SS7 - An Overview

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Contents

    

Signaling types Out of Band Signaling Common Channel Signaling SS7 Layers A IN Call flow using the SS7 Backbone

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The Network

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Signaling Types

Topologically the Signaling systems can be divided to :

 User


to Network Interface (UNI)

Analog Subscriber Signaling System (ASSS) Digital Subscriber Signaling System #1(DSS1) Digital Subscriber Signaling System #2 (DSS2) to Network Interface (NNI)

 Network


Channel Associated Signaling (CAS) Common Channel Signaling (CCS#7)

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Signaling Types

Functional classification of Signaling could be :

 Line

Signaling (Seizure and release of a local line) Signaling (One exchange to another)

 Register

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Signaling Types

Based on Transmission signaling can be divided into:

 Inband

Signaling : Signaling is sent on the same Speech Channels

 Out

of Band Signaling : A separate Digital Channel for signaling purpose, also called a signaling link.

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CAS Signaling

Channel


Associated Signaling (CAS)

Transported on 2Mbps PCM Link Each frame contain 32 bytes (0 to 31) A sequence of 16 Frames are used called Multi-frame Line signal for a channel is carried on Channel 16 in an associated frame Register Signaling is carried on the user channel itself

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CAS Frames

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CAS

Exchange 1

Exchange 2

Signaling+Speech
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CCS7

Common


Channel Signaling System #7 (CCS7)

Signaling for all the Speech Channel is done on one Common channel Signaling is done by messages , the messages have identifier for the speech channels Typically one signaling channel can carry signaling information for about 1000 speech channel

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CCS7

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CCS7

Speech

Exchange 1

Exchange 2

Signaling
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Signaling Network view

SP

STP

SP

Signaling Network

LE

LE

Telephone Network

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SS7 Network Structure

SS7 signaling network is logically separated from the telephone network and is composed of :
 Signaling  Signaling  Signaling

Points (SP) : Origin or Sink of a SS7 message Transfer Point (STP) : Transit Nodes

Link (SL) : Links joining the SP,used to convey the SS7 messages Set : A number of signaling Links that directly interconnect the two SP Route (SR) : Path taken in the SS7 network
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 Link

 Signaling

SS7 Network Structure

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SS7 Suite

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SS7 vs OSI

L7 : Application L6 : Presentation

TCAP

ISUP

L5 : Session L4 : Transport

SCCP
L3 : Network

MTP - 3 MTP - 2 MTP - 1

L2 : Data Link L1 : Physical
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SS7 Layers

Broadly the SS7 can be divided into 3 main Layers:

 Message  Signaling  User

Transfer Part (MTP) Connection Control Part (SCCP)

Part / Application Part

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SS7 Layers - MTP

MTP provides connectionless service to SCCP and other User and Application parts ensuring reliable transport and delivery of signaling messages. MTP can be further subdivided into 3 Layers:
 MTP1  MTP2  MTP3

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SS7 Layers - MTP1

MTP1 : Signaling Data Link Function

 Handles

the Physical/Electrical layer functions for full duplex transmission of bits on the data link.There can be two types of data links.


Analog : Using modems at 4.8Kbps Digital : 2Mbps PCM link (E1 or T1) to the OSI Layer1

 Identical

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SS7 Layers - MTP2

MTP2 : Signaling Link Control Function

 Ensures

the error free/sequenced transmission of data sent by the upper layers over the signaling link using Signaling Units (SU) the data link the data link during startup

 Monitors  Initializes  Identical

to the Layer 2 of OSI

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Signaling Units

There are three types of Signaling Units (SU)

 Message

Signaling Unit (MSU) : Signaling Unit used to carry information passed by the User parts/Applications of one SP to the User parts/Applications of the other SP

 Link

Status Signaling Unit (LSSU) : Used to indicate the Link status (Flow control, during startup of link) in Signaling Unit (FISU) : Fillers when no payload and SS7 network is idle. By them the integrity of the link is monitored.
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 Fill

Signaling Units

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Signaling Units

Key fields of a SU are :

 Flag 

(01111110) used as a message separator

Backward/Forward Sequence Number(BSN/FSN) used to ensure transmission error correction and sequencing. Indicator bits(FIB/BIB) :Used along with BSN/FSN for error control procedures

 Forward/backward

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Signaling Units

Length

Indicator (LI) : Number of Octets following the LI and preceding the Check bits.


