Introduction

This handbook describes the architecture and the operational steps to install, operate and modify the Sipwise C5 PRO/CARRIER.

In various chapters, it describes the system architecture, the installation and upgrade procedures and the initial configuration steps to get your first users online. It then dives into advanced preference configurations such as rewrite rules, call blocking, call forwarding, etc.

There is a description of the customer self-care interface, how to configure the billing system and how to provision the system via the API.

Finally, it describes the internal configuration framework, the network configuration and gives hints about tweaking the system for better security and performance.

Sipwise C5 (also known as NGCP - the Next Generation Communication Platform) is a SIP-based Open Source Class 5 VoIP soft-switch platform that allows you to provide rich telephony services. It offers a wide range of features (e.g. call forwarding, voicemail, conferencing etc.) that can be configured by end users in the self-care web interface. For operators, it offers a web-based administrative panel that allows them to configure subscribers, SIP peerings, billing profiles, and other entities. The administrative web panel also shows the real-time statistics for the whole system. For tight integration into existing infrastructures, Sipwise C5 provides a powerful REST API interface.

Sipwise C5 has three solutions that differ in call capacity and service redundancy: CARRIER, PRO and CE. The current handbook describes the PRO/CARRIER solution.

The Sipwise C5 CARRIER comes pre-installed on six or more servers in one or more Lenovo Flex System Enterprise Chassis, see architecture:architecture.adoc#architecture. Apart from your product specific configuration, there is no initial configuration or installation to be done to get started.

The Sipwise C5 PRO can be pre-installed on two hardware servers or deployed in a customer virtual environment. Apart from your product specific configuration, there is no initial configuration or installation to be done to get started.

Opposed to free VoIP software, Sipwise C5 is not a single application, but a complete software platform based on Debian GNU/Linux.

Using a highly modular design approach, Sipwise C5 leverages popular open-source software like MySQL, NGINX, Kamailio, SEMS, Asterisk, etc. as its core building blocks. These blocks are glued together using optimized and proven configurations and workflows and are complemented by functionality developed by Sipwise to provide fully-featured and easy-to-operate VoIP services.

The installed applications are managed by the Sipwise C5 Configuration Framework. This configuration framework makes it possible to change low-level system parameters in a single place, so Sipwise C5 administrators don’t need to have any knowledge of dozens of different configuration files from different packages. This provides a bullet-proof way of operating, changing and tweaking an otherwise quite complex system.

Once configured, integrated web interfaces are provided for both end users and Sipwise C5 administrators. Provisioning and billing API allows companies to tightly integrate Sipwise C5 into existing OSS/BSS infrastructures to optimize workflows.

The Sipwise C5 PRO/CARRIER are specifically tailored to companies who want to provide fully-featured SIP-based VoIP service without having to go through the steep learning curve of SIP signalling. It integrates the different building blocks to make them work together in a reasonable way. The Sipwise C5 PRO/CARRIER is already deployed all around the world by all kinds of VoIP operators, using it as Class5 soft-switch, as Class4 termination platform or even as Session Border Controller with all kinds of access networks, like Cable, DSL, WiFi and Mobile networks.