Acme Packet said Monday its Net-Net session border controllers (SBCs) support the DIAMETER protocol toward resource and admission control functions and connectivity session location repository functions (CLFs).

DIAMETER is an AAA (authentication, authorization and accounting) protocol and is used for several IMS functions, including the interface between SBCs and policy servers for resource reservation for VoIP and other interactive IP communication sessions.

The DIAMETER implementation on Net-Net allows the SBC to perform call admission control by making bandwidth requests to an external, centralized RACF/PDF policy server. When Net-Net receives a SIP invite, it requests bandwidth from a policy server via DIAMETER. The policy server determines whether bandwidth is available and sends a message back to Net-Net either accepting or rejecting the bandwidth request.

Net-Net also has the ability to perform local admission control and police the media bandwidth granted locally as it traverses the SBC. It also enhances the other SLA assurance features, including signaling-controlled QoS packet marking and mapping, QoS reporting, and routing by codec type, observed QoS and answer-seizure ratios.

Acme Packet also has expanded its partner list to include CableMatrix and Juniper Networks and is testing DIAMETER interoperability between Net-Net and policy servers from CableMatrix, Camiant, Juniper and Operax.

Acme Packet www.acmepacket.com