MEDIA GATEWAY

CONTROL
PROTOCOL

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 Agenda
• Introduction
• MEGACO Architecture & Model
• Implementations of MEGACO
• The MGCP Model
• Difference between MGCP and
MEGACO/H.248 Protocol
• Conclusion

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 Introduction
• Media Gateway: A Media gateway is a
translation device or service that converts
digital media streams between disparate
telecommunications networks such
as PSTN, SS7
• Because the media gateway connects different
types of networks, one of its main functions is
to convert between different transmission and
coding techniques
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 Cont…
• Media Gateway Controller: Media gateways
are often controlled by a separate Media
Gateway Controller which provides the call
control and signaling functionality.
Communication between media gateways and
Call Agents is achieved by means of protocols
such as MGCP or Megaco(H.248) or Session
Initiation Protocol (SIP)

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 Cont…
• In traditional telephone systems, signalling
(Channel) and media (B-channel) are carried
separately. In VoIP networks, each needs to be
handled by a different type of VoIP Gateway: a
Signalling Gateway and a Media Gateway
• Media Gateways provide the bridge for media
to seamlessly transit between PSTN and VoIP
networks

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 MEGACO Architecture & Model
• Megaco is a (master/slave) protocol for control
of gateway functions at the edge of the packet
network.
• The main function of Megaco is to allow
gateway decomposition into a call agent (call
control) part (known as Media Gateway
Controller, MGC) - master, and an gateway
interface part (known as Media Gateway, MG)
- slave.
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 Architecture

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 MEGACO Model
• Contexts

• Terminations

• Streams

• Topology Descriptor

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 Implementations of MEGACO
• Trucking Gateway
The Signaling Gateway
works with Softswitch.

The Softswitch acts as a

MGC which controls the
associated Trunking
Gateway.

The Trunking Gateway acts

as a MG.

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 • IVR (Interactive Voice Response)

The IVR can be

regarded as a MG
controlled by MSC.

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 • Residential Gateway
Residential Gateways combine
the functions of a router, hub
and modem for Internet
access & connectivity.

A Residential Gateway can be

seen as a Media Gateway
managed by a Media Gateway
Controller in a client/server
architecture.

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 Endpoints
• An Endpoint is a logical representation of a
physical entity, such as an analog phone or a
channel in a trunk
• Endpoints are sources or sinks of data and can
be physical or virtual
• Events and signals occur at Endpoints

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 The MGCP model
• Intelligence of the call control is outside the
gateways and handled by external call control
elements
• Call control elements synchronize with each
other by sending coherent commands to the
gateways under their control
• Master/Slave protocol where the gateways are
expected to execute commands sent by the call
control elements
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 Connections
• An Endpoint holds a set of Connections
• Connections may be either point-to-point or
multipoint
• Once this association is established for both
Endpoints, data transfer between these
Endpoints can begin
• The Endpoints can be in separate gateways or in
the same gateway for both point-to-point and
multipoint Connections
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 Megaco & MGCP
• The Megaco/H.248 model is a much more
complex than the MGCP model and it provides
far greater flexibility when defining media
control.
• For example, in MGCP you can set a mode
such as “conference” to manage the stream
mixing, but you cannot achieve the fine grain
control that you can in Megaco/H.248, such as
how to manage the media streams.
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 Difference in MEGACO & MGCP
• Megaco/H.248 • MGCP
• A call is represented by • A call is represented by
Terminations within a call Endpoints within
Context. Connections.
• Call types include any • Call types include point-to-
combination of multimedia point and multipoint.
and conferencing.
• Syntax is text or binary. • Syntax is text.
• Transport layer is TCP or UDP. • Transport Layer is UDP.
• Defined formally by the IETF
and ITU.
• Managed by the industry.

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 Conclusion
• If we look at the development of media gateway control protocols
from simple PSTN/VoIP interworking “enablers” to complex media-
specific applications, it is clear that the media gateway control
protocols have an important role to play in the future of IP
networks and in particular, IP centric conferencing and media-
related applications.

 
• The inherent client/server architecture of the protocols provides
room for growth and possibilities of developing flexible, scalable
applications. The media-oriented design of the protocols provide
the opportunity for better media management.

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