Technical Helpweb

- more articles

Migrating an Application from Media Boards with Dialogic?? DM3 Architecture to Dialogic?? PowerMedia??? Host Media Processing Software (PowerMedia HMP).

Introduction

This article provides guidelines for migrating existing applications from Dialogic® DM3 architecture to Dialogic® PowerMedia™ Host Media Processing Software (PowerMedia HMP). PowerMedia HMP provides services for building flexible, scalable, and cost-effective PSTN and IP multimedia platforms. The software provides these services on general-purpose servers without requiring the use of specialized hardware for IP only configurations. For PSTN applications the Dialogic® HMP Interface Board (also referred to herein as “DNI Boards”) are required.

This document does not fully cover all aspects of using PowerMedia HMP but rather focuses on areas to consider when migrating from the DM3 architecture to PowerMedia HMP using DNI Boards for PSTN applications only.

An application using a media board with DM3 architecture should not be noticeably different from an application using Dialogic PowerMedia HMP Software. PowerMedia HMP introduces new concepts in resource allocation using software licensing and this document will provide guidelines to the user. The information provided here applies to telephony applications that run under the Windows® or Linux operating systems.

Overview:

In this document we will outline the key areas that need to be considered when migrating from a DM3 architecture based solution to a solution based on PowerMedia HMP using DNI boards. It will also provide links to areas for more detailed explanation on installation, configuration and application design. At a high level, migrating to PowerMedia HMP and DNI boards will involve:

1. Obtaining the PowerMedia HMP software. 
2. Obtaining the appropriate PowerMedia HMP Interface board, i.e. DNI board. 
3. Acquiring the appropriate software licenses to allocate resources. These resources would typically include voice, fax, conferencing, etc. that are tailored to the needs of your application. 
4. Migration of the application to using PowerMedia HMP software – in most cases there will not be any actual application changes needed beyond re-compiling.

Obtaining the PowerMedia HMP Software:

The PowerMedia HMP release can be downloaded from the Dialogic website as follows:

1. Access the “Dialogic® Host Media Processing Software – Evaluating and Licensing” page
• http://www.dialogic.com/Products/media-server-software/download/hmp-download.aspx 
• In the Current Releases section, click the link for the version to install. 
• In the Current Version section, click the link for the listed service update. 
2. PowerMedia HMP software comes with a one-port evaluation license, but an option to register and download an additional larger evaluation license from the “Dialogic Host Media Processing Software – Evaluating and Licensing” page is also available. To obtain additional evaluation licenses, contact your Dialogic Sales representative. You can also fill in the form at: 
• http://www.dialogic.com/Products/media-server-software/hmp-software/hmp-license.aspx 
3. Follow the instructions for downloading the software.

Obtaining the Correct DNI Board:

The DNI boards provide a PSTN network interface that integrates with the PowerMedia HMP software stack. DNI boards enable all the flexibility of host-based media resources (scalable and licensed in single-unit increments) to mate with the network interface, providing developers and system integrators with a new level of configuration flexibility and cost efficiency. These boards provide the interfaces for digital and analog networks. This is a departure from the DM3 architecture that require onboard digital signal processors (DSPs) to provide media and audio transcoding resources, which creates fixed costs and often fixed or limited configurations of media to complement the network interface density.

The chart below provides an overview of available DNI boards. The latest version of this chart can be found at:

• http://www.dialogic.com/Products/media/hmp-interface-boards.aspx

  * End of life at the end of 2012.

Board Configuration Considerations:

– 1 Media Load Available

• Only NETWORKONLY/HMPL1 configuration available

– Trunk Configuration

• T1 -> 4ESS, 5ESS, CAS, DMS, NI2, NTT, QSIGT1, T1CC 
• E1 -> DASS2, DPNSS, E1CC, NET5 (CTR4), QSIGE1 
• R2MF on Dialogic® DNI/601TEPHMP Digital Network Interface Board only

Obtaining the Correct License:

PowerMedia HMP 4.1 for Linux and PowerMedia HMP 3.0 for Windows are licensed and deployed in customized "packages" of call control and media processing resources. Once you have identified the resources you need, find the Part Name for each resource in the tables below and use it when ordering.

Note the entries in GREEN represent license types that may be used to replace functionality previously obtained by Dialogic Hardware.

Table: Licensing Information for PowerMedia 4.1 platforms (Linux)

  Detailed information can be found in the datasheet.

 Table: Licensing Information for PowerMedia HMP 3.0 platforms (Windows)

 Detailed information can be found in the datasheet.

