Media gateway

1. A media gateway comprising: at least one processor and a non-transitory computer-readable medium containing computer-executable instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause, the at least one processor to:

provide, in the media gateway, virtual instantiations of a media session manager function;

provide, in the media gateway, virtual instantiations of a media processor function; and

provide, in the media gateway, virtual instantiations of a media session state datastore function,

wherein the instantiations of a media processor function are configured to process data packets,

wherein the instantiations of the media session state datastore function comprise a distributed data store for storing media session state data,

wherein the instantiations of the media session manager function are configured to listen for media session control requests, update media session states stored in instantiations of a media session state datastore function, and respond to the media session control requests, and

wherein instantiations of the media session manager function and instantiations of the media processor function are separate from instantiations of the media session state datastore function, and instantiations of the media session manager function are separate from instantiations of the media processor function.

2. A media gateway according to claim 1 , wherein the number of instantiations of the media session manager function and media session state datastore function are independently scalable of each other.

3. A media gateway according to claim 1 , wherein the number of instantiations of the media processor function and media session state datastore function are independently scalable of each other.

4. A media gateway according to claim 1 , wherein the number of instantiations of the media session manager function and media processor function are independently scalable of each other.

5. A media gateway according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the instantiations of the media session manager function and/or at least one of the instantiations of the media processor function is physically separate from one or more instantiations of the media session state datastore function.

6. A media gateway according to claim 1 , wherein media session manager function instantiations are configured to present a media control protocol Application Programming Interface (API) to users of the media gateway.

7. A media gateway according to claim 1 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further causes the at least one processor to provide a load balancer function configured to load balance media session control requests between instantiations of the media session manager function.

8. A media gateway according to claim 1 , wherein each item of data stored in an instantiation of the media session state datastore function is replicated across other instantiations of the media session state datastore function.

9. A media gateway according to claim 1 , wherein media processor function instantiations are configured to process Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP) data.

10. A media gateway according to claim 1 , wherein media processor function instantiations comprise one or more instantiations of a flow steering sub-function.

11. A media gateway according to claim 1 , wherein media processor function instantiations comprise one or more instantiations of a flow processing sub-function.

12. A media gateway according to claim 1 , wherein media processor function instantiations comprise one or more instantiations of a session processing sub-function.

13. A media gateway according to claim 12 , wherein session processing sub-function instantiations are configured to act on all Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP) and Real-time Transport Control Protocol (RTCP) flows that make up a single media session.

14. A media gateway according to claim 1 , wherein the media gateway comprises a Session Border Controller (SBC).

15. A media gateway according to claim 1 , wherein the media gateway comprises one or more of:

a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) media gateway,

an Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) Transition Gateway (TrGW),

an Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP) transcoder, and

a media element of an Session Border Controller (SBC).

16. A media gateway according to claim 1 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further causes the at least one processor to provide one or more of:

one or more instantiations of a service discovery function,

one or more instantiations of a diagnostics collection function,

one or more instantiations of a monitoring function,

one or more instantiations of a virtualised network function (VNF) manager,

one or more instantiations of an orchestrator,

one or more instantiations of a load balancer,

one or more instantiations of a licensing service,

one or more instantiations of a denial of service (DoS) protection function,

one or more instantiations of an access control function,

one or more instantiations of a packet filtering function,

one or more instantiations of a user management function,

one or more instantiations of an authentication, authorisation, and accounting function, and

one or more instantiations of a network probe function.

17. A method of operating a media gateway, the method comprising:

providing virtual instantiations of a media session manager function;

providing virtual instantiations of a media processor function; and

providing virtual instantiations of a media session state datastore function,

wherein the instantiations of a media processor function are configured to process data packets,

wherein the instantiations of the media session state datastore function comprise a distributed data store for storing media session state data,

wherein the instantiations of the media session manager function are configured to listen for media session control requests, update media session state stored in instantiations of a media session state datastore function, and respond to the media session control requests, and

wherein instantiations of the media session manager function and instantiations of the media processor function are instantiated separately from instantiations of the media session state datastore function, and instantiations of the media session manager function are instantiated separately from instantiations of the media processor function.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising a set of instructions, which, when executed by a computerised device, cause the computerised device to perform a method of operating a media gateway, the method comprising:

providing virtual instantiations of a media session manager function;

providing virtual instantiations of a media processor function; and

providing virtual instantiations of a media session state datastore function,

wherein the instantiations of a media processor function are configured to process data packets,

wherein the instantiations of the media session state datastore function comprise a distributed data store for storing media session state data,

wherein the instantiations of the media session manager function are configured to listen for media session control requests, update media session states stored in instantiations of a media session state datastore function, and respond to the media session control request, and

wherein instantiations of the media session manager function and instantiations of the media processor function are instantiated separately from instantiations of to media session state datastore function, and instantiations of the media session manager function are instantiated separately from instantiations of the media processor function.