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Cisco ITP in eServGlobal IN

SS7 Overview

PS and Support Internal Training


Diegem

Dennis Hagarty
Implementation Practice

30 August 2006

© 2006 eServGlobal Ltd


SS7: What is it?

 Data network designed to transport CCS signalling traffic that


manages and facilitate call setup, routing and control.
 SS7 was initially designed by the United International
Telecommunications Union (ITU) known then as the CCITT.
 The CCITT created multiple books or standards.
 First came the Yellow Book (1980)
 Red Book (1984)
 Blue Book (1988)
 White Book (1992)
 ANSI standard for US was developed from the Blue Book
 The Bellcore version is based on the ANSI standard and has today
become the standard in the US, called GR-246-CORE:
“Bell Communications Research Specifications of SS7”.
 China, Japan (and others!) have their own flavors

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SS7 What is it? Transport Layers

 Three Transport Layers


 MTP1: the signalling data link layer, is concerned with the physical and
electrical characteristics of the signalling links.
 MTP2: is a data link control protocol that provides for the reliable
sequenced delivery of data across a signalling data link.
 MTP3: the signalling network layer, provides for routing data across
multiple STPs from source point to control destination.

 Signalling points have “Point Codes” (think IP addresses)


 Higher layers, called User (Application) Layers.

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SS7: What is it? Application Parts

 ISUP - to facilitate call setup, routing and control


 Initial address, Answer, Release, Blocking, Reset Circuit

 INAP - designed to enable advanced services in a telephone


network
 InitialDP, Connect, ApplyCharging, EstablishTemporaryConnection

 TCAP - designed to provide transaction based dialogues


 TCAP-Begin, TCAP-End, TCAP-Continue, TCAP-Abort

 MAP - designed to support mobile telephone


 SMS (mo-forwardSM, sendRoutingInfoForSM)
 USSD (processUnstructuredSS-Request)
 Mobility (sendRoutingInfo, updateLocation, sendAuthenticationInfo)

 SCCP - designed carry all that (except ISUP)

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SS7 What is it? SCCP and GTT/GTA

 Signalling Connection Control Part (SCCP) provides


connectionless and connection-oriented network services and
“global title translation” (GTT) capabilities above MTP3
 SCCP is used as the transport layer for TCAP-based services.
 “Global Titles” are roughly equivalent to “Names” in SS7 and are
defined at the SCCP layer
 A “global title address” (GTA) can be translated by (e.g.) an STP
into a destination point code and subsystem number.
 A subsystem number (SSN) uniquely identifies an application at
the destination signalling point (think TCP “port” number)
 GTT adds the ability to perform incremental routing and frees the
originating signalling point of having to know every possible
destination.

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SS7: What is it? Signalling Points

 Signalling Points
 SSP: Service Switching Point sends signalling messages to other SSPs
to setup, manage, and release voice circuits required to complete a
call (think “end node”)
 SEP: Signalling End Point SS7 end node that performs similar
functionality to the SSP in an IP telephony network (think “node”)
 STP: Signal Transfer Point is a signalling point that is capable of
routing control messages; that is, a message received on one
signalling link is transferred to another link. (think “router”)
 SCP: Service Control Point contains centralized network databases for
providing enhanced services. An SCP accepts queries from an SP and
returns the requested information to the originator of the query (think
“database” such as DNS).

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SS7: What is it? SS7 and OSI Protocol Stack

Telnet, FTP,
POP3

TCP/UDP/SCTP

IP

Ethernet

Twisted Pair

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SS7: What is it? MTP1, MTP2, MTP3

 MTP1/2 physical path


 Used to be carried over V.35 (64 kbps)
 DS-0 (64 kb/s) and DS-0A (56 kb/s)
 ITU: E1 is 31+1 timeslots of 64 kbps (=2.048 mbps)
 ANSI: T-1 is 24 timeslots of 56/64 kbps (=1.544 mbps framed)
 T-1/E-1 are also known as Digital Signal 1 (DS-1)

