Signaling System Number 7

• Network control signaling

SS7
– Transition from in channel to a common channel approach
• Signaling System Number 7 (SS7) was first issued by CCITT in 1980 and
revised in 1984, 1988, and 1992.
• Designed to be an open-ended common-channel signaling standard for a
variety of digital circuit-switched networks.
• Specifically designed to be used in ISDN: provides internal control and
network intelligence essential to an ISDN.
• Primary characteristics of SS7
– Optimized for use in digital telecommunication networks in
conjunction with digital stored program-control exchanges, utilizing
64-kbps digital channels
– Designed to meet present and future information transfer
requirements for call control, remote control, management, and
maintenance
– Designed to be a reliable means for the transfer of information in the
correct sequence without loss or duplication
– Suitable for operation over analog channels and at speeds below 64kbps
– Suitable for use on point-to-point terrestrial and satellite links
Inchannel Signaling –
• Inband
• Out of Band
Common-Channel signaling

SIG – Per trunk signaling eqpt.

CCIS SIG – Common Channel

interoffice signaling eqpt.
The scope of SS7 is immense,
• It must cover all aspects of control signaling
for complex digital networks,
• Reliable routing and delivery of control
messages
• Application-oriented content of those
messages
 SS7 Architecture
Functional Architecture
• Control messages in a common channel signaling system
are short packets routed through the network.
• Although the network is a circuit-switched network, the
control signaling is implemented using packet switching
technology.
• SS7 functions could be implemented as additional
functions in circuit-switching nodes - associated
signaling mode
• Or, the network can have separate switching points for
carrying control packets only - disassociated signaling
mode
Associated & Disassociated signaling mode
 Signaling Network Elements
• Three functional entities in SS7
– Signaling points (SP): any point in signaling
network capable of handling SS7 control
messages, e.g. an endpoint (such as a circuit
switching node)
– Signal transfer points (STP): a signaling point
capable of routing control messages, e.g. a pure
routing node
– Signaling links: a data link that connects signaling
points
• Two planes of operation:
Control plane and Information plane
Signaling and Information Transfer Networks
 Signaling Network Structures
• A complex network may have both SPs and STPs in a hierarchical structure, SPs at lower level and STPs
at one or more higher levels.
• Parameters related to network design and number of levels
– STP capacities
• number of signaling links that can be handled, signaling message transfer
time, and the message throughput capacity
– Network performance
• number of SPs and the signaling delays
– Availability and reliability
• ability of the network to provide service when STP failures
• ITU-T suggestions for better reliability
– In a signaling network with a single STP level
• each SP that is not an STP at the same time connected to at least 2 STPs
• the meshing of STPs is as complete as possible (full mesh)
– In a signaling network with two STP levels
• each SP that is not an STP at the same time is connected to at least two STPs of the lower level
• each STP in the lower level is connected to at least two STPs of the upper level
• the STPs in the upper level are fully meshed
Hierarchical Signaling Network with Two STP levels.
Example of Links Used in an SS7 Network
SS7 Protocol Architecture
 Protocol Architecture
SS7 has a layered protocol architecture similar to that of OSI model.
– Message transfer part (MTP): the lowest three levels providing a reliable but
connectionless (a datagram style) service for routing messages
• signaling data link: a full-duplex physical link dedicated to SS7 (OSI L1)
– includes control links between STPs, between an STP and an SP,
between SPs
• signaling link: a data link control protocol, corresponds to OSI layer 2
– provides reliable sequenced delivery of data across signaling data link
• signaling network: provides routing data across multiple STPs from
control source to control destination
– Signaling connection control part (SCCP): added in 1984 version of SS7
• SCCP + MTP = NSP (Network Service Part)
• contains different network-layer services to meet needs of NSP users
• NSP is a message delivery system
– ISDN user part (ISUP): controls signaling needed in an ISDN to deal with ISDN
subscriber calls and related functions
– Transaction capabilities application part (TCAP): provides the mechanisms for
transaction-oriented (not connection-oriented) applications and functions
– Operation, maintenance, and administration part (O&MAP): specifies network
management functions and message related to operation& maintenance
– Application service elements (ASEs): modules to support new applications
 Signaling Link Level
