HK1082132B - Data server - Google Patents

Description

Data server

Technical Field

The present invention relates to data servers and in particular to acting exclusively as media servers for use in networks that transmit media in packet format. Such networks include networks that may be used for telephone networks, video conferencing networks, etc., where such networks are VoIP/VoATM telephone networks, PSTN or other non-packet telephone networks, wireless telephone networks, combinations thereof, or other networks. However, the invention relates in particular to the software architecture of a data server, such as a media server, which is capable of providing value-added processing services for various media networks that deliver media in packet format.

Background

Data servers typically find themselves in a variety of environments for a variety of purposes. However, the invention relates in particular to the use of a data server in a media network that transmits media data in a packet format. Such use may be particularly useful in media gateways and media servers of media networks such as telephone networks.

Indeed, the invention has particular utility, particularly in the context of telephone networks. The telephone network carries voice data that has been encoded, in particular, into a digital format. However, although the human ear may be broad to some extent, it will not tolerate significant interruptions or delays in voice messaging. In other words, unlike data networks, where delays or interruptions in packet data transfer can be tolerated, at least to some extent, voice messages as well as video messages and the like must be transmitted and processed substantially in real time. Therefore, data servers such as gateways and media servers must be structured in such a way that the servers can have high throughput and accuracy of data management and processing.

The following discussion is specific to a data server and how the data server can be incorporated into a network. The following detailed discussion relates to the configuration of a data server when the data server is acting as a media server; it should be understood that the discussion is equally applicable to other configurations of gateways and data servers, as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art.

When the data server is applied to a telephone network, the data server configured as a media server performs various basic and enhanced services including conferencing, interactive voice response, transcoding, broadcasting, and other advanced voice services. They may also be applied in networks providing video conferencing services and the type of data exchange services typically generated over the internet, virtual private networks, and within wide area networks and local area networks, among others. In each case, any type of data, whether it be voice, video or digital or text data or a multimedia stream comprising any combination of these data, is packetized, i.e. the data is transmitted in packets.

Media servers are connected directly to packet networks and can therefore be found in many service provider locations, including locations offering wireless, cable modem, xDSL, fiber optic, and copper access technologies; however, in case a core network is found in which the instant server is located, this network is a network based on packet technologies such as IP, ATM, frame relay, and such as a network for a variant of mobile phone technology.

The media server performs real-time processing of media streams originating from devices such as personal computers, IP phones, mobile phones and traditional phones via appropriate media gateways. Typical functions performed by the media server include decoding and collecting DTMF tones, or an encoded message indicating the presence of DTMF tones. The media server may also play composite audio broadcasts stored on a data server or on an external file server, may bridge multiple audio signals, transcode between different codec types and bit rates, may shift audio signals for manual or automatic gain control levels, may convert text to speech or convert speech to text. The media server may also recognize voice commands, bridge video signals, detect which party in the conference is speaking or is speaking at maximum volume, and decode/encode the facsimile stream.

Typically, the media server is part of an enhanced services infrastructure in a software switching architecture. The packet network uses a drop fabric, such as a soft switch fabric, packetCable^TMStructure, 3GPP/UTMS/EuroCable structure. The media server will act as a slave to the business logic residing in the application server or softswitch, or will respond to a similar control agent in the switching plane of the control network, and provides state-of-the-art hardware that is scalable and exhibits almost unlimited scalability, regardless of the business logic applied in the application server or softswitchEditing, and not considering whether there is a media gateway such as one that is different from the VOIP/VoATM telephone needs.

Two concurrently filed pending patent applications (application serial numbers, and) disclose other features and characteristics of data servers, and in particular, media servers contemplated herein. The invention is particularly directed to the structure of distributed software built on a data server according to the invention.

Of course, it should be understood that the data server of the present invention is dynamically upgradeable and scalable, so that the distributed software built by the data server itself of the present invention, as discussed below, is merely exemplary, as such software, and particularly discrete software objects, may be continuously upgraded, improved, and augmented in accordance with the proposed new service.