 E1 is a two wire pair:


 Tip and Ring, one each for transmit and receive.
 Frequently run with UTP and RJ45/RJ48 connectors
 Uses pins 1 (RX ring), 2 (RX tip), 4 (TX ring), 5 (TX tip)
 Also known as 120 Ohm or “Balanced”

 Also run with 2 co-ax cables and BNC or 1.6/5.6 connectors


 As known as 75 Ohm or “Unbalanced”

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SS7: What is it? Links and Linksets

 MTP path between two SEPs is called a “link”


 Multiple links are grouped together into a “linkset”
 Maximum of up to 16 links in a linkset
 Multiple of 64 Kbps links add together

 Each link in a linkset has an SLC (Signalling Link Code)


 The “Signalling Link Selection” (SLS) from the MTP3 header is
used for load sharing (and ordered delivery) across links
 Three Types of Signal Units (SUs) flow over a link:
 Message Signal Unit (MSU)
 Fill-In Signal Unit (FISU)
 Link Status Signal Unit (LSSU)

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SS7: What is it? SLC, Links and Linksets

Linksets

SLC=0 STP
STP1
STP Linkset
ITP1 SLC=0
A SLC=1
A

MSC
C
C
SLC=0 SLC=0
SLC=1
A
Linkset
SLC=1 STP2
STP
STP
ITP2 SLC=0
Combined Combined
Linkset Linkset
Linkset

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SS7: What is it? MTP Signal Units

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SS7: What is it? Link architecture

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SS7: What is it? Links in Detail

An "A" (access) link connects a signalling end point to an STP. Only messages originating from or
“A” destined to the signalling end point are transmitted on an "A" link.
Link
These are the most common style of link we connect to the ITP or the IN
A "B" (bridge) link connects an STP to another STP. Typically, a quad of "B" links interconnect
“B” peer (or primary) STPs (e.g., the STPs from one network to the STPs of another network). The
Link distinction between a "B" link and a "D" link is rather arbitrary. For this reason, such links may be
referred to as "B/D" links
A "C" (cross) link connects STPs performing identical functions into a mated pair. A "C" link is
“C” used only when an STP has no other route available to a destination signalling point due to link
Link failure(s). Note that SCPs may also be deployed in pairs to improve reliability; unlike STPs,
however, mated SCPs are not interconnected by signalling links. Used to link ITPs together
A "D" (diagonal) link connects a secondary (e.g., local or regional) STP pair to a primary (e.g.,
“D” inter-network gateway) STP pair in a quad-link configuration. Secondary STPs within the same
Link network are connected via a quad of "D" links. The distinction between a "B" link and a "D" link is
rather arbitrary. For this reason, such links may be referred to as "B/D" links.
An "E" (extended) link connects an SSP to an alternate STP. "E" links provide an alternate
“E” signalling path if an SSPs "home" STP cannot be reached via an "A" link. "E" links are not usually
Link provisioned unless the benefit of a marginally higher degree of reliability justifies the added
expense.
An "F" (fully associated) link connects two signalling end points (i.e., SSPs and SCPs). In
“F” networks without STPs, "F" links directly connect signalling points. Tend to contain 30 Voice
Link trunks with 1 ISUP channel for control of those trunks.
We sometimes use these with ex-FERMA based IVR and UMS style systems

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SS7: What is it? Point Codes

 A SEP on an SS7 network has a Point Code (“node address”)


 There are two “variants” of point code:
 ITU: Value up to 16384 = 7.255.7 (14 bits) in 3.8.3 format
 ANSI: Varies, but up to 16M = 255.255.255 (24 bits) in 8.8.8 format

 Three types of point codes:


 Originating Point Code (OPC) is point code of the source of the original
message
 Destination Point Code (DPC) is the point code of the destination of
the message
 Adjacent Point Code (APC) is the point code for the next hop of the
message signal unit

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SS7: What is it? Routes and Global Titles

 SS7 MTP3 (Routing Layer) has no RIP. All routing is STATIC.


