What Is a Realm?

A realm is a logical way of identifying a domain, a network, a collection of networks, or a set of addresses. Realms are used when a Oracle Communications Session Border Controller communicates with multiple network elements over a shared intermediate connection. Defining realms allows flows to pass through a connection point between two networks.

From an external perspective, a realm is a collection of systems that generates real-time interactive communication sessions comprised of signaling messages and media flows, or a group of multiple networks containing these systems. These systems may be session agents such as call agents, softswtiches, SIP proxies, H.323 gatekeepers, IP PBXs, etc., that can be defined by IPv4 addresses. These systems can also be IP endpoints such as SIP phones, IADs, MTAs, media gateways, etc.

From an internal perspective, a realm is associated with Oracle Communications Session Border Controller configurations to define interfaces and resources in a logical way. Realms are used to support policies that control the collection of systems or networks that generate media sessions. Realms are referenced by other configuration elements in order to support this functionality across the protocol the Oracle Communications Session Border Controller supports and to make routing decisions.