5ESS@ SWITCH GATEWAY TO THE

INFORMATION AGE

RANDALL W. DOWING
JERALD L. JOHNSON

AT&T Network Systems

ABSTRACT by offering advanced information

services, as well as the capability to
With product content defined by evolve with advances in network
customer needs, the 5ESS@ Switch 5E6 technology to provide future
Generic release offers a feature set communications capabilities. This
rich in information services for offers end customers the voice and data
subscribers, while also facilitating services that improve individual
the introduction of these new services productivity and provide advantageous
by providing expense reduction and business flexibility. The 5ESS Switch
revenue generation for the service simultaneously supports the Local
providers. These information service Exchange Company goa 1s of
and network architecture enhancements cost-ef f icient digital network
build a foundation required for improvements and the rapid introduction
tomorrow's Information Age, based on of new communications services. These
Common Channel Signaling (CCS7), and a separate goals are supported by mixing
core of narrowband ISDN voice and data market-driven service planning for
services. near-term customer satisfaction, with
forward-looking network planning for
Additional capabilities requested by long-term evolvability.
our customers and offered in the 5E6
Generic release include advanced Local The progress of the 5ESS Switch towards
Area Signaling Services (LASS) for both the Information Age, in both the
analog and ISDN subscribers, increased immediate offering (e.g., 64 Kbps ISDN
switch capacity, and flexible creation voice and data services) and the
o r growth of a Private Virtual Network long-range capabilities (e.g., 150 Mbps
(PVN). These 5E6 services were broadband ISDN services) are summarized
developed using Service Planning in the following sections. The
reviews with our customers, so that the immediate improvements available in the
5ESS Switch design would capture the 5E6 software Generic will be described
customer needs and preferences in from both the end-user and
feature design. service-provider perspectives. Within
the service-provider perspective, the
Further steps into the Information Age 5E6 feature set realizes the separate
are planned, including the introduction goals of: cost reduction, introduction
of broadband (e.g. , video) of revenue-generating services, and
capabilities. Current broadband reduction of network investment
planning includes service definition expenses.
and developing broadband switching
technologies.
2. PRODUCT CONTENT: DEFINED BY
CUSTOMER NEEDS
1. INTRODUCTION: 5E6 AS GATEWAY THE
INFORMATION AGE-- - The central goal of product planning is
meeting our customer's needs - this
With the introduction of the 5E6 matching of product to customer needs
software, the 5ESS Switch will take is incorporated in our Service Planning
another step toward the Information Age Prospectus (SPP), which allows

