JAIN™ SLEE FAQ

Some questions remain open in context of JAIN™, JAIN™ SLEE and associated Technologies. Some of them are answered in this FAQ.

Question: What does JAIN™ mean?

The acronym "JAIN™" stands for "Java™ APIs for Intelligent Networks". If JAIN™ talks about networks mostly communication networks in telecommunication are meant. JAIN™ is a registered trademark of SUN Microsystems. SUN also owns the rights on the programming language Java™
The JAIN™ initiative was originally founded by SUN Microsystem and aimed for Java™ programming API's into the network. Aim is to create and operate services and application close to the network. JAIN™ evolved to an industry initiative and advances through the collaboration of partners and software experts.
JAIN™ aims especially for these typical Java™ goals in the domain of networks:

• Service Portability - Write Once, Run Anywhere
• Network Convergence - Any Network
• Service Provider Access - By Anyone

Question: What covers JAIN™?

JAIN™ encompasses a variety of aktivities on various layers: definitions of protocol abstractions, definitions of call control functions, definitions of approaches to create services, definitions to manage and access ENUM directories and finally the definition of a service execution environment for the network (JAIN™ SLEE).

Protocol Abstraction	Status	Latest Activity
TCAP [JSR-11]	Final	Oct 2001
ISUP [JSR-17]	Withdrawn	-
Megaco [JSR-79]	Final	Dec 2004
MAP [JSR-29]	Withdrawn	-
MAP [JSR-137]	Withdrawn	-
SIP [JSR-32]	Final	Nov 2006
SIP Lite [JSR-125]	Withdrawn	-
INAP [JSR-35]	Final	Mar 2002
MGCP [JSR-23]	Final	Oct 2001
H.323 [JSR-81]	Withdrawn	-

Call Control	Status	Latest Activity
JCC [JSR-21]	Final	Jul 2002
JCAT [JSR-122]	In Progress	Aug 2003

Service Creation	Status	Latest Activity
SCE [JSR-100]	In Progress	Oct 2002
SCE [JSR-192]	Withdrawn	-

Misc	Status	Latest Activity
OAM [JSR-18]	Final	Sep 2000
OAM [JSR-132]	Withdrawn	-
ENUM [JSR-161]	In Progress	May 2004

Execution Environment	Status	Latest Activity
SIP Servlet [JSR-116]	Final	Mar 2003
SIP Servlet v1.1 [JSR-289]	In Progress	Jan 2007
JAIN™ SLEE [JSR-22]	Final	Mar 2004
JAIN™ SLEE v1.1 [JSR-240]	In Progress	Feb 2007

Question: Where does JAIN™ work? Who defines the JAIN™ features?

JAIN™ works in the context of the Java Community Process (JCP). A number of Java Specification Requests (JSRs) allow companies and industry experts to collaborat on JAIN™ related topics.

Question: What does JAIN™ SLEE stand for?

SLEE stands for "Service Logic Execution Environment". SLEES are synonyms for platforms in the network domain of the telecommunication industry executing generic logic which is triggered through network events. After processing the event in the service logic an answer is generated triggering again an activity in the network. Today, typical examples of these platforms are "Intelligent Network" - IN - nodes.
New with JAIN™ SLEE is the fact that the platform utilizes the Java™ programming language.
BTW - "JSLEE" is a typically used acronym for JAIN™ SLEE.

Question: What is JAIN™ SLEE?

JAIN™ SLEE is a new, standardised, technology designed to provide a flexible service platform for running end-user applications aimed for telecommunication operators. It extends the Intelligent Network service development concept that has been deployed by many mobile telecommunication operators to reduce application development times. Main design goal is a low latency and high throughput environment, based on a componentoriented and transacted execution environment. JAIN™ SLEE contains an eventdriven and -optimized runtime model that borrows well-established and proven concepts from the enterprise domain (J2EE™). JAIN™ SLEE allows the decoupling of services and the underlying network - or communication infrastructure through the concept of Resource Adaptors.
However, designed explicitly for the needs of telecommunication operators and environments, JAIN™ SLEE could be applied wherever the features of this application environment may fit - e.g. Online Games servers or Robot control.
JAIN™ SLEE is a standard, which allows portable services and applications. This allows the same service to execute on various vendor's JAIN™ SLEE platforms.

More information and an extensive tutorial is availabel here: JAIN™ SLEE Tutorial.

Question: Why JAIN™ SLEE?

The main reasons for JAIN™ SLEE solutions are:

• JAIN™ SLEE is standardized, not proprietary
• JAIN™ SLEE allows reduced time-to-market for services through standardized and component oriented architectures allowing for re-use of existing components, functions and enablers
• JAIN™ SLEE allows cost reduction through multi-vendor environments

Question: Is JAIN™ SLEE mature enough?

Currently, JAIN™ SLEE is perceived as an emerging technology. However, there are projects deploying this technology commercially (small, medium and large scale) by various mobile operators. There is also a selection of companies in the market offering JAIN™ SLEE products. A selection of vendors is located on the SUN Homepage.

Question: What happens in standards?

JSR-22 is finalized since 3rd of March 2004. The specification for JAIN™ SLEE Version 1.0 is available for download on the JCP homepage.
The specification is not easy to read and addresses mainly companies or individuals with the intention to implement a JAIN™ SLEE platform. On the 300 pages of the specification is almost everything of the runtime environment covered. Almost everything, despite a unique Resource Adaptor Architecture.
Companies participating in JSR-22 were: 8x8, Fujitsu, IBM, Incomit, Motorola, Nortel Networks, NTT, OpenCloud, Personeta, Telcordia Technologies, TrueTel, Siemens, Sun and Vodafone.

Since 14th of January 2005, the specification for JAIN™ SLEE Version 1.1 is available for download as "Early Draft Review" version. Aim of the expert group is to finalize JSR-240 end 2005. Main topics of interest are Resource Adaptor and the integration of J2EE™ and JAIN™ SLEE.
Companies in JSR-240 are: AePONA, BEA Systems, Cingular Wireless, Instituto de Telecomunicacoes, JBoss, jNETx, Lucent, Net4Call, NIST, Nokia, Nortel Networks, NTT Data, Mobilkom Austria, Telecom Italia, TrueTel, OpenCloud, Personeta, Sun and Vodafone.

One part of the standard is the Technology Compatibility Kit (TCK) and even more imporant the Reference Implementation (RI). The TCK is applied by manufacturers and companies who implement a JAIN™ SLEE compliant server and want to verify their compliancy. The RI is implemented by the company leading the JSR. The intention of the RI is to prove the specification is really feasible to do.
The RI for JAIN™ SLEE is available for download here.

Question: Where to apply JAIN™ SLEE?

JAIN™ SLEE is discussed as generic application- and service platform in the domain of telecommunication networks. Areas of application are typically the replacement of existing IN systems. JAIN™ SLEE is designed to replace IN systems and picks up the basic idea of the IN network - call state models. The are to apply this technology dervies very much from the very network focused view.

Question: Where NOT to apply JAIN™ SLEE?

JAIN™ SLEE application server utilize the traditional IN network model and represent usually service creation points for service switching points. This view angle represents very much the old IN model. The application server reacts on event triggered by the network and generates answers.
These answers could be synchronized via service interaction within the SLEE. Unfortunately, this approach works only for services inside the container. More sophisticated approaches into the direction of a SCIM have to be implemented utilizing the JAIN™ SLEE programming model.
Following the standard, JAIN™ SLEE's are not optimally applied in this context:

• IMS Application Server, too complex programming modell
• Network abstraction, no support for synchronous invocations
• Gateway, only complex means to implement external interfaces available