A
gateway is a network element that acts as an entrance point to another network.
An access gateway is a gateway between the telephony network and other networks,
such as the Internet.
Access mediation supports the arbitration of call control
and signaling between individual networks, resources, users, and services. Access
mediation is the next evolutionary step for the advanced intelligent network (AIN).
With the growing importance of the Internet, access gateways are a critical component
of access mediation. This tutorial presents several application scenarios that
utilize an access gateway point between the traditional telephone network and
the Internet.First, the tutorial will review general background information on
access mediation. As part of this overview, specific information on the important
components of access gateways will be addressed. Access gateway-application scenarios
will also be discussed. Finally, the tutorial will present several elements of
network design that are crucial for a network to support an access gateway.Access
mediation supports the arbitration of call control and signaling. The key mediation
functions to be managed and controlled include privacy, security, message routing,
message screening, message parameter screening, bridging and protocol conversion,
performance monitoring and protection, error handling, and billing.
The goal of
access mediation is to enable the interconnection of individual networks.As an
important application area of access mediation, access gateways allow networks
based on different signaling protocols to be interconnected. For example, telephone
company mergers have created the need to interconnect networks based on different
signaling standards. Wireless networks based on GSM must now interconnect with
networks based on IS-41. The access gateway provides the protocol conversion needed
to interconnect these networks.
