McObject Database Heightens Telco Billing/Credit System’s Speed, Reliability
May 12, 2008 — Lifetree Convergence, now a part of Tecnotree, one of India’s fastest growing software companies with deep roots in telecommunications innovation, has added the eXtremeDB™ High Availability (HA) embedded database system from McObject® in its upcoming J@nus™ real-time rating and credit control platform. The database enhances service by enabling customers to access account features and balances instantly—and builds fault-tolerance into Lifetree’s operating support system/business support system (OSS/BSS) through its high availability sub-system.
Within J@nus, McObject’s database serves as a fast in-memory cache for subscribers’ balances and usage records. The core rating and balance management engine uses eXtremeDB-HA as the primary database, with updates to the RAM-based eXtremeDB-HA propagated to a traditional back-end relational database management system (RDBMS) by the application.
eXtremeDB-HA’s synchronous replication capability—in which multiple, identical database instances are deployed, with automatic failover, and are updated within the scope of database transactions—helps safeguard data integrity within J@nus by avoiding a single point of failure, Lifetree CTO Naim Kazi said.
For the J@nus rating and credit control platform, Lifetree deploys the 64-bit version of McObject’s database on 64-bit CentOS/Red Hat Enterprise Linux and x64 architecture. The in-memory cache based on eXtremeDB-HA is expected to surpass 16 GB in size, Naim Kazi said.
Lifetree’s development team evaluated multiple commercial, off-the-shelf (COTS) database systems to potentially serve as the J@nus in-memory cache, and chose eXtremeDB based on its best-in-class responsiveness, proven high-availability, and 64-bit support, Naim Kazi added. The J@nus system design also takes advantage of the eXtremeDB’s Fusion capability that allows a specified set of records in a database design to be stored on disk, while others are held entirely in memory.
“J@nus is Lifetree’s convergent rating and credit control platform, both in the sense of facilitating converged IP services such as voice, video and data, and in that it enables management of pre- and post-paid subscribers in a single system, eliminating the need for multiple OSS/BSS products, which simplifies life for our telco customers,” Naim Kazi said.
“Handling multiple types of convergence means an extraordinary amount of data must be coordinated. eXtremeDB-HA performs this task with unparalleled efficiency and with the reliability that customers have come to expect from Lifetree’s products,” he said.
About Lifetree Convergence Ltd.
Lifetree Convergence is a global software company providing IT solutions to manage all customer touch points of a telecom service provider. Its solutions have been deployed across industries including communication service providers, banks, retailers and media and entertainment companies, in markets spanning Asia-Pacific, Middle East, Europe and Africa.
Lifetree was incubated by telecom industry stalwarts Richard Siemens, founder of Hutchison Telecom and the Orange UK mobile network, and Craig Erlich, chairman of the GSM Congress. The company is headquartered in New Delhi, with its software development centers in New Delhi and Bangalore.
About McObject
Founded by embedded database and real-time systems experts, McObject offers proven data management technology that makes real-time systems smarter, more reliable and more cost-effective to develop and maintain. McObject counts among its customers industry leaders such as F5 Networks, Nokia Siemens Networks, SOMA Networks, Phillips, EADS, JVC, Tyco Thermal Controls, CA, Motorola and Boeing. McObject, based in Issaquah, WA, is committed to providing innovative technology and first-rate services to customers and partners. The company can be reached at +1-425-888-8505, or visit www.mcobject.com.
McObject, eXtremeDB, eXtremeDB High Availability and eXtremeDB Fusion are trademarks or registered trademarks of McObject LLC. All other company or product names mentioned herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.