM WebSphere software for Telecom products like the IBM WebSphere Presence Server and the IBM WebSphere XML Document Management Server Component.
Note: It is not necessary that all of these components reside on the same WebSphere Application Server instance.

IMS enablers and IMS applications interact with the TAI and the Diameter Enabler component. These elements interact with elements in the IMS control plane and with the public Internet.

ISC reference point support

Use of the WebSphere IMS Connector enables the application programmer to write applications that run in the WebSphere Application Server environment and interact with the IMS Control Plane through communication with an S-CSCF. This reference point between an application server and the S-CSCF is called IMS Service Control (ISC).

Because this reference point defines SIP as the protocol for communication, and because SIP is built into the base WebSphere Application Server product, there is no need to install additional code from the WebSphere IMS Connector. The Connector provides supporting services for such applications, and provides the license for future maintenance and support for such applications.

ISC Toolkit support

While it is not strictly a part of the WebSphere IMS Connector, the IBM WebSphere Telecom Toolkit provides sample applications. These applications demonstrate how to develop ISC applications that run in an application server with the WebSphere IMS Connector installed.

Diameter support

The IBM WebSphere Diameter Enabler Component, consisting of the Diameter Enabler base and Diameter Web services, is a major component of the WebSphere IMS Connector. The Diameter Enabler provides a Web service interface that allows Diameter applications to send and receive subscriber profile information, send accounting information, and manage online charging.

Security interface support

The WebSphere IMS Connector provides a TAI security component that provides integration for the IBM WebSphere software for Telecom products and other applications into the authentication protocols of the IMS core network. This component intercepts HTTP and SIP service requests to all IMS service plane components, verifies the sending element, consumes IMS-compliant identity information passed to it in HTTP/SIP headers, and propagates this information in a format compatible with WebSphere Application Server-based security.

Support for key performance indicators

The WebSphere IMS Connector includes the IBM Tivoli® Configuration Access Management (ITCAM) for J2EE Operations components for purposes of extracting and presenting key performance indicators (KPIs). This component is included as a convenience, and it provides the ability to integrate with a Tivoli or SNMP network manager. (The SNMP support is the Netcool®/System Service Monitors [SSM] 4.0 package.) Refer to the documentation provided as part of the product bundle.
Note: The following documentation is available for the installation and administration of the SNMP support:

For additional details about installing and removing Netcool fix packs, refer to the Netcool/SSM Patch Installation Guide.

For other updates and suggestions, search the IBM Technotes for Netcool/SSM 4.0 updates.




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