It will also be appreciated that the types of services provided by the data servers, and in particular the media servers, of the present invention are such that they provide added value to the basic media processing services that can be offered to the users of any service provider.

The present discussion provides a system level view of data server functionality and teaches the processing engine of a data server that will host advanced services where packetized media data of any customer of any service provider must be processed in real-time or near real-time.

Any data server of the invention functions particularly as a device that can operate a network for internet protocols, such as a device that functions as an IP network intended to carry VoIP/VoATM packet telephony signals. Thus, such data servers of the teachings of the present invention may be deployed at the edge of an IP, ATM or other packet network for location in a favorable geographic location, or near the head end of a cable television company or cable telecommunication service provider, or at the central office of an xDSL telecommunication service provider.

As described below, the distributed software architecture of the present invention provides for the implementation and support of multiprocessing.

Summary of The Invention

To this end, the invention provides a data server for use in a network in which media signals are transmitted in packet format as digital signals, wherein the signals are selected from the group consisting of packetized audio data, packetized video data, packetized control data, packetized information data and combinations thereof. The packets of media data are processed by a data server.

The data server includes at least one shelf having at least one card, a card for providing shelf control functions and media processor functions, and a plurality of inter-processor buses in communication with the processors on the at least one card in the shelf.

The chassis controller function provides access to control and management signals for distributed software distributed on at least one card of the chassis. The media processor function provides access to and processing of media signals in packet format.

The distributed software on the chassis consists of a modular software architecture with a transport layer, a media processing layer, a session control layer and a management layer.

The management plane spans the transport layer, the media layer, and the session control layer.

At least one of the cards contains a plurality of digital signal processors for media processor functions. The plurality of digital signal processors have a plurality of discrete software objects embedded therein so as to be adapted to process packets of media data conforming to the software objects.

The plurality of discrete software objects may be dynamically changed under control of control and management signals that the rack control functions may receive and transmit.

The management plane is adapted to provision and monitor the operation of the data server and also to generate alarms that meet predetermined criteria.

According to the present invention, the distributed software architecture transport layer includes at least one connection interface connecting a packet network, receiving packet-formatted media data from the packet network, and transmitting packet-formatted media data to the packet network.

Further, the distributed software architecture media processing layer includes a software manager for initializing, coordinating, and controlling a plurality of discrete software objects in a plurality of digital signal processors embedded on at least one plug-in.

The data server of the present invention may have a rack with only one plug-in. If so, the plug-in supplies the shelf controller functions and media processor functions. Also, the plug-in will have multiple processors; and communication among the plurality of processors is via a plurality of inter-processor buses.

In addition, the data server of the present invention may have multiple plug-ins in the rack. In that case, the inter-processor buses are spread across a backplane as are backplane buses to provide communication among multiple cards in a rack.

In general, the data server of the present invention is configured such that the shelf has a shelf controller card and at least one media processor card. Multiple backplane buses will communicate among all of the cards on the chassis.

In addition, if so, the distributed software is distributed among the various plug-ins of the chassis.

In the case where there is at least one media processor card in the shelf, each such card will contain a plurality of data signal processors within which a plurality of discrete software objects are embedded.

The distributed software architecture transport layer may further comprise a network abstraction layer adapted to provide an interface to the media processing layer for any media data packets received by the data server from the packet network via the at least one connection interface.

There may also be a plurality of different connection interfaces from the transport layer to the packet network. Thus, modularity is provided for service providers of multiple media data packets that may use different data packet transmission protocols and systems.

The media processing layer also includes logical input and output ports for logical communications to and from each of the transport layer and the session control layer.

The plurality of discrete software objects included within the media processing layer may be selected from the group consisting of a protocol processing software object, an audio processing software object, a mixer control software object, a video service software object, a fax service software object, an audio streaming software object, an audio recording software object, an audio broadcasting software object, an audio gain control software object, an automatic gain control software object, an audio event detector software object, a media data encoder/decoder software object, an audio generator software object, a data scrambling (IPsec) software object, a quality of service identification software object, and combinations thereof.