 Static (DPC) Routes must be configured in a Routing Table
 Routing can be affected by processing information in the SCCP headers
 This processing is implemented using Global Title Translation
 We will come back to SCCP later (groan)… (trust me, you will groan)

This is the routing label in an MTP3 (ITU) header:

SI SSF DPC OPC SLS 8xn bits, 8>=0

4 4 14 14 4

Routing Label

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SS7: What is it? Message Signal Units

Message Transfer Part Level 3


Service information octet
Routing label
.... .... .... .... ..00 0000 0001 1110 = DPC: 30
.... 0000 0011 0101 00.. .... .... .... = OPC: 212
1000 .... .... .... .... .... .... .... = Signalling Link Selector: 8
Message Transfer Part Level 3 Management
.... 0001 = H0 (Message Group): Test messages (0x01)
0001 .... = H1 (Message): Signalling link test message (0x01) SLTM
0010 .... = Test length: 2
Test pattern (2 bytes)

Message Transfer Part Level 3


Service information octet
Routing label
.... .... .... .... ..00 0000 1101 0100 = DPC: 212
.... 0000 0000 0111 10.. .... .... .... = OPC: 30
1000 .... .... .... .... .... .... .... = Signalling Link Selector: 8
Message Transfer Part Level 3 Management
.... 0001 = H0 (Message Group): Test messages (0x01)
0010 .... = H1 (Message): Signalling link test acknow. message (0x02) SLTA
0010 .... = Test length: 2
Test pattern (2 bytes)

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SCCP and GTT/Routing

 Groan…
 The most important thing to get out of this is:
 There are UDT, XUDT packet formats (amongst others)
 XUDT has HOPCOUNT and SEGMENTATION parameters
 There is Class 0 and 1 connectionless traffic
 The format is complicated (don’t try to decode on paper)
 Routing, GTT (covered more in the SUA section)

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SCCP Protocol Classes

 The SCCP protocol classes are defined as follows:


 Protocol class 0 provides unordered transfer of SCCP-user messages
in a connectionless manner.
 Protocol class 1 allows the SCCP-user to select the in-sequence
delivery of SCCP-user messages in a connectionless manner.
 Protocol class 2 allows the bi-directional transfer of SCCP-user
messages by setting up a temporary or permanent signalling
connection.
 Protocol class 3 allows the features of protocol class 2 with the
inclusion of flow control. Detection of message loss or mis-
sequencing is included.
 Protocol classes 0 and 1 make up the SCCP connectionless
service.
 Protocol classes 2 and 3 make up the SCCP connection-oriented
service.

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SCCP Message Parts

 A SCCP message consists of the following parts:


 the message type code;
 the mandatory fixed part;
 the mandatory variable part;
 the optional part, which may contain fixed length and variable length
fields.

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SCCP Message Types

Message type Classes Message


Reference
0 1 2 3 Code
CR Connection request X X 4.2 0000 0001
CC Connection confirm X X 4.3 0000 0010
CREF Connection refused X X 4.4 0000 0011
RLSD Released X X 4.5 0000 0100
RLC Release complete X X 4.6 0000 0101
DT1 Data form 1 X 4.7 0000 0110
DT2 Data form 2 X 4.8 0000 0111
AK Data acknowledgement X 4.9 0000 1000
UDT Unitdata X X 4.10 0000 1001
UDTS Unitdata service X1 X1 4.11 0000 1010
X = Type of message of this protocol class.
X1 = Type of protocol class is indeterminate (absence of protocol class parameter).

