Welcome to the Configuration and Management guide for the Rhino VoLTE TAS, Metaswitch’s carrier-class VoLTE Telephony Application Server (VoLTE TAS) product.
This page will guide you through the process of getting a freshly installed Rhino VoLTE TAS up and running in your network. If this is your first time setting up a Rhino VoLTE TAS, we recommend following the steps laid out below in order.
- 1. Familiarize yourself with how configuration works in the Rhino VoLTE TAS
- 2. Set up the Rhino VoLTE TAS platform
- 3. Set up integration with other network systems
- 4. Set up charging
- 5. Set up home network information
- 6. Set up SCC services
- 7. Set up MMTel services
- 8. Set up XCAP
- 9. Set up the IP-SM-GW
1. Familiarize yourself with how configuration works in the Rhino VoLTE TAS
Before getting into configuring the system, you should make sure you are familiar with how configuration in the Rhino VoLTE TAS works, and how to modify the configuration files. Read through Declarative configuration to learn about this.
While using this guide, if you come across a particular field or section in the configuration and you want to find more detailed information about it, click the link on its name in the text. This takes you to its entry in the RVT declarative configuration reference included in this guide.
2. Set up the Rhino VoLTE TAS platform
The first step is to configure the identity of the platform and the identity of the virtual machines (VM) and VM pools for each node type, and in some cases set up user access and integration between nodes of the system.
Read through The platform for details.
3. Set up integration with other network systems
The next step is to get the Rhino VoLTE TAS talking to other nodes in the network. Instructions for doing this for each relevant node are in Integration with other systems. Exactly which systems that need to be configured will be specific to your network and requirements.
4. Set up charging
The next thing to do is set up the charging systems you want to use. There are several different systems for doing charging, including online and offline charging systems. This is also the place where Call Data Record (CDR) generation is configured. Exactly which systems you choose to use will depend on your particular network. See Charging for a description of each system and how to configure it.
5. Set up home network information
Next, you need to get the Rhino VoLTE TAS up to speed with the details of your network.
This means configuring:
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how phone numbers should be normalized
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country codes
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handling of international and roaming calls
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reserved URIs and phone numbers.
See Home networks and roaming for instructions.
6. Set up SCC services
By this point the Rhino VoLTE TAS should be ready to process a basic LTE call. The next step is to get the service centralization and continuity (SCC) services up and running. They are responsible for providing interoperability between the GSM/CDMA and LTE networks.
There are three services that you may need to configure:
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T-ADS, which selects whether a called subscriber will receive the call over the GSM/CDMA or the LTE (or a Wi-Fi) network.
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Access transfer, which keeps calls up and running when a subscriber leaves LTE coverage.
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Reorigination, which allows a subscriber to access and use their VoLTE services while outside of LTE coverage.
7. Set up MMTel services
The final step for configuring call processing is to get the MultiMedia Telephony (MMTel) services set up. These services provide a variety of ways for operators and subscribers to control calls. Some of the services provided are defined by the 3GPP; others are unique to the Rhino VoLTE TAS.
Not all networks will use all of the available services. So look through the following list and go to the linked page for each service required in your network.
The available MMTel services are:
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Announcements, which plays announcements to subscribers. Details of all possible announcements that can be played to subscribers must be configured here. Other services count on this configuration to nominate announcements to be played at various times.
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Call failure announcements, which selects which announcements to play under various call failure conditions.
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PSAP callback, which provides special handling for return calls from emergency services to a subscriber.
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Dial plan enforcement, which checks the number dialed by a subscriber to ensure it is valid for the network before permitting a call.
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Privacy, which controls whether or not each subscriber in a call can see the other’s identity. It covers the functionality for the 3GPP defined Originating Identity Restriction (OIR), Originating Identity Presentation (OIP), Terminating Identity Restriction (TIR), and Terminating Identity Presentation (TIP) services.
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Conferencing, which enables calls with more than two participants. It covers the functionality for the 3GPP defined Conference (CONF) service.
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Call barring, which blocks incoming and/or outgoing calls for a subscriber according to set rules. It covers the functionality for the 3GPP defined Outgoing Call Barring (OCB), Incoming Call Barring (ICB), and Anonymous Call Rejection (ACR) services. It provides support for both subscriber and operator defined barring rules.
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Communication waiting, which notifies a subscriber when they have an incoming call while they are already on another call, and gives them a chance to answer it. It covers the functionality for the 3GPP defined Communication Waiting (CW) service.
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Communication hold, which manages announcements and media stream bandwidth when a call is put on hold. It covers the functionality for the 3GPP defined Communication Hold (HOLD) service.
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Communications diversion, which forwards calls to new destinations according to rules set by or for a called subscriber. It covers the functionality for the 3GPP defined Communications Diversion (CDIV) service.
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Voicemail forwarding, which forwards an incoming call to a subscriber’s nominated voicemail server.
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Companion device, which provides features supporting LTE connected devices besides a subscriber’s main phone (e.g. smart watches).
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Vertical service codes, which enables the creation of phone numbers and number prefixes/suffixes that invoke services in the network.
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Location based dialing, which allows for phone numbers that direct to different places depending on a subscriber’s location.
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Explicit communication transfer, which allows a subscriber to transfer a call to someone else. It covers the functionality for the 3GPP defined Explicit Communication Transfer (ECT) service.
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Flexible alerting, which allows a single phone number to be used for multiple people or devices. It covers the functionality for the 3GPP defined Flexible Alerting (FA) service.
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Session transfer to own device, which allows a subscriber to transfer a call from their current device to a different one without creating a new call.
8. Set up XCAP
XCAP is an interface used to manage subscriber specific configuration. The Rhino VoLTE TAS incorporates an XCAP server which can be used by both the operator and subscriber to manage subscriber specific configuration data in the HSS. See RVT XCAP for details of how to set this up.
You will also need to set up the authentication gateway so that XCAP requests can be verified. See RVT Authentication Gateway for details.
9. Set up the IP-SM-GW
Depending on your particular installation, the Rhino VoLTE TAS may include an IP-SM-GW (Internet Protocol Short Message Gateway). The purpose of the IP-SM-GW is to allow SMS messages to cross between GSM and LTE networks. See RVT IP Short Message Gateway (IP-SM-GW) for information about configuring the IP-SM-GW.