LI = 0 LI =1 or 2 LI > or = 3

FISU LSSU MSU

Service


Information Field (SIO) : Present only in MSU,used

To identify the type of protocol (TUP,ISUP,TCAP) : Field Service indicator (SI) To identify the Type of Network (International,National): Field Network indicator (NI)
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Signaling Units

Signaling

Information Field (SIF) : Present only in MSU ,

contains :


Actual information passed by the higher layers (User Parts) Routing Label

Status

Field (SF) : Present only in LSSU and carries Link status information .

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Signaling Units

The parameters used for message handling functions are :

 Field


SIO

SI (First 4 bits) NI (Last two bits) SFS (Routing Label part, First 4 Octets)

 Field


Destination Point Code (First 14 bits) Origin Point Code (next 14 bits) Signaling Link Selection (last 4 bits)

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SS7 Layers - MTP3

MTP3 : Signaling Network Function

 Signaling  Signaling

Message Handling Network Management

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SS7 Layers - MTP3

Signaling Message Handling Function

 Message

discrimination : determines for each incoming message whether the SP is the Destination for the message distribution : Ensures the delivery of the message to the correct User part / Application Routing : To route the message correctly to the

 Message

 Message

other SP.
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SS7 Layers - MTP3

Signaling Network Management Function

 Signaling

Traffic management : To divert traffic from the failed link. Traffic management is only between point to point Route management : From the point of view of SP. Used to divert traffic from a specific SP.

 Signaling

 Signaling

Link management : For activation/deactivation of link. They trigger MTP2 alignment procedure.

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SS7 Layers - MTP Shortcomings

MTP was originally designed for Classical Telephone Networks and so had the following shortcomings:
 Limited

addressing capabilities only connectionless services

 Supports  Not

completely OSI compatible

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SS7 Layers - SCCP

Signaling Connection Control Part (SCCP) takes care of the MTP shortcomings. SCCP provides :
 More

flexible routing schemes : Concept of Subsystem Number (SSN) /Global Titles (GT) oriented and connection les services provided

 Connection

Routing of Multiple data messages to the same destination efficiently using Virtual Circuits
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SS7 Layers - SCCP

Flexible routing schemes (SSN)

 SCCP

uses the SSN to identify the SCCP user at each SP (MAP,INAP, CAMEL)

 Hence

OPC/DPC + SSN make a more complete addressing

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SS7 Layers - SCCP

Flexible routing schemes (GT)

 GT

is a network address in form of a digit sequence. translates GT into a DPC+SSN

 SCCP  At

the destination SP the message is passed to the local SCCP which delivers it to the correct user

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SS7 Layers : User/Application Parts

 

Correspond to the highest end to end Layer of the OSI Example of User Part are :
 ISDN

User Part (ISUP) User Part (TUP)

 Telephone


Example for an Application part are :

 Transaction

Capabilities Application Part (TCAP)

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ISUP

ISDN User Part defines the messages and protocols used in the establishment of Speech and data calls for Public Switched telephone Network (PSTN) Though conceived to be a NNI for ISDN originated calls, it can be used for both ISDN/non ISDN calls. The ISUP messages are contained in the SIF of the MTP frame. ISUP using the services of MTP and SCCP provides a logical connection between two Exchanges.This connection is identified by Circuit identification Code
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Structure of an ISUP message

   

Routing Label (OPC+DPC) Circuit Identification Code Message Type Code(H0H1) : 8 bit code User Part data
 Mandatory  Mandatory  Optional

Fixed Part Variable Part

Part
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TCAP

The Transaction Capabilities Application Part (TCAP) provides a remote operation function of SS7 Provides capability for an application at one node to invoke the execution of an operation at another node and to receive the results from that remote process.

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