37.5.1.
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customers to directly contribute to unparalleled environment of change and
product planning. This new process was improvement that sur rounds our
used fully in the 5E6 Generic planning, business, we must plan on continual
allowing potential customers to evolution of our view of the network
indicate their interest in new features and its components.
and their preferences in how those new
features will work. The SPP meetings
provide an open forum which had not 3. NEW CUSTOMER CAPABILITIES
previously existed for customers to
assist in providing information on new 3.1 Subscriber Perspective
features, right down to the details of
feature operation. This greater level The 5E6 Generic provides value to the
of detail allows service providers to customer not just in the expanded
more precisely consider their interest feature set, but also by increasing the
in new features, as well as to tailor number of configurations in which these
them to their own specific needs. features can be offered. New features
in 5E6 extend voice and data services
The SPP process was introduced by AT&T for both ISDN and non-ISDN subscribers.
in 1986, and has uniformly met with In addition, these features may be
approval by our customers. The SPP is offered in new user configurations o r
now part of our product planning enhancements to existing
process for new 5ESS Switch Generic configurations, e.g., ISDN enhancements
software releases, and is but one of for access to a Private Virtual Network
many mechanisms that AT&T uses to (PVN) from the 5ESS Switch, ISDN access
assess and meet the customers needs. to Interexchange Carrier PVN services,
as well as enhanced Digital PBX access
Another aspect of product content that via ISDN to existing private network
is particularly relevant to the services, such as Electronic Tandem
Information Age is long-range planning: Service (ETS). The 5E6 Generic
planning for change and improvement. contains features which significantly
The SPP process is very effective in enhance the information services
capturing the customers specific, available to the subscriber, in
near-term needs, but other methods are different manners: directly (e.g., via
needed to foresee significant a new data feature), by enhancing
technological enhancements or new accessibility and broadening utility of
customer needs which should be an existing feature (e.g., X.75
supported by the current product in the gateway, and Interconnect to Common
future. AT&TS vision of Universal Channel Signaling System # 7 (CCS7)),
Information Services (UIS) is one of and indirectly, by improving the
the ways in which a long-term plan is configurations in which the features
formed with the review of our can be utilized (e.g., PVN
customers, so that we can share our enhancements). The following are some
expectations of network evolution. key examples of the these 5E6 features,
Other examples include: 5ESS Switch and their utility to end users and
ISDN Trials, Beta Sites, User Group service providers.
forums , Account Team sponsored
discussions regarding long-range 3.1.1 ISDN Voice enhancements are
network capabilities, and BellCore and broadly represented in the 5E6 Generic.
standards meetings. A major advantage of ISDN in voice
calls is the delivery of information
Just as the SPP improves near-term about the caller or call, which enables
match of product to customer need, so greater flexibility and innovation in
should these interactions improve the handling a call.
long-term match of product to customer
need. The result of these discussions A prime example of this kind of
should be a wider appreciation of the versatile ISDN feature (and its many
possibilities for future product applications) is the feature, Calling
directions, and hopefully a consensus Party Number (CPN), which delivers to
on the best alternatives and trends. A the called ISDN subscriber the
product of these discussions is an directory number of the calling party.
identification of the network evolution With CPN, the subscriber can screen
capabilities that our customers will calls directly, or the subscribers
most likely desire. With the equipment can use the CPN to perform

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additional features/functionality compatibility for user's voice and data
(e.g., special alerting to the called terminal equipment. This feature is
user by the intermediary ISDN PBX based available in the 5E6 Generic, and has
on a call screening list). In 5E6, the been incorporated into the switch in a
calling party number can be variety of cost-efficient transmission
communicated across the network alternatives, for rapid, low-cost
(interswitch, and across Interexchange deployment. The establishment and
Carriers via CCS7). This capability availability of this interface is a key
expands the utility of this feature step in the development of ISDN in the
beyond that of an ISDN "island,"' United States as it will increase the
supporting intra- and inter-switch availability and compatibility of ISDN
delivery of the Called Party Number, equipment.
for ISDN and analog parties. This
capability is being immediately 3.1.2 ISDN Data enhancements are a
harnessed in 5E6 by new call screening par t i cula r 1y focus of 5E6 ,
features which are based on the strengthening the narrowband (i.e., 64
delivery of Calling Party Number (see Kbps-based) data services, as the basis
"Local Area Signaling Services,'I for Information Age applications. 64
section 3.1.3). Kbps clear channel connections are
availc-ble to ISDN customers connected
Dual Call Coverage provides a much- directly to the 5ESS Switch or via an
desired service allowing the subscriber intermediary PBX using an ISDN Primary
to redirect calls arriving at his/her Rate Interface (PRI). Also, by
station set to two or more different converting T1 trunks with in-band
answering points, based on the source (e.g., M F ) signaling to a PRI (with
of the call and the condition out-of-band signaling) the calling
encountered at the called station, party number can be passed through the
This feature ensures appropriate network to the called parfy. A good
telephone answering and integrated example of the application of
message waiting indication for new/enhanced ISDN end user capabilities
different situations, with multiple is telemarketing use of the calling
services, as is found in medium to party number: the telemarketer can
large businesses today. offer special customized services based
on the identification of the calling
A broad set of features comprising party ' s number , including
Electronic Tandem Service (ETSI , simultaneously retrieving the
(already offered for analog customers customer's account history and/or
on the 1A ESS Switch and the 5ESS alerting a special account
Switch via in-band signaling) are also representative. Many other
available for ISDN customers in 5E6. applications are conceivable, and made
The ETS feature set includes: Unified possible by the availability of
Numbering Plan, Automatic Route increasingly-powerful integrated voice
Selection, and Call Forwarding over and data capabilities.
Electronic Tandem Network Nodes. In
addition to these ETS features, a PBX Other significant ISDN data features
connected via PRI will also receive the include :
Calling Party Number from the 5ESS
Switch. increased packet data capacity,
and improved performance (e.g.,
A crucial user feature that applies to decreased packet delays for user-
both voice and data domains is the host communications)
availability of a U.S. standard (ANSI)
ISDN "U" Interface to ensure B-Channel Packet Switching on the
PRI makes available higher-speed
(64 Kbps) packet data service for
the larger customer utilizing the
ISDN PRI interface. This allows
1. The initial 534(2) version the larger user to achieve both
supported only intraswitch delivery higher speeds (up to 64 Kbps) and
of CPN for ISDN parties, then 5E5 greater degrees of efficiency of
extended this to intraswitch packet-switching by using (one or
delivery of CPN for ISDN and analog more) higher-capacity network
parties. interfaces.