Further, the audio event detector software may be selected from the group consisting of DTNF detector and decoder software, VAD detector software, maximum volume speaker detector software, and combinations thereof.

Further, the audio generator software object may be selected from the group consisting of a DTMF generator, an algorithmic tone generator, CNG (comfort noise generation) generator software, an audio streaming software object, an audio playback software object, and combinations thereof.

A further measure of the data server of the invention is that the distributed software architecture session control layer comprises a session control sublayer and a session handling and management sublayer.

The control sublayer includes at least one control interface for the data server.

The session handling and management sublayer is adapted to control and manage the software resources of the distributed software architecture independently of the control protocol of the network of digital media signals transmitted in packet format, to which the data server is connected to receive and process these digital media signals.

The data server of the invention makes it possible to adapt at least one control interface of the dialog control sublayer of the session control layer to the network of digital media signals transmitted in packet format according to a controllable protocol selected from the group consisting of Media Gateway Control Protocol (MGCP), PacketCable^TM NCS，PacketCable^TMAudio server protocol, Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), VoiceXML^TMSALT, MEGACO, ITU-T, H.248 and combinations and derivations thereof.

Generally, as described above, the data server of the present invention will be configured as a media server suitable for use in a network that transmits audio data in a digital media packet format.

Furthermore, any data server of the present invention, whether configured as a media server or a media gateway, may generally comprise a single plug-in that performs all functions; or a plurality of cards, some of which perform media processing functions and others of which perform rack controller functions for all of the cards mounted on the rack.

Any of the data servers of the present invention may be connected to at least one external audio file server and/or external voice recognition file server.

If so, the external audio server stores the recorded audio file and transfers the file to and from the at least one media processor plug-in, and the external speech recognition file server streams the synthesized audio to and from the at least one media processor plug-in.

The digital media packets may be loaded into a protocol selected from the group consisting of Internet Protocol (IP), Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) protocol, frame relay protocol, and combinations thereof.

The data server of the present invention may be configured as a media server suitable for use in a network that transmits audio data in a digital media packet format.

Brief description of the drawings

The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of the invention, as to its organization, use and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages will be better understood from the following drawings in which a presently preferred embodiment of the invention will be illustrated by way of example. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for the purpose of illustration and description only and are not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention. Embodiments of the present invention will be described below by way of examples with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 provides a physical overview of the data server of the present invention;

FIG. 2 provides an overview of the data and control signal flow of the data server of the present invention;

FIG. 3 provides an overview of how media packets are distributed within the data server of the present invention;

fig. 4 provides an overview of the software architecture of the present invention.

Detailed description of the preferred embodiments

The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of the invention, as to its structure, organization, use and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages will be better understood from the following discussion.

The data server of the present invention will support multimedia such as voice, data, image and fax types. It will also provide a variety of services and applications such as voice and video conferencing, messaging, interactive voice response, video streaming, etc.

As mentioned above, the data server of the present invention is particularly intended for networks transmitting media signals as digital signals in packet format. The media signals may be, for example, packetized audio data, packetized video data, packetized control data, packetized information data, and combinations thereof. Regardless, the packets of media data are processed by the data server.

However, as mentioned above, although the data servers of the present invention may be configured as media gateways, typically these data servers are configured as media servers, and for clarity the configuration discussed below is specific to the typical structure of a data server, such as an example of a media server of the present invention.

Typically, such media servers provide an array of reprogrammable digital signal processing accessible by real-time transport protocol routers. Thus, when media data-packet formatted digital signals-are input to the media server of the present invention, the media signals are sent directly to the digital signal processor via the backplane and via the plurality of inter-processor buses of the one or more media processor cards. Once the media data packets arrive at the digital signal processor, the media data packets may be processed in a number of different ways. For example, real-time image analysis and processing, including parallel processing of image/video data for automatic scene analysis and video markers, is performed using the media server of the present invention.

More specifically, the media server of the present invention discovers instant functions in telephony networks, particularly those operating over IP or ATM packet networks.

As described below, any digital signal processor on any media processor card will be considered upgradeable software so new features and/or protocols can be dynamically added to the media server.