License Requirements Considerations:

When using DNI boards, the PowerMedia HMP licenses must be tied/locked to the serial number of one the DNI boards in the system. If at a future date, you want to migrate to a pure IP solution, the license can be re-hosted and tied to the server MAC Address.

Example of Correct License + DNI Card:

Assume your current configuration is a DM960BTEP card running UL2. In this configuration you have 4 – T1 Lines, 96 Voice Devices, 96 CSP devices, 4 fax devices and 15 Conferences resources. The direct Replacement for this would be a single DNI/1210TEPEHMP for the 4-T1 lines. In addition, an HMP License for 96 Basic Voice, 96 Speech (advanced voice), 4 fax and 15 Conferencing would be required.

Configuration of HMP + DNI:

1. Install board with nonzero rotator switch ID 
2. Obtain the version of the HMP software  
• Windows - HMP 3.0 : http://www.dialogic.com/Products/media-server-software/download/hmp30.aspx 
• Linux – HMP 4.1 : http://www.dialogic.com/Products/media-server-software/download/hmp41.aspx
3. Install the Software. For information on the install procedures please reference the Software installation guides for each system. 
• Windows – HMP 3.0 : http://www.dialogic.com/~/media/manuals/hmp30win/release_install.pdf
• Linux – HMP 4.1 : http://www.dialogic.com/~/media/manuals/hmp41lin/release_install.pdf
• NOTE: Please review the system requirements settings prior to installation as HMP may have different server level settings than were required for the System Release Installations.
4. Obtain / Generate license based on board serial number. 
• The serial number is located on a sticker on both the card and the shipping box. It is usually 2 letters followed by a numerical string. 
• To obtain additional evaluation licenses, contact your Dialogic Sales representative who will generate a license for the serial number of the DNI board. 
5. Activate license - This is either done via the CLI interface (Linux) or the License Tool/DCM (Windows) 
• Windows - This is done by using the License Manager Tool, selecting the correct license file and clicking activate.
• http://www.dialogic.com/~/media/manuals/hmp30win/license_admin_hmp_win_v2.pdf 
• Linux – This is done using the CLI 
• http://www.dialogic.com/~/media/manuals/docs/system_config_v5.pdf
6. Configure the DNI card - For the DNI card you will need to select the protocol that you are using on the frontend and the clocking parameter similar to the DMV configuration 
• Windows- This will be done using the DCM 
• http://www.dialogic.com/~/media/manuals/docs/config_hmp_win_v2.pdf
• Linux – This is done using the CLI 
• http://www.dialogic.com/~/media/manuals/docs/system_config_v5.pdf 
7. Start the system service

Programming Considerations DM3 to PowerMedia HMP / DNI based solutions:

In most cases, there will be little to no application changes to migrate an application using DM3 architecture to PowerMedia HMP using DNI boards when using PSTN functionality only.

• Application Compilation:

It is required that your application be recompiled with the new headers/libraries provided with the HMP release which will be used.

Note for the Windows based release, the directory path has changed to the following location where the inc (header files) and lib (libraries) folders can be found:

For 32 bit OS:

C:\Program Files\Dialogic\HMP

For 64 bit OS:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Dialogic\HMP

Note for Linux based release, the directory path has remained the same where both inc (header files) and lib (libraries) can be found:

/usr/dialogic/

For more information on supported compilers to use with HMP, refer to the “Basic Software Requirements” section of the Release Guide for that specific HMP release. Also refer to the Release Update notes for any additional compiler support added in newer SUs. Both of these aforementioned documents can be found at the following links:

• Windows HMP 3.0: http://www.dialogic.com/Manuals/hmp/hmp30win.aspx
• Linux HMP 4.1: http://www.dialogic.com/Manuals/hmp/hmp41lin.aspx

• Device Enumeration:

The ordering of device enumeration for media based features such as Voice/CSP/Fax which reside on “dxxx” devices will always be assigned in the following manner:

• Voice channels will start at device “dxxxB1C1” and be enumerated up to the maximum of that features allocated count as per the activated license.
• CSP channels will start at the same device “dxxxB1C1” and be enumerated up to the maximum of that features allocated count as per the activated license. 
• Note in the case where there are more Voice than CSP channels, all those “dxxx” devices enumerated after the last CSP channel will be voice only devices. 
• Fax channels will then follow the first available “dxxx” device after that of the last voice channel which had been enumerated and count up to the maximum of that features allocated count as per the activated license. 

