Oracle tapping convergence trend with carrier-grade framework

Oracle introduced a carrier-grade framework for network equipment manufacturers this week that adds another layer to the increasingly modular and standards-based infrastructure of network providers.

The CGF’s approach is to separate applications like the Home Location Registry or Local Number Portability from the network infrastructure and supply a framework for network equipment manufacturers to build standards-based solutions, not just at the hardware layer, but also in the operating system and with emerging standards from the Service Availability Forum.

"We are working with both carriers and equipment manufacturers to drive modularization in the core communications technology platform and in designing new solutions," said Yancy Oshita, senior director of global communications for Oracle’s media and entertainment group.

Oracle’s CGF is built on Oracle Database 10g, and allows equipment makers to replace proprietary data stores with a commercial architecture. Oracle developed the CGF with Nokia, which is now using the technology in new architectures and product platforms that focus on next-generation mobile multimedia applications.

"The biggest concern for carriers is they want everything done at memory speeds. That’s one of the drawbacks in commercial databases that Oracle has addressed with this framework," said Kenneth Ng, vice president of enterprise information management systems at Oracle. "And as we move forward, we will implement more in-memory operations for NEMs."

Ng said that the Oracle CGF will incorporate new standard interfaces from the Service Availability Forum as they become available. He also said that companies such as HP, Intel and Sun who also have carrier grade frameworks are potential partners for Oracle.

"They are focused up to the operating system layer. NEMs are also looking for a higher level platform so they can focus on applications instead of databases and operating systems," Ng said.