• Corresponds to the data link control layer of OSI model
• To turn an unreliable physical link into a reliable data link
• reliability implies that
– transmitted blocks of data are delivered with no loss or
duplication
– same order delivery of data blocks as they were transmitted
– receiver is capable of exercising flow control over the sender
• use of well-known data link control protocol (LAPD and
LAPB)
 Signal Unit Formats
• Message signal unit (MSU)
– carries user data from level 4
• Level status signal unit (LSSU)
– carries control information needed at the signaling link level
• Fill-in signal unit (FISU)
– transmitted when no other signal units are available
 Definition of different fields in signal units
• flag: delimits the signal unit at both ends (01111111)
– bit stuffing may be used as with LAPB and LAPD
Four fields for flow- (sliding-window) and error-control (go-back-N ARQ)
• backward sequence number (BSN)
– contains the number of last MSU successfully received at the other side; for piggyback
acknowledgement
• backward indicator bit (BIB)
– negative ack of BSN is indicated by inverting this bit
• forward sequence number (FSN)
– for numbering MSUs uniquely in modulo 128
• forward indicator bit (FIB)
– indications of MSU is new or retransmitted (e.g. after negative ack)
• length indicator (LI)
– specifies the length in octets of the following upper-level fields
– cross-check on closing flag, also a signal unit type indicator
• FISU has no user data field LI = 0
• LSSU has a single user data field of one octet LI = 1 or 2
• MSU has a data portion that is longer than two octets LI = 3 to 63
• service information octet (SIO)
– indicates the nature of the MSU, consists of two subfields:
• service indicator: specifies the type of message being carried
• subservice field: indicates whether the message is national or international.
Signaling information field (SIF)
– contains information for signaling network level and SS7 level 4
– consists of two subfields:
• routing label: a 32-bit (14 bits source and destination address
each + 4 bits signaling link selection filed, used in traffic
distribution)
• data: user data from some SS7 application or network
management data
• check bits (CK)
– contains an error-detecting code (CRC-16 from all except flags)
• status field (SF) (only in LSSU)
– used to indicate the sender’s view of the actual status of the link
 Signaling Network Level
• Signaling network level provide functions and procedures for the
transfer of SS7 messages between signaling points.
– includes message handling and network management functions
 Signaling message handling functions
• performed at every SP and STP, falls into three
categories:
– Discrimination: based on analysis of
destination code in the routing label of the
message, a message is relayed to another node
or kept as it is in destination.
• Thus delivered to routing function or to
distribution function
• only needed in signal transfer points (STPs)
– Routing: determines the signaling link to be
used in forwarding a message.
– Distribution: determines the user part to which
a message should be delivered.
 Signaling Network Level …
• Routing decision is based on value of signaling link
selection (SLS) field.
• With a 4-bit SLS field, 16 different routes for each
source/dest is possible.
• Different routes have different internal virtual
circuits, but, in general, control signals for a single
call follow the same route to be in sequence.
• To have uniformly distributed traffic, the user part
varies the route selection from one call to the
next.
 Signaling network management functions
• Main objective: to overcome link degradations (failures or congestion)
- by monitoring status of each link and dictating alternate routes to
affected nodes, and recovering from the loss of messages due to link
failure.
• SS7 is aimed to have no more than 10 minutes of unavailability per
year for any route, achieved by redundancy of links and dynamic
rerouting.
• SS7 has strong reasons for emphasis on network management
– Specified functions are critical. Performance of a network’s control
signaling architecture affects all subscribers to the network.
– Various networks involved must support international traffic.
National signaling system has effects on international network.
– Recovery and restoration actions may involve multiple networks
and therefore SS7 should include failure and congestion recovery
procedures .
• Signaling network management (SNM) functions include:
– signaling traffic management
– signaling link management
– signaling route management
• These functions are performed by exchange of level 3 messages
between signaling points, carried in signaling information field (SIF)
of an MSU. Each message consists of 8-bit identification + message
value (0,8,16,24)
• All procedures in SNM involve monitoring and control of status of
various entities (signaling links, signaling routes, signaling points, and
signaling route sets).
 Signaling traffic management