In fact, the programmability of the digital signal processors that make up the media processor plug-ins can be dynamic in any session, thereby maximizing the efficiency of the hardware.

Reference is now made to two different conceptual representations of the data server 10 of the present invention shown in fig. 1 and 2. In fig. 1, the concept of the present invention is effective for physical aspects; in fig. 2, the concept of the present invention is valid for the way the control and media signals are transmitted via the media server.

As shown generally in fig. 1, a data server of the present invention configured as a media server comprises: a single shelf controller card 12 and multiple media processor cards 14. The shelf controller card and media handler card are inserted into the card shelf in a known manner.

The rack will also have a plurality of backplane buses collectively shown at 18, all of which connect respective cards 12, 14, 16 through bus connectors 20. A more detailed discussion of the respective structures and functions of the cards 12, 14, 16 and the bus 18 can be found in the above-mentioned co-pending patent applications.

An IP or ATM network or series of such networks may be connected to the media server via an ethernet or other network. For example, as discussed in more detail below, a control IP network 22, a management IP network 24, and one or more media IP or ATM networks 26 may be connected to the media server 10, as shown in fig. 1 and 2.

It will be noted in fig. 1 and 2 that control IP network 22 and management IP network 24 are connected to chassis controller plug-in 12, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 2, a craft interface 28 may also be connected to the rack controller plug-in 12. Typically, active interface 28 connects to chassis control plug-in 12 via RS232 interface 48; as shown in fig. 1, the active interface 28 may provide other signal connectivity to the rack controller card 12, such as for diagnostic purposes.

Further, as shown in fig. 2, the control IP network 22 supports a control agent; and as noted above, the control agent may reside on a software switch or an application server.

Referring to fig. 2, it will first be noted that the media IP network 26 may optionally include a gateway 30 to the PSTN so that appropriate signal management and conversion may occur, either including a VoIP/VoATM terminal 32, or including both the gateway 30 and the terminal 32; also included are an external audio file server 80 that exchanges recorded audio files with the data server, and an external speech recognition file server 79 that exchanges audio data streams with the data server.

Generally, any media processor plug-in 14 will exchange files with an external audio file server 80 using the HTTP or NFS protocol. So that the file always records audio. File swapping from the media processor plug-in 14 may cause the plug-in 14 to send the audio recording to the external audio file server 80 and retrieve the audio recording therefrom.

The exchange of recorded audio files with the speech recognition file server 79 is typically performed using the RTP/UDP/IP protocol. The speech recognition file server 79 may stream the synthesized audio back to the media processor plug-in 14 in the same manner. The control link is used by the media processor plug-in 14 to inform the speech recognition file server 79 that recorded audio is streaming to it with audio, and also to collect information about the recorded audio after the recorded audio has been analyzed by a speech engine (not shown).

Various other protocols and connection modes are suggested in fig. 2 for managing the connection of the IP network 24 and the active interface 28, but they are merely exemplary and are not intended to limit or particularly describe a data server configured as a media server or media gateway.

As shown in FIG. 2, control signals 34 are passed between the rack controller plug-in 12 and the control agent 22; and is communicated between the shelf controller plug-in 12 and the administrative IP network 24 and active interfaces 28 via the provisioning interface 36.

Of course, signals 38 pass through the rack controller card 12 and, as shown at 40 in FIG. 2, are passed between the rack controller card and the various media processor cards 14 via the backplane bus 18.

Similarly, digital media data in packet format is passed to and from the various media processing plug-ins 14 as shown at 42.

For convenience, the interface between the media server 10 and the media IP network 26 is shown as passing through a packet network 44, discussed below, via various signal connections shown at 46.

Control signals in packet format flow between the media processing plug-in 14 and the recording audio file server 80, and between the data server and the speech recognition file server 79 via links 42, 46 to the packet network 44.

Within the media server, and in particular within each media processing card 14, there are a plurality of digital signal processors 50. As shown in fig. 3, an array of digital signal processors is shown, with each of the various cards shown in fig. 1 providing a plurality of digital signal processors.

