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+ SIP H323 and MGCP
+ H.323 Background
+ H.323 - The Basics
+ SIP and H.323
+ MGCP Background
+ MGCP Architecture
+ MGCP Basics
+ SIP and MGCP Megaco
+ Protocol Comparison












SIP and H.323

SIP and H.323

UDN, an Avaya DevConnect program

SIP is, more or less, equivalent to the Q.931 and H.225 components of H.323. These protocols are responsible for call setup and call signalling. Consequently, both SIP and H.323 can be used as signalling protocols in IP networks.

A comparison:

 

SIP

 

H.323

 

 

 

PHILOSOPHY

"New World" - a relative of Internet protocols - simple, open and horizontal

 

"Old World" - complex, deterministic and vertical

IETF

 

ITU

Carrier-class solution addressing the wide area

 

Borne of the LAN - focusing on enterprise conferencing priorities

CHARACTERISTICS

A simple toolkit upon which smart clients and applications can be built. It re-uses Net elements (URLs, MIME and DNS)

 

H.323 specifies everything including the codec for the media and how you carry the packets in RTP

Leaves issues of reliability to underlying network

 

Assumes fallibility of network - an unnecessary overhead

SIP messages are formatted as text. (Text processing lies behind the web and email)

 

Binary format doesn't sit well with the internet - this adds complexity

SIP allows for standards-based extensions to perform specific functions.

 

Extensions are added by using vendor-specific non-standard elements

Hierarchical URL style addressing scheme that scales

 

Addressing scheme doesn't scale well

Minimal delay - simplified signalling scheme makes it faster

 

Possibilities of delay (up to 7 or 8 seconds!)

Slim and Pragmatic

 

The suite is too cumbersome to deploy easily

SERVICES

Standard IP Centrex services

 

Standard IP Centrex services

Ability to 'fork' calls

 

Not possible in the existing standard

User profiling
 
-

'Unified messaging'

 

-

Presence management

 

-

Unique ability to mix media (e.g. IVR)

 

Cannot mix media within a session

URLs can be embedded in web browsers and email tools

 

H.323 has no URL format

Works smoothly with media gateway controllers controlling multiple gateways - crucial in a multi-operator environment

 

"Shoehorn" interworking with SS7 is problematic - H.323 has trouble connecting calls to and from PSTN endpoints

Seamless interaction with other media - services are only limited by the developers imagination

 

Services are nailed-down and constricted - voice only ceiling

STATUS

Industry endorsed

 

Popularity due to the fact that it was the first set of agreed-upon standards

Many vendors developing products

 

The majority of existing IP telephony products rely on the H.323 suite