• Signaling traffic management is used to divert

signaling traffic, without causing message loss
or duplication, from unavailable signaling links
or routes to one or more alternative signaling
links or routes, or to reduce traffic in the case
of congestion.
 Signaling link management
• Signaling link management is used to restore failed signaling,
activate new signaling links, and deactivate aligned signaling
links.
Signaling route management
• Signaling route management is used to distribute information
about the signaling network status to block or unblock signaling
routes.
• One example of functions is the signaling-route-set congestion
procedure, used by STPs to control congestion. (If congestion
occurs between signaling points, it will be handled by flow
control at level 2, but if it occurs on a link emanating from an
STP, the source SPs that send messages through that link
must be controlled.)
 Signaling Connection Control Part (SCCP)
• Signaling Connection Control Part (SCCP) was developed to enable SS7 supports of more than
signaling such as explicit addressing and sophisticated services between remote signaling points.
• The signaling network level does not provide all the routing and addressing capabilities that the OSI
model dictates for the network layer.
– Example:
• The message distribution function provides only a limited addressing capabilities.
• More complex specification of the user of a message at a node is necessary.
• This can be provided by the signaling connection control part.
• SCCP overhead can be avoided for those user parts for classic circuit-switched telephone-call-
related signaling .
– The enhancement provided by SCCP is in areas of addressing and message transfer services.
• The addressing capabilities of SCCP extends those of MTP (delivering a message to a specified node
using a 4-bit indicator) to distribute messages within a node.
– SCCP provides this addressing by using destination point codes (DPCs) plus subsystem numbers
(SSNs).
– SSN: a local addressing information identifies each of SCCP users at a node.
– Another addressing enhancement of SCCP: ability to address messages with global titles not in a
form usable by MTP for routing.
• Mapping facility for translating global titles into an DPC + SSN address
• The message transfer services of SCCP in four classes:
– 0–Basic connectionless
• a user provides a block of data (network service data unit-NSDU) to SCCP for a
pure connectionless (datagram type) to a user at another node.
– 1–Sequenced (MTP) connectionless
• enhancement of class 0 with the ability to specify delivery of a particular stream
of NSDUs in sequence, by using a sequence number to each member NSDU and
giving all messages in the stream the same signaling link code.
– 2–Basic connection oriented
• operates over logical connections (signaling connections) equivalent to virtual
circuits through the signaling network, each having a unique signaling link code.
– 3–Flow-control connection oriented
• enhancement of class 2 with the ability to perform flow control over a logical
connection, and with detection of message loss and missequencing.
 ISDN User Part
ISDN user part (ISUP) of SS7 defines functions, procedures, and interexchange
signaling information flows required to provide circuit-switched services and
associated user facilities for ISDN voice and nonvoice calls.
• Three requirements for ISUP:
– rely on message-transfer part or network service part of SS7 for Tx of messages
– flexible design to accommodate future enhancements of ISDN capabilities
– interworkable with the user-network Q.931 call control protocol (CCP)
• CCP refers to CCS facilities open to use by the ISDN subscriber
• used by subscriber to set up calls to other subscribers with associated user
facilities
• ISUP refers to sig. facilities employed by network provider on behalf of ISDN user
• user part doesn’t refer to ISDN user; it refers to ISUP as a user of lower layers of
SS7
 ISUP Messages
• exchanged between exchanges and signal transfer points within network
• for establishing, controlling, and terminating a call in the network
• common format of ISUP messages has the following fields :
– Routing label: actually part of MTP header; indicates source and destination
points of message; also includes a signaling link code field,used in load sharing across
multiple physical links; for each individual circuit connection the same routing label
must be used in all messages associated with the connection
– Circuit identification code: specifies the circuit to which this message relates
– Message type: identifies which ISUP message is being sent; reminder of the
message depends on the message type.
– Mandatory fixed part: contains those parameters that are mandatory for a
particular message type and of fixed length.
– Mandatory variable part: contains those parameters that are mandatory for a
particular message type and of variable length; requires a pointer and a length
indicator as well as a parameter value.
– Optional part: contains those parameters that may or may not occur for a
particular message type; each parameter requires a name and length indicator as well
as parameter value.
ISDN
 What is ISDN?
INTEGRATED SERVICES DIGITAL NETWORK