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 BRCS features for Circuit-Switched signaling network. CCS7 signaling
Data have been added to allow the connectivity is needed to extend
advantages of flexible call services beyond isolated "islands."
control that have previously been With CCS7 connectivity, features such
applied in the analog and ISDN as call screening (which is based on
feature sets only to voice calls. the delivery of the Calling Party
Number) can operate across LATA or
3.1.3 LASS (Local Area Signalin national boundaries.
S e r v i c e n d v a n c e d S c r X n g Feature:
mal log and ISDN subscribers) are 3.1.7 Call Distribution Management
offered in 5E6 which provide a set of utilizes and extends the Operator
fundamentally new capabiiities, Services architecture (OSPS) and ISDN
providing information and control over Basic Rate Interface technology to form
voice calls. These LASS features allow a basis for ISDN database access for
identification and control of the Telemarketing applications.
incoming call, based on the calling
party's directory number: Call 3.1.8 Private Virtual Network (-1
Screening List, Selective Call features The 5E6 Generic incorporates
Forwarding, Selective Distinctive several features allowing the user to
Alert, Computer Access Restriction, and create, or add to an existing PVN
Selective Call Acceptance/Rejection. (including existing PBX locations) with
The latter two features, Selective Call the SESS Switch. The SESS Switch can
Acceptance and Computer Access provide specific services, such as
Restriction, are new LASS features, and coordinating Authorization Code
are planned b u t n o t yet available on Collection with a Digital PBX via ISDN
the 1A ESS Switch. Each of these out-of-band signaling, or i t can be
features operates inside and outside of configured as an ISDN PBX itself and
the local calling area, with other interconnect to the ISDN network over a
switching systems that are similarly single PRI. It can also provide ISDN
connected to the CCS7 signaling capabilities to the PVN, e.g. ISDN
network. voice and data features, such as
- message-associated user-to-user
3.1.4 Additional Features information, or SESS Switch-integrated
analog users can also have the benefit circuit- and packet- switching service.
of Multiple Directory Numbers per line, This offers increased flexibility in
each with a distinctive ringing network planning, and significant
pattern, without an additional line economic and service advantages to the
termination, and without additional private network. For example, CCS7
station equipment. This feature has features in 5 E 6 provide improvements in
applications for both residential and call set-up times, release dedicated
business customers. signaling channels, and allow the
flexibility to incorporate or access
These features offer some of the new services based on the unique
advantages of improved network capabilities (e.g., delivery of the
signaling to the analog user, but not Calling Party Number) of the CCS7
the flexibility or data services signaling network which are unavailable
available to the ISDN subscriber. with conventional signaling systems.
In 5E6 these advantages are made
3.1.5 Reduced Call Setup Time is a available for PVN calls terminating
major benefit of the CCS7 Network within the LATA (CCS7 Trunk Signaling
Interconnect feature. The improved for PVN), and for PVN and other calls
speed and efficiency of CCS7 signaling terminating outside of the originating
also supports the increasing use of LATA (CCS7 Network Interconnect).
intelligent network features (e.g., 800
service) without imposing increasing 3.1.9 Open Access is furthered by the
network delays on the customer. ISDN S w i t c h e d c c e s s to Inter-LATA
Carrier (IC) Services, which provides
3.1.6 Wide-Area Service Connectivity equal access via ISDN to services of
- allowing Private Virtual Networks or ATLT and other common carriers. These
ISDN services to be deployed over large services currently include: AT&T
distances - are made possible by CCS7 Software Defined Network (SDN),
Network Interconnect, which provides Switched Digital Service (at various
connectivity to the intelligent data rates) and International Switched

