intelligent network (IN)
The intelligent network (IN) is a network concept in which switching control is separate from the technical switching process. The aim of this concept is to provide an open platform for the development, provision and management of services.
The intelligent network should be network, service and vendor independent. To achieve this, it must be possible to implement new services quickly and independently of the carrier network, and it must also have uniform protocols and interfaces. The service configurations are stored in a central database, can be retrieved at any time and do not have to be implemented in all network components. Therefore, individual, customer-specific services can also be implemented for a short time. The provision of a TC service is controlled decoupled from the physical switching network.
The intelligent network in service-oriented architecture
An intelligent network is therefore not a special physical network platform, but an additional service-oriented architecture that builds on an existing network infrastructure and equips it with additional features. These performance features are managed centrally. From the user's point of view, these are a large number of performance and convenience features that enable optimization of telecommunications processes.
Intelligent networks are therefore more flexible in approach than previous switched networks because they separate the functional elements of switching and service. In addition, they are independent of the services offered and the existing networks. In the concept of intelligent networks, the switching functions are no longer concentrated exclusively in the familiar exchanges, but are performed by a special computer to which there is easier access than to the exchanges. When the functions of switching and service are separated, this is referred to as distributed service feature control.
Intelligent networks and the generation of new services
Intelligent networks can rapidly generate new services thanks to their IN layer model, the Intelligent Network Conceptional Model( INCM), and their service-neutral software. Thus, the main difference to all previous network concepts lies in the possibilities of fast network-independent service integration. Services can be defined using a simple description. This is done via the so-called Service Plane( SP) using Service Independent Building Blocks ( SIB) in the Global Functional Plane ( GFP) or via the Distributed Functional Plane( DFP), which works with functional units distributed in the network.
The recommendations of the International Telecommunication Union( ITU) describe intelligent networks under Q.1200.