For example, a license with 120 Voice, 60 CSP, and 12 Fax ports will be enumerated as follows:

dxxxB1C1 - dxxxB15C4 will have both Voice and CSP capabilities

dxxxB16C1 - dxxxB30C4 will have voice capabilities

dxxxB31C1 - dxxxB33C4 will have fax capabilities

In the case where you have a DNI which has Tone-only capable voice devices, those are enumerated first prior to all the above mentioned features, and will be enumerated up to the allocated count as per the number of ports on the DNI board. Then all other voice channels will be enumerated in the order mentioned above.

For example a license which is bound to a DNI601TEPHMP board and has the same feature set listed above (i.e. 120 Voice, 60 CSP, and 12 Fax ports) will be enumerated as follows:

dxxxB1C1 - dxxxB15C4 will have Tone only capabilities

dxxxB16C1 – dxxxB30C4 will have both Voice and CSP capabilities

dxxxB31C1 – dxxxB45C4 will have voice capabilities

dxxxB46C1 – dxxxB48C4 will have fax capabilities

• Media functionality:

The media APIs available for PowerMedia HMP match the APIs that are available under the DM3 architecture.

Please note :

• When using UIO for streaming audio data and/or in combination with ASR based applications the default XFER buffer size is different than that which was used prior for DMV/B series board which was 40k. In HMP the XFER buffer is 24k in size. 
• In Dialogic HMP Software, tone templates are managed internally on a board basis, while on Springware boards, tone templates are managed internally on a channel basis. Please see the “Global Tone Detection on HMP Software versus Springware” section of the following guide which provides additional details. http://www.dialogic.com/~/media/manuals/docs/voice_programming_hmp_v7.pdf 

Refer to the respective Programming and Library references for technologies such as CSP, Fax and Voice for any differences within that feature set provided. All documents can be found on the documentation bookshelves for the releases noted above.

• GlobalCall API Guide Deprecated APIs

There are number of deprecated functions listed in section 1.16 of the GlobalCall API Guide (http://www.dialogic.com/~/media/manuals/docs/globalcall_api_v8.pdf).   Deprecated functions are still supported but may eventually be phased out over time. The list gives the names of the deprecated functions and the preferred equivalent functions.

• Technology Guides: 

As a point of reference there are a series of technology guides that are available that should be used as reference. These guides may contain HMP specific areas for further investigation.

• Windows - http://www.dialogic.com/Manuals/hmp/hmp30win.aspx  
• Linux - http://www.dialogic.com/Manuals/hmp/hmp41lin.aspx

Dialogic® PowerMedia™ Host Media Processing Software HMP Documentation

PowerMedia HMP releases have associated sets of manuals, including the following:

Dialogic® Host Media Processing Software Installation Guide 

http://www.dialogic.com/~/media/manuals/hmp30win/release_install.pdf

Explains how to install PowerMedia HMP and update an existing software version.

Dialogic® Host Media Processing Software Administration Guide (Windows® only)

http://www.dialogic.com/~/media/manuals/hmp30win/license_admin_hmp_win_v2.pdf

Describes how to perform the various tasks related to obtaining and activating Dialogic PowerMedia HMP software license files.

Dialogic® System Configuration Guide

http://www.dialogic.com/~/media/manuals/docs/config_hmp_win_v1.pdf

Explains how to configure Dialogic software, including PowerMedia HMP.

Dialogic® Global Call IP Technology Guide

http://www.dialogic.com/~/media/manuals/docs/globalcall_for_ip_hmp_v10.pdf

Provides IP-specific information for the Dialogic® Global Call API.

Dialogic® Host Media Processing API Programming Guides

http://www.dialogic.com/Manuals/hmp/hmp30win.aspx

Provides guidelines for application developers and is useful material to review before starting detailed implementations.
Note: Most APIs supported by PowerMedia HMP have their own API Programming Guide.

Dialogic® Host Media Processing API Library Reference Manuals

http://www.dialogic.com/Manuals/hmp/hmp30win.aspx

Most Dialogic APIs supported by PowerMedia HMP have their own API Library Reference Manual, containing information about the functions, data structures, and events used as part of the API library, and which also shows sample code for the functions.

Dialogic® Host Media Processing Demo Guides

http://www.dialogic.com/Manuals/hmp/hmp30win.aspx

Describes the PowerMedia HMP Software demonstration applications and provides instructions for running the applications on the Linux and Windows® operating systems. It is useful to become familiar with the API Programming Guides, API Library Reference Manuals, and the Dialogic® Global Call IP Technology Guide before planning a migration.

To access PowerMedia HMP documentation:

1. Navigate to the Documentation section of the Dialogic web site (http://www.dialogic.com/manuals). 
2. On the left side of the page, click the link for the PowerMedia HMP release desired. 
3. In the Programming Libraries section, click the link for the manual desired.