• ISDN is a set of standards which define an

end to end Digital Network
• WAN Technology
 Features of ISDN
• Uses Digital Signal
• Uses Existing telephone wiring
• Charges are generally based on the duration of
call (How long the WAN link was used)
• Alternate to using leased lines
• Can transport many types of Network traffic
(Voice, Data, Video, Text, Graphics etc)
• Faster Data transfer rate than modems
• Faster Call setup than Modems
ISDN Benefits
• Carries a variety of user traffic, such as digital
video, data, and telephone network services,
using the normal phone circuit-switched network
• Offers much faster call setup than modems by
using out-of-band signaling (D channel)
– Often less than one second
• Provides a faster data transfer rate than modems
by using the 64-kbps bearer channel (B channel)
– Can combine multiple B channels to bandwidth of
128 kbps
• Can negotiate PPP links
 ISDN Components and Reference Points

Reference points are a series of specifications that

define the connection between specific devices,
depending on their function in the end-to-end
connection
 ISDN Devices
• Terminal Adapter (TA) - Converter device that converts standard
electrical signals into the form used by ISDN - allows non-ISDN
devices to operate on an ISDN network.
• Terminal Equipment Type 1 (TE1) - Compatible with the ISDN
network. Example:Telephones, personal computers, fax machine
or videoconferencing machine.
• Terminal Equipment Type 2 (TE2) - Not compatible with the ISDN
network. Example: Analog phone or modem, requires a TA (TE2
connects to TA).
• Network termination type 1 & 2 (NT1 and NT2) - A small
connection box that physically connects the customer site to the
telco local loop, provides a four-wire connection to the customer
site and a two-wire connection to the network .
ISDN Components and Reference Points
 ISDN Reference Points
• U - Two wire cable that connects the customer’s
equipment to the telecommunications provider
• R - Point between non-ISDN equipment (TE2)
and the TA
• S - Four-wire cable from TE1 or TA to the NT1 or
NT2
• T - Point between NT1 and NT2
ISDN Components and Reference
Points #2
 ISDN Service
BRI (Basic Rate Interface)
• Connection from the ISDN office to the user location provides for
access to three channels. The channels are two 64Kb B-channels and
one 16Kb D-channel
• The B-channels and the D-channel provide the user with access to
the circuit switched network
 ISDN Service
PRI (Primary Rate Interface)
• ISDN Primary Rate Interface service provides digital access via a T1
line. A T1 line provides a 1.544 bandwidth. This bandwidth is divided
into 24 64Kb channels. The ISDN PRI service uses 23 B channel access
and uses the 24th (D) channel for signaling purposes
 ISDN Protocol Architecture
ITU-T defined I.320, a two layered stacks of protocols.
– User protocol block: transparent transfer of user information
– Control protocol block: supporting ISDN signaling
• controlling a network connection
• controlling multimedia calls
• controlling the use of an already established connection
• providing supplementary services
• The ISDN protocol reference model includes a plane management function that cuts
across all the protocol layers.
– that enable a network management system to control the parameters and operation
of remote systems.
• Control signaling is a D channel function but user data may also
be transferred across the D channel.
• ISDN is essentially unconcerned with user layers 4-7.
• LAPD (link access protocol, D channel) is based on HDLC but
modified for ISDN.
• Applications supported: control signaling, PS, and telemetry
 ISDN Connections
End-to-end communication services in narrowband ISDN:
– circuit-switched calls over a B or H channel
– semipermanent connections over a B or H channel
– packet-switched calls over a B or H channel
– packet-switched calls over a D channel
– frame relay calls over a B or H channel
– frame relay calls over a D channel
 Physical layer functions
at reference point S or T
– encoding of digital data for transmission across the interface
– full-duplex transmission of B channel data
– full-duplex of transmission of D channel data
– multiplexing of channels to form basic or primary access
– activation and deactivation of physical circuit
– power feeding from network termination to the terminal
– terminal identification
– faulty terminal isolation
– D channel contention access (for multipoint configuration in basic)
• Layer 1 specification is defined in I.430
• Key aspects of basic interface (supports a 2B+D at 192 kbps)
– Line coding
– Physical connector
– Framing and multiplexing
– Contention resolution for multidrop configurations
Line Coding
• full-duplex digital data transmission (one line for each direction)
• no echo cancellation or time-compression multiplexing needed
• use of pseudoternary coding scheme
– “1”: absence of voltage
– “0”: a positive or negative pulse of 750 mV ± 10%
– data rate is 192 kbps
 Primary Rate User-Network Interface
• Like basic interface to multiplex multiple channels on a single medium
• Only point-to-point configuration is allowed
• Typical interface: at T reference point with a digital PBX
• Two data rates defined: 1.544 Mbps and 2.048 Mbps
Interface at 1.544 Mbps
• based on N. America DS-1 transmission structure used on T1
• bit stream of repetitive 193-bit frame (24X8-bit time slots + a framing bit)
• frames repeated at a rate of one every 125ms (8000 frames/sec)