As shown in fig. 3, within the media server 10, there are also a plurality of control processors 52 and digital signal routers 54 operating in real time so that media data packets 56 are distributed throughout the media server 10 to the various digital signal processors 50.

The relationships among fig. 1, 2 and 3 will now be understood, as these figures illustrate various aspects of the physical arrangement, signal and control flow arrangement, etc. of the media server.

It can also be seen that the rack controller plug-in 12 provides access to control and management signals for distributed software distributed among the many plugs on the rack; and of course the media processor plug-in provides access to media signals which enter the media server in packet format from the media IP network 26.

Referring now to FIG. 4, the structure of the distributed software distributed among the various plug-ins on the rack is illustrated. It will be noted first that the software architecture is modular and comprises four basic components. These are the transport layer 60, the media handling layer 62, the session control layer 64 and the management plane 66. It should be noted that the management plane spans the transport layer 60, the media processing layer 62 and the session control layer 64.

As mentioned above, and as should be clearly understood, the digital signal processors 50 distributed among the various cards on the shelf of the media server 10 are each adapted to process a media data packet 56 as the media data packet 56 enters the media server 10, according to the plurality of discrete software objects embedded within the respective digital signal processor 50.

It should also be understood that the plurality of discrete software objects within the plurality of digital signal processors 50 may be dynamically changed under the control of the control and management signals at 34, 38 and 40. Thus, as described above, discrete software objects linking individual services can be modified, upgraded or added in real time. Discrete software objects may also be modified by the provisioning interface 36 at startup or in a non-time critical manner.

It will be seen from fig. 4 that several purposes of the management plane 66 include provisioning and monitoring of media server operations (80), provisioning of database devices (82), management protocol devices, and the like.

Another purpose provided by the management plane 66 is to provide alarms that meet predetermined criteria (84); it should be understood that when the management plane 66 monitors the various layers of the software architecture of the present invention, anomalies in the operation of the software will be detected and appropriate alarms will be issued, or other corrective steps taken.

The various protocols and service identities (81, 83, 85) are shown in fig. 4. They are not intended to be limited in any way as they are merely exemplary and relate to a typical software architecture of the data server of the present invention.

Within the distributed software architecture of the present invention, the transport layer 60 includes at least one connection interface 70, which interface 70 provides interconnection to the packet network 44 that receives packet-formatted media signals. The present invention also has a network abstraction layer 72 adapted to provide an interface to the media processing layer 62 for any media data packets received by the media server 10 from the packet network 44.

It is noted that within connection interface 70, there may be a plurality of different connection interfaces (87, 89, 91, 93) to packet network 44. Thus, modularity is provided for service providers of multiple media data packets that may use different data packet transfer protocols and systems. This is two things: first, the data server of the present invention can be delivered "off-the-shelf" to essentially any service provider whose services include the processing, transmission, and processing of media data packets. Second, it means that a service provider may operate more than one media data packet transfer protocol per se connecting to the same data server 10.

Referring to media processing layer 62, it will be seen that there is a software manager 74 among the components within that layer. The purpose of the software manager is to initialize, coordinate and control a plurality of discrete software objects embedded in the plurality of digital signal processors 50 on each of the at least one media processor cards 14. Discrete software objects are typically smaller software objects written in such a way that: so that the software objects are initialized, which software objects also do not consume any processing resources of the digital signal processor on which they reside before the time they are run.

Media processing layer 62 also includes logical input and output ports (not indicated because they are valid hardware items) that allow logical communication to and from each of transport layer 60 and session control layer 64.

The plurality of software objects that may be included in the media processor layer may vary drastically. It should be noted that there are particular services and protocols illustrated in fig. 4, which are exemplary of an exemplary embodiment of media processor 10, but which are not otherwise discussed or illustrated herein.