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Digital Service, Accunet 800 Services, features ISDN Switched Access to
and Wide Area Telephone Service (WATS). ETS and IC and CSS7 Network
Once other carriers begin to offer ISDN .
I n te rc onnec t This offers
access to their services, then their customers trunking advantages over
services can be added to this list. separate f ac i 1i t i e s to common
Currently, the only InterLATA carrier carriers, provides greater ISDN
publically offering ISDN access to its availability to customers, and is
services and planning to offer a CCS7 also a step towards an ONA
network interconnect feature is AT&T. architecture (supporting
open/equa 1 access to common
3.2 Service-Provider Perspective carrier services).
The emphasis is on satisfying service Operator Services modernization
provider needs by introducing (via the SESS Operator Services
advantages of digital switching, and Position System, OSPS) - 5E6
wherever possible by including economic offers a large number of additions
advantages: to the OSPS feature set, targeted
at providing feature equivalency
3.2.1 Expense Reductions - with existing analog services and
facilitatinq network modernization by an increase in the number of
directly reducing existing custome; operator positions, while adding
expenditures - is an ongoing goal of new ISDN capabilities (e.g. ,
the 5ESS Switch, to reap immediate, combined Directory Assistance/Toll
bottom-line reductions in operations Assistance services from a single
expenses in the process of video terminal 1 , and new
incorporating equipment upgrades which efficiencies (e.g., improved call
provide other service advantages for handling, and call interflow with
their customers. Some 5E6 examples other OSPS switches).
include:
The Operator Services Position
RC improvements to reduce the time System (OSPS) on the SESS Switch
and expense of administering the was the first standard commercial
stream of customer change orders application of the ISDN BRI, which
provides the integrated voice and
reduced switch modifications for data interface between the switch
new feature introduction resulting and the operator positions. In
from ISDN Access to InterLATA 5E6, OSPS continues to build upon
Carrier (IC) Services, as ( 1 ) its ISDN base to offer a Combined
customers can access new IC Services Terminal using the B R I
services without changes to the for voice, Toll and Assistance
Local Exchange Carrier (LEC) billing and call control data, and
equipment, and ( 2 ) new, customized Listing Services data base
services can be offered by the LEC interactions. The D-channel from
without requiring modification of the position's T-interface is
the access protocol software used connected through the SESS Switch
by the subscriber and LEC to an internal switching module
equipment. processor, to one of up to six
data base systems' D-channel
3.2.2 Introduce New Revenue-Generatinq control links, or to a Listing
Features/Services
.. ... In addition,to the Service system's position B-
availability of a greater set of channel display link, as required.
features, 5E6 offers several strategic
revenue-generating advantages for the These new features allow direct
service provider, some of which will be ISDN access to compatible data
desc r i bed here : base systems or the OSPS interface
may be rate-adapted to work with
offering a better alternative to general X.25 compatible systems.
customers than direct connection In 5E6, service providers are
to Interexchange Carriers, and expected to use these new OSPS
capturing customers wishing ISDN features to interface to Listing
switched access for InterLATA and Services Gateway systems, front-
Electronic Tandem Network traffic end processors offering access to
- this is achieved with the Directory Assistance, Yellow

