To facilitate number portability (NP) in a multi-operator environment, a number porting administration platform has to meet stringent performance and reliability requirement. The failure of such system would mean service outage for the entire telecom operator and even negatively affects the operation of the phone network for the whole country.

Dascom Technology, as the sole vendor representative in the Hong Kong number porting specification meetings, is delighted to offer mature, production proven products to enable Number Porting capability:

• Number Porting platform based on IN technology (NP)
• Administrative Database system (AD)

The Dascom NPAD is a computing platform that performs the backup and auditing role for all ported-out and ported-in fixed and mobile numbers, and stores all mobile network operators' working and history records of ported-out and ported-in numbers and their corresponding information.

The following objectives have to be met for a satisfactory AD system:

• Store the information to be exchanged among Network Operators;
• Maintain the data integrity of individual Network Operators' number porting records;
• Facilitate regular updating and auditing;
• Resolve any data discrepancies among Network Operators; and
• Server as a backup image for disaster recovery of SCP, SMP or other Network Operators' AD.

In the Hong Kong number porting environment, an AD system is expected to meet or exceed the following requirement:

• Support 5,000,000 subscriber records
• Retain subscriber records for 1 year
• Perform 5,000 ONP/MNP transactions per number porting session
• Perform 500 ONP/MNP cut-over transactions per number porting session
• Support multiple administrative client connections to the AD system concurrently with the existing transaction workload

The Dascom NPAD platform is able to meet or exceed the above stringent requirements economically.

• Supports both ONP and MNP in one single platform
• High performance Unix servers providing strong reliability and scalability
• Distributed logical computing architecture allows for high scalability from low to high traffic volume's system can be as small as a single node platform, up to a multi-node distributed platform
• Supports customizable interfaces to provide added functionality
• Supports CDR customization to integrate with existing billing systems
• Allows access control to be implemented to limit administrative access
• Optional high-availability plug-in allows for continuous uninterrupted operation to reduce operation and maintenance cost
• Optional network management module to enhance O&M and allows for ECO
• Scalable data storage to accommodate for future growth in amount of ported numbers