However, as is typical of any media processor of the present invention, the discrete software objects contained in the media processing layer may include the following: protocol processor 95, audio processing software object 97, mixer control software object, video service software object, audio streaming software object 99, fax service software object 101, audio recording software object 103, audio broadcasting software object 105, audio gain control software object 107, audio event detector software object 109, media data encoder/decoder software object 111, audio generator software object 113, data scrambling (IPsec) software object 115, quality of service identification software object 117, and combinations thereof.

If so, typically the audio event detector software is selected from the group consisting of DTMF detector and decoder software, VAD detector software, maximum volume speaker detector software, and combinations thereof.

Further, typically the audio generator software object is selected from the group consisting of a DTMF generator, an algorithmic tone generator, CNG (comfort noise generation) generator software, an audio streaming software object, an audio playing software object, and combinations thereof.

As can be seen from session control layer 64, this layer includes a session control sublayer 76 and a session management and administration sublayer 78.

The dialog control sublayer 76 includes at least one control interface for the media server 10. The control interface is the interface that the media server 10 will communicate with the control IP network 22 and/or the management IP network 24.

In addition, the session manipulation and management sub-layer 78 is adapted to control and manage the software resources of the distributed software architecture shown in fig. 4 independently of the control protocols communicated to the media processors via the paths 34, 38 and 40. That is, whether or not the protocol is being utilized to control the processing of digital media signals received by the media server, the session manipulation and management sublayer will manage the software resources of the media server independently of the control protocol, so the media data packets 56 (fig. 3) will arrive at discrete software objects embedded in the media processor layer 62.

There is typically one control interface, but there may be multiple control interfaces in the dialog control sublayer 76. Any control interface in the dialog control sublayer is adapted to connect to a network carrying digital media word signals in packet format under control of a selectable protocol, typically selected from the group consisting of Media Gateway Control Protocol (MGCP)121, PacketCable^TM NCS123，PacketCable^TMAudio server protocols, Session Initiation Protocol (SIP)125,VoiceXML^TM127, MEGACO, SALT, and combinations thereof.

There has been described herein a data server, and in particular, a media server having a preferred embodiment of a distributed software architecture, which is found in a number of plug-ins on a plug-in chassis within the media server. It should be noted that the plurality of discrete software objects found on the digital signal processors distributed among the media processor cards within the data server of the present invention can be dynamically changed by upgrading, modifying or adding the same under the control of control and management signals transmitted from an externally located control IP network or management IP network, particularly from a softswitch, application server, server management system, or element management system, to the media server via the control and management system.

A data server, in particular the data server described in the embodiments as a media server, adapted to provide a variety of variable media processing services for packetized media data transmitted to the data server; and the media processing will start to work independently of the protocol that causes the packetized media data to be transmitted to the data server.

Claims (21)

1. A data server (10) for use in a network in which media signals are transmitted as digital signals of video or audio in a packet format (56), wherein packets of media data from the network are processed by the server, the data server characterized by:

at least one shelf having at least one card to provide a shelf controller card (12) and a media processor card (14);

said shelf providing media processor cards having a plurality of inter-digital signal processor buses (40) in communication with digital signal processors (50), and digital signal routers distributing packets of media data to the respective digital signal processors;

at least one control interface for receiving external control and management signals in packet format;

at least one connection interface for transmitting and receiving said media signals to and from a packet network;

wherein the shelf controller card provides access to control and management signals for distributed software distributed in the cards on the shelf via the at least one control interface, and the media processor card provides access to and processing of media signals in packet format;

wherein the distributed software in each plug-in on the chassis is comprised of a modular software architecture having a transport layer (60), a media processing layer (62), a session control layer (64), and a management layer (66);

wherein the management plane spans the transport layer, the media processing layer, and the session control layer;

wherein the digital signal processors (50) within the media processor cards are digital signal processors performing media functions in real time to process incoming media signals received on the at least one connection interface and prepare the processed media signals for transmission to the at least one connection interface, the plurality of digital signal processors having a plurality of discrete software objects embedded therein so as to be adapted to process said media data packets conforming to media data of said software objects;

wherein the plurality of discrete software objects are dynamically changed under control of the control and management signals via at least one control interface;

wherein the management plane is adapted to provision and monitor (80) the operation of the data server and to generate an alert (84) meeting a predetermined criterion;

wherein the distributed software architecture media processing layer includes a software manager (74) for initializing, coordinating and controlling a plurality of discrete software objects in a plurality of digital signal processors embedded on the at least one plug-in.

