1. Field of the Invention
The invention is related to the field of communication networks and, in particular, to configuring SIP endpoints of a VoIP network through SIP messaging.
2. Statement of the Problem
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is a technology used for the routing of voice conversations over a data network using Internet Protocol (IP). The data network may be the Internet or any other IP-based network, such as an enterprise intranet. VoIP networks are typically viewed as a lower cost alternative to traditional public switched telephone networks (PSTN).
A typical VoIP network is comprised of one or more application servers and a plurality of endpoints. The endpoints are network elements used to originate or terminate a call over the VoIP network, such as a VoIP phone, a PDA, a computer with VoIP functionality, etc. The application server provides call processing within the VoIP network to allow the endpoints to place and receive calls over the VoIP network. The protocol typically used between the endpoints and the application server for call setup, maintenance, and call tear-down is Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), although other protocols may be used. The protocol typically used for data transfer over the VoIP network (i.e., bearer traffic for a VoIP call) is Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP), although other protocols may be used.
Unlike traditional analog phones, endpoints of a VoIP network need to be configured to connect to the VoIP network. The endpoints have local configuration parameters that need to be set by the network operator, by the user of the endpoint, or another party or system. Examples of local configuration parameters that need to be set include a SIP application server IP address, SIP timers, audio/video compression/decompression (CODEC), etc. The endpoints typically provide a local configuration interface through which the user of the endpoint or a network operator can set or adjust the configuration parameters of the endpoint. The local configuration interface may be a menu-based or window-based interface that allows a user to enter values for the configuration parameters.
One problem with configuring endpoints of a VoIP network through their local configuration interface is that each endpoint has to be configured individually. This can place an undue burden on the users or the network operators to manually configure each endpoint. Assume for instance that a VoIP network includes thousands of endpoints and a global configuration change is desired for the endpoints. According to present configuration methods, each endpoint would have to be configured one-by-one through the local configuration interface of each endpoint, which is inefficient.
Some VoIP networks allow for remote configuration of endpoints through an HTTP-based provisioning server (or provisioning center). Through the provisioning server, a user or network operator enters changes to configuration parameters into a web-based interface for the endpoint, and the provisioning server transmits an HTTP configuration command to the endpoint. The endpoint then changes its local configuration parameters based on the HTTP configuration command. Unfortunately, each endpoint still has to be configured one-by-one through the provisioning server. The efficiency of configuring the endpoints through the provisioning server is as poor as configuring the endpoints through their local configuration interfaces.