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 Pages, Customer Name and Address, the user needs. The capacity
and other telephone number-based improvements in 5E6 will
services. dramatically increase the switch
capacity, and the available
OSPS is also expanding its feature capacity to accept new tasks and
set for conventional Operator larger loads. In 5E6, in a
Services by automating additional Metropolitan office environment,
call handling functions in Toll & the rated call capacity will be
Assistance including call set-up 350,000 Busy Hour Call Completions
and billing validation features (RBHC) and 450,000 Rated Call
which should yield expense savings Attempts per hour. The equivalent
of about 20 percent. Access to POTS call capacity will be 600,000
external audio response subsystems rated completed calls per hour (at
gives service providers greater this rated capacity level, the
flexibility in use of system can process calls at a peak
announcements. call attempt rate in excess of
1,000,000 POTS calls per hour).
3.2.3 Reducing Network Investment I n a Tandem office environment,
Expenses similarly allows the service the call capacity will be around
--
Drovider to uuqrade the network for the 300,000 Rated calls per hour.
user while gaining significant long-
term economic benefits from the new
technology. Some examples of 5E6 4. EVOLVABILITY FOR THE INFORMATION
progress towards this goal include: AGE
area planning improvements 4.1 Capacity Improvements
providing lower-cost ISDN and
analog interfaces (e.g., X.75 The capacity improvements introduced in
Gateway to Public Data Networks, 5E6 are an extension of the strategy of
BRITE, and switch-integrated SLC functional distribution, as embodied in
interface for DID PBX trunks). the original design, which will be
X.75 Gateway to Public Data further employed to extend the Switch
Networks avoids routing Inter-LATA capacity to meet new user needs. In
packets through an intermediary the 5E6 generic, a new processor is
Public Packet Data Network, introduced to increase switch capacity
sending Inter-LATA data directly and Recent Change response time and
to an Inter-LATA gateway throughput. The new processor is a
connection. The BRITE feature two-board-design, Motorola 68030-based
(via Subscriber Loop Carrier) computer which will plug into existing,
allows ISDN service to be provided currently empty slots in the
to subscribers of central offices Communication Module Complex of the
that are not yef equipped with Message Switch and will be named
ISDN (by extending ISDN service Communication Module Processor (CMP).
through the non-ISDN switch, Currently AM-resident call processing
similar to a Foreign Exchange functions and Recent Change and
line). With BRITE, ISDN service associated Data Base functions will be
can be extended to subscribers of migrated into the CMP processor.
existing, non-ISDN switches
without having to equip/convert 4.2 Functionality for the Future
the local switch to ISDN.
Given significant enhancements in
increased capacity for flexible networking, capacity, data and voice,
use in a variety of roles (e.g., the new 5E6 features build a foundation
multiple wire center replacement, for the Information Age (on top of
and as a cap or replacement of an existing 5ESS/ISDN base):
existing 1 A ESS Switch)
our intent is to incorporate
By extending the strategy employed future network capabilities in our
by the 5ESS Switch cf functional product enhsncements, thereby
distribution of tasks and building a future network in a
processing, the capacity of the series of steps.
5ESS Switch will be further
increased, in steps, according to many 5E6 features significantly