2. The data server of claim 1, wherein said shelf has a card providing said shelf controller card and said media processor card, one of said cards having a plurality of digital signal processors thereon, wherein communication among said plurality of digital signal processors is via a plurality of inter-digital signal processor buses (40).

3. The data server of claim 1, wherein a plurality of cards are present on the rack, wherein a plurality of digital signal inter-processor buses (40) extend across the backplane as a plurality of backplane buses (18) to provide communication among the plurality of cards of the rack.

4. The data server of claim 3, wherein said chassis has a chassis controller card (12) and at least one media processor card (14) thereon, and wherein said plurality of backplane buses communicate among all cards in said chassis.

5. The data server of claim 4, wherein the distributed software is distributed among the plug-ins of the chassis.

6. The data server of claim 5, wherein each of said at least one media processor cards contains a plurality of digital signal processors (50) having a plurality of discrete software objects embedded therein.

7. The data server of claim 1, wherein the distributed software architecture transport layer further comprises a network abstraction layer (72) adapted to provide an interface to said media processing layer for any media data packet, wherein said data server receives said any media data packet from the packet network via said at least one connection interface.

8. A data server according to claim 3, wherein the distributed software architecture transport layer further comprises a network abstraction layer adapted to provide an interface to said media processing layer for any media data packet, wherein said data server receives said any media data packet from the packet network via said at least one connection interface.

9. The data server of claim 8, wherein there are a plurality of different connection interfaces (87, 89, 91, 93) within the connection interface (70) to the packet network, thereby providing modularity for service providers of a plurality of media data packets using different data packet transport protocols and systems.

10. The data server of claim 1, wherein the media processing layer further comprises logical input and output ports in logical communication with one of to and from the transport layer and the session control layer.

11. The data server of claim 3, wherein the media processing layer further comprises logical input and output ports in logical communication with one of to and from the transport layer and the session control layer.

12. The data server of claim 11, wherein the distributed software architecture session control layer comprises a session control sublayer, a session manipulation and management sublayer;

wherein the session control sublayer comprises at least one control interface for the data server; and

wherein the session handling and management sublayer is adapted to control and manage software resources of the distributed software architecture independently of a control protocol of a network of digital media signals transmitted in packet format, wherein the data server is connected to the network to receive and process these digital media signals.

13. A data server according to claim 1, wherein said data server is configured as a media server adapted for use in a network for transmitting audio data in a digital media packet format.

14. A data server according to claim 3, wherein said data server is configured as a media server adapted for use in a network for transmitting audio data in a digital media packet format.

15. The data server of claim 13, wherein the media server is connected to at least one of an external audio file server and an external voice recognition file server;

wherein the external audio file server stores recorded audio files and transfers the files to and from the at least one media processor card, and the external speech recognition file server streams synthesized audio data streams to and from the at least one media processor card.

16. The data server of claim 14, wherein the media server is connected to at least one of an external audio file server and an external voice recognition file server;

wherein the external audio file server stores recorded audio files and transfers the files to and from the at least one media processor card, and the external speech recognition file server streams synthesized audio data streams to and from the at least one media processor card.

17. The data server of claim 4, wherein a plurality of media processor cards are located on the shelf.

18. A data server according to claim 17, wherein said data server is configured as a media server adapted for use in a network for transmitting audio data in a digital media packet format.

19. The data server of claim 17, further comprising at least two shelf controller cards, wherein at least a second shelf controller card serves as a backup shelf controller card to a first shelf controller card.

20. A data server according to claim 1 or 3, wherein said data server is configured as a media gateway adapted for use in a network for transmitting audio data in a digital media packet format.

21. The data server of claim 17, further comprising at least one additional media processor card, wherein the at least one additional media processor card serves as a standby media processor for any of the plurality of media processor cards.