The P1520 standard in communications networks opens up for programmable user interfaces

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The rationale behind having the above-mentioned interfaces, is to create a distributed programmable interface to network abstractions that allows signalling and service programming software to be realised in a distributed software environment. Empowered with modern distributed programming tools, future telecommunication services involving high-quality audio/video and multi-point diversity, can be created, re-configured and customised dynamically in response to rapid market changes, user demand and competition. The interfaces proposed above permit views of network and switching hardware states to be exposed for independent and flexible signalling service creation. By using the object linking and White Paper on Application Programming Interfaces for Networks 2005/12/98 Working Group for IEEE P1520 binding mechanisms provided by distributed object programming environment we can encapsulate different types of signalling protocols, so that they may be accessed from the same generic interface. This will benefit network service developers and application vendors who can realize communication services not specified in standard signalling protocols, and conduct service quality negotiations with network elements. The exposed interfaces will also benefit switch vendors through enhanced external control and management of switching hardware with minimum software development effort. The proposed project aims to reach a consensus on the interfaces to such a software layer, so that signalling services software created based on the interfaces will be able to run on all switches that support this layer. These interfaces will be used by network service/application software developers. Distributed system platforms and utilities such as CORBA, Java virtual machines, and ISO ODP are important related areas at the platform and application levels, but they are not an explicit part of the proposed standard.

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