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 extend the narrowband ISDN feature capabilities serve the needs of both
set (e.g., CCS7 Networking, X.75 the the end user and service provider,
Interworking, ANSI-Standard ISDN while the long-term benefits include
"U" BRI Subscriber Interface, new opportunities for cost-efficient
etc.), and this narrowband ISDN investment in digital network
will mature and become the basis enhancements, along with improved
for the Information Age. evolvabil ity for the network
improvements of tomorrow. This set of
we have planned for the features, we feel, provides a Gateway
Information Age in planning the to the Information Age.
evolvability of the 5ESS Switch
into the network of the future and The Information Age will be born of
have described our long-range increasing usage of the powerful voice
framework in Universal Information and data capabilities of narrowband
Services. ISDN, as characterized by the 5E6
Generic. The 5E6 Generic provides a
4.3 Planning for Broadband very strong narrowband ISDN offering
for voice and data, which will be the
As a logical extension of our present basis for ongoing enhancements,
narrowband ISDN network, we are concurrently increasing the utility and
actively investigating the technologies penetration of the services. The
and services to provide Broadband ISDN anticipated addition of broadband
on the 5ESS Switch. This step is capabilities will provide greater
included in our present activities and opportunities to broaden and deepen the
plans, and plays a key role in our utility of the Information Age network.
vision of the future, UIS.
B IOGRAPHY
Broadband I SDN , as currently
envisioned, will provide services fully
integrated with the existing network at J. L. Johnson
rates up to 1 5 0 Mbps, for voice, data,
image, video, or any combination of Jerald L. Johnson is Director,
these media. These greatly-expanded Switching Requirements Center at AT&T
transmission and switching capabilities Bell Laboratories and has held that
will similarly expand the set of position since October, 1 9 8 7 . He is
possible services that can be offered responsible for specifying how features
over the network, as well as the will function on the 5ESS Switch and
flexibility with which they can be defining interfaces to the switch. He
offered or delivered. is also responsible for domestic and
international network planning.
Similar to our near-term generic
planning, we are actually involved in Mr. Johnson joined AT&T in
defining the broadband services and September, 1 9 6 1 with Western Electric
technologies that our customers need. in Columbus, Ohio, where he was
To this end, we are planning to conduct involved in manufacturing engineering
trials of broadband services to better for the first electronic switching
evaluate what network capabilities and system, 1ESS. He entered the ranks of
customer applications must be addressed supervision in 1 9 6 7 in the information
by the broadband technology. systems development area. In 1 9 7 4 , he
was promoted to Assistant Engineering
5. CONCLUSION Manager and transferred to the AT&T
General Departments in New Jersey in
The 5ESS Switch 5E6 Generic represents charge of Traffic Service Position
a significant step towards the System (TSPS) planning.
Information Age. The individual areas
of progress have been described in new In 1 9 7 6 , he returned to Western
service offerings (e.g., extensions to Electric to help establish the product
narrowband ISDN voice and data), and in management function for the Switching
enhanced network capabilities (e.g., Division. His first assignment was as
Common Channel network signaling and product manager for TSPS and 4ESS
X.25 data transport) to evolve into the systems. With the initiation of the
future as a cornerstone of the development of the 5ESS system in 1 9 7 9 ,
Information Age network. The near-term Mr. Johnson became the 5ESS switch

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product manager. He created the 5ESS Head, Local Switching Planning
product plan and guided its Department.
implementation until he was appointed
to his current position. Mr. Downing was promoted in 1975 to
Director, 1A Electronic Switching
Mr. Johnson received a Bachelor of Laboratory, and in 1978 became Director
Industrial Engineering degree from of the Local Switching Software Design
General Motors Institute in 1960 and a Laboratory. In this assignment, he was
Master of Science degree in Industrial responsible for switching/software
Management from the University of development for AT&T cellular systems.
Illinois in 1961. Before moving to his present
assignment, Mr. Downing was Director of
Product Management - Switching
Randall W. Downing Equipment at the AT&T Network Systems
Software Center in Lisle, IL. In that
Randall W. Downing is Director, Local position he was responsible for the
Digital Switching Application Strategic Management of the Switching
Laboratory at AT&T Bell Laboratories. Equipment product line.
He has held that position since July,
1987. He is responsible for 5ESS Mr. Downing received a Bachelor of
Switch development planning and Science degree in Electrical
customer support for the 5ESS Switch. Engineering from the University of
Washington in 1959, a Masters in
Mr. Downing joined Bell Laboratories on Electrical Engineering from New York
July 13,1959 in Whippany, N. J. University in 1961, and a Masters in
initially involved in the design of Business Administration from the
maintenance facilities for the University of Chicago in 1977.
Electronic Switching System. I n 1965
Mr. Downing became Head of Maintenance He holds seven patents in switching
Planning Department for the 1ESS-ADF, a computer design.
data switching system, then held
positions of increasing responsibility Mr. Downing is a member of Eta Kappa
as Head, System and Program Desion Nu, Tau Beta Pi, Phi Beta Kappa, and
Department for the 1A ESS Switch and Sigma Xi.

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