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SCCP Message Types

Message type Classes Message


Reference
0 1 2 3 Code
ED Expedited data X 4.12 0000 1011
EA Expedited data acknowledgement X 4.13 0000 1100
RSR Reset request X 4.14 0000 1101
RSC Reset confirm X 4.15 0000 1110
ERR Protocol data unit error X X 4.16 0000 1111
IT Inactivity test X X 4.17 0001 0000
XUDT Extended unitdata X X 4.18 0001 0001
XUDTS Extended unitdata service X1 X1 4.19 0001 0010
LUDT Long unitdata X X 4.20 0001 0011
LUDTS Long unitdata service X1 X1 4.21 0001 0100
X = Type of message of this protocol class.
X1 = Type of protocol class is indeterminate (absence of protocol class parameter).

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SS7: What is it? Message Signal Unit Example 1/3

Message Transfer Part Level 3 (MTP3)


Service information octet
Routing label
.... .... .... .... ..00 0000 1101 1101 = DPC: 221
.... 0000 0000 0010 10.. .... .... .... = OPC: 10
1110 .... .... .... .... .... .... .... = Signalling Link Selector: 14
Signalling Connection Control Part (SCCP)
Message Type: Unitdata (0x09)
.... 0001 = Class: 0x01
1000 .... = Message handling: Return message on error (0x08)
Called Party address (11 bytes)
Address Indicator
.0.. .... = Routing Indicator: Route on GT (0x00)
..01 00.. = Global Title Indicator: Translation Type, Numbering
Plan, Encoding Scheme, and Nature Address included
.... ..1. = Sub-System Number Indicator: SSN present (0x01)
.... ...0 = Point Code Indicator: Point Code not present (0x00)
SubSystem Number: CAP (146)
Global Title 0x4 (9 bytes)
Translation Type: 0x00
0001 .... = Numbering Plan: ISDN/telephony (0x01)
.... 0010 = Encoding Scheme: BCD, even number of digits (0x02)
.000 0100 = Nature of Address Ind.: International number (0x04)
Address information (digits): 971550930233

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SS7: What is it? Message Signal Unit Example 2/3

Calling Party address (11 bytes)


Address Indicator
.0.. .... = Routing Indicator: Route on GT (0x00)
..01 00.. = Global Title Indicator: TT, NP, Encoding, NAI
.... ..1. = SubSystem Number Indicator: SSN present (0x01)
.... ...0 = Point Code Indicator: Point Code not present (0x00)
SubSystem Number: CAP (146)
Global Title 0x4 (9 bytes)
Translation Type: 0x00
0001 .... = Numbering Plan: ISDN/telephony (0x01)
.... 0010 = Encoding Scheme: BCD, even number of digits (0x02)
.000 0100 = Nature of Address Indicator: International (0x04)
Address information (digits): 971550930010
Data length: 182
Transaction Capabilities Application Part (TCAP)
begin
Source Transaction ID
Transaction Id: 0D42DB03
dialogue-as(1) version1(1))
dialogueRequest
Padding: 7
protocol-versionrq: 80 (version1)
1... .... = version1: True
application-context-name: 0.4.0.0.1.0.50.1 (itu-t(0)
identified-organization(4) etsi(0) mobileDomain(0) gsm-Network|umts-Network(1)
applicationContext(0) cap-gsmssf-to-gsmscf(50) version2(1))

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SS7: What is it? Message Signal Unit Example 3/3

Camel
invoke
invokeId: invokeid (0)
invokeCmd: InitialDP (0)
serviceKey: 662
Calling Party Number: 971550040236
callingPartysCategory: ordinary calling subscriber (10)
iPSSPCapabilities: 00
locationNumber: 0497795105390001
highLayerCompatibility: 9181
bearerCapability: bearerCap (0)
eventTypeBCSM: collectedInfo (2)
iMSI: 24040300000073F8
Imsi digits: 424030000000378
locationInformation
ext-basicServiceCode: ext-Teleservice (3)
callReferenceNumber: 401C41330C4600
mscAddress: 91795105390001
calledPartyBCDNumber: 815005402023
timeAndTimezone: 0260804280951461

 So, we have ( MTP3 ( SCCP ( TCAP ( CAP ) ) ) )

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Who’s Thirsty?

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