Interface at 2.048 Mbps (defined in ITU-T G.704 recommendation)

• 256-bit frames (32X8), 8000 f/s, each channel supports 64 kbps
• supporting 30 B + 1 D channels (or 31 B + combination of H channels)
• line coding is AMI using HDB3
 ISDN Data Link Layer
All traffic over D channel uses LAPD defined in Q.921.
• LAPD service will support
– multiple terminals at the user-network installation
– multiple layer 3 entities (e.g., X.25 level 3, Q.931)
• Two types of service to LAPD users by LAPD standard
– unacknowledged information-transfer service
– acknowledged information-transfer service
unacknowledged information-transfer service
• does not guarantee delivery of data nor inform of failure
• no flow control, no error control mechanism
• supports both point-to-point and broadcast
• fast data transfer, e.g. management procedures (alarm messages)
acknowledged information-transfer service
• more common, similar to service of LAPB and HDLC
• three phases of connection establishment between two users
– connection establishment
– data transfer
– connection termination
• guarantee of frame delivery in the order of transmission
Frame Structure
 ISDN Network Layer
• Q.931: a new ISDN network-layer protocol
– provides out-of-band call control for B and H channel traffic
– makes use of the D channel; both for circuit- & packet-mode communication
• ISDN specification for call control are in recommendations:
– Q.930: ISDN user-network interface layer 3–General aspects
– Q.931: Specification for basic call control
– Q.932: Generic procedures for control of ISDN supplementary services
– Q.933: Specification for frame-mode basic call control
– Q.939: Typical DSS service indicator codings for ISDN telecom services
– Q.950: Supplementary service protocols–Structure and general principles
• Digital Subscriber Signaling System Number 1 (DSS 1)
– collection of capabilities for providing call control signaling Over D channel
Modeling of basic and supplementary services
• Q.931 specifies procedures for establishing connections on B and H channels that share the
same interface to ISDN as the D channel.
• Basic functions at the network layer:
– interaction with the data link layer to transmit and receive messages
– generation and interpretation of layer 3 messages
– administration of timers and logical entities used in call control procedures
– administration of access resources, including B and packet-layer logical chan’s
– verification that services provided are consistent with user requirements
• Additional functions at the network layer:
– routing and relaying: for end system connected to different subnetworks
– network connection control: mechanisms using data link connections
– conveying user-to-network and network-to-user information
– network connection mux: for call control inf. of multiple calls on one LAPD
– segmenting and reassembly
– error detection: for procedural errors in layer 3 protocol
– error recovery: error recovery mechanisms from detected errors
– sequencing: mechanisms for sequenced delivery of layer 3 information
– congestion control and user data flow control
– restart: returning channels and interfaces to an idle condition
 Messages
Common fields in Q.931 format
– Protocol discriminator: to distinguish messages for user-network call control from other
message types (binary 00001000)
– Call reference: to identify B or H channel call to which the message refers
– Message type: to identify which Q.931 or Q.932 message is being sent