What is the primary difference between a "virtual" and "physical" trunk in IPO?

The distinction lies primarily in how the trunk connections are established and managed. Virtual trunks are defined through software rather than physical hardware connections. They utilize the existing network infrastructure to create logical pathways that facilitate communication between different elements of the IP Office system. This allows for greater flexibility and easier management of resources, as the virtual trunks can be adjusted and configured without the need for physical changes to the hardware setup.

In contrast, physical trunks involve actual hardware connections that require physical lines or interfaces to be installed. These connections are more rigid as they depend on tangible equipment, which may limit scalability and adaptability in comparison to the software-defined nature of virtual trunks.

By understanding this, one can see that the essence of virtual trunks centers on their flexibility and adaptability as software-defined connections, which can be quickly modified or scaled to meet changing network demands.