PDF of this tutorialWithin today's voice and data networks, many key applications require real-time data processing. Any time a caller dials a number or a subscriber logs onto the Internet, many time-critical database transactions must occur to deliver the services required. Service control points (SCPs), Internet protocol (IP) call agents, network managers, and call center systems are just a few of the applications requiring real-time data-processing responsiveness.
SCPs, which operate within intelligent networks (INs), are a useful example of how voice and data network applications rely on real-time data management. SCPs are data-intensive network elements that enable the deployment of new personalized services and are critical to ensuring the responsiveness of the entire IN infrastructure.
To process advanced applications such as local number portability, number-translation services, virtual private networks (VPNs), and prepaid billing, the SCP must search its database and process subscriber and service information accordingly. If an SCP, and ultimately the entire IN, is to function effectively, this data processing must happen instantaneously—typically in the 200- to 250-millisecond (ms) range.
