Signaling System 7

Signaling System 7
 Signaling system 7 (SS7) is a common-channel
signaling standard developed in late 1970s by
the ITU-T, formerly know as CCITT (Consultative
Committee for International Telegraph and
Telephone).

 SS7 was derived from SS6.

 SS7 functionally include
 Data base queries.
 Transaction.
 Network Operation.
 ISDN
Signaling System 7
 SS7 Network Elements and Links.

 SS7 Protocols Suite and Messages.

 SS7 Examples and Call flow.

SS7 Network Architecture
 SS7 contain three signaling
elements.

 Service Switching Point (SSP)

 Signal Transfer Point (STP)

 Service Control Point (SCP)

 SS7 Network Architecture

STP STP

SCP SCP

STP STP

SSP SSP
Service Switching Point

 SSPs are end office or tandem

switches that connect voice
circuits and perform the necessary
signaling function to originate and
terminate calls.
Service Switching Point
 The SSP uses the dialed number to
complete the call.
 It is an 800,888,900 or local number
portability exchange (or is ported NXX).
 In the latter case, a query is send to
an SCP requesting the routing
information (number) necessary to
complete the call.
Service Switching Point
 The following steps explain SSP uses to
complete call
 The SSP uses the called number from the calling
party to routing number from the database query to
begin circuit connection signaling message.
 Then the SSP user its routing table to determine the
trunk group and circuit needed to connect the call.
 At this point, a signaling setup message is send to
the destination SSP requesting a connection on the
circuit specified by the originating SSP.
 The destination SSP responds with an
acknowledgement.
Signal Transfer Protocol
 The STP routes all the signaling
message in the SS7 network based on.
 Routing information
 Destination point code address
 The STP looks at the global title dialed
digits and through its own translator
table to resolve the following
 The point code address of the appropriate
SCP for database.
 The subsystem number of the database
Signal Transfer Protocol
 It also perform an intermediate global
title translation by using its translation
table to find another STP
 The intermediate STP then route the
message to the other STP to perform the
final global title translation.
STP Hierarchy
 STP implementation can occur in
multiple levels, such as
 Local Signal Transfer Point
 Regional Signal Transfer Point
 National Signaling Transfer Point
 International Signaling Transfer Point
 Gateway Signaling Transfer Point
STP Hierarchy
 Local, Regional, and national STPs transfer
standards-based SS7 message within the same
network
 There STPs usually are not capable of converting or
handling messages in different format or version.
 International STPs provide international
connectivity where the same ITU-T standards
are deployed in both networks.
STP Hierarchy
 Gateway STPs can provide the
following
 Protocol conversion from the national
version to the ITU-T standard
 Network to network interconnection
points
 Net work security features.
Service Control Protocol
 The SCP provide access to the database
for additional routing information used in
call processing.
 SCP is the key element for delivering IN
applications on the telephony network.
 The SCP provide the conversion between
SS7 and X.25 protocols.
Service Control Protocol
 The following databases are most
common in the SS7 network
 800 Database
 Line Information Database (LIDB)
 Home Location Register (HLR)
 Visitor Location Register (VLR)
Signaling Links

 All signaling points in the SS7 network

are connected by signaling links.

 The signaling links are typically 56-

and 64-Kbps data network.
Signaling Modes
 The SS7 has three mode of signaling

 Associated Signaling

 Nonassociated Signaling

 Quasi-Associated Signaling
Associated Signaling
 Signaling and voice path are
directly connected between to
signaling end points.
 Associated Signaling is common in
Europe, where the signaling path is
actually derived within the E1
trunk facilities.
Associated Signaling

S i g n a l i n g P a th
SSP SSP

V o i c e P a th
Nonassociated Signaling
 It uses a separate logical path for
signaling and voice.
 The signaling message travel
through multiple endpoints before
reaching the final destination
 It is the most common form of
signaling in SS7 network
NonAssociated Signaling

Signaling Path
STP STP

SSP SSP
Voice Path
Quasi-Associated Signaling
 Uses a separate logical path for
signaling through the minimal
number of transfer point to reach
the final destination.
 Network delay is minimum.
 It is more costly them the
Nonassociated method.
Quasi-Associated Signaling

STP

th

S
Pa

ig
na
g
lin

lin
g
a
gn

Pa
Si

th
SSP SSP
Voice Path
Signaling Links and
Linksets

S TP B -Links STP
ks A-
Lin
Lin k
A- s
B -Links
C -Links

C -Links
S CP S CP

S TP B-Links STP
n ks

A - L in
A -Li

inks

ks
E-L

SSP F-Links SS P
Signaling Links and
Linksets
 A Links
 Interaction between signaling end points (SSPs or SCPs)
and STPs.
 The STP routes the A-link message received from the
originating SCP Or SSP towards the destination.
 Bridge Links (B-links)
 Interaction between the mated pair of STPs
 There mated STPs are peers operating at the same time
hierarchical level and are interconnected through a quad of
B-links.
 B-links carry signaling message from the original to the
intended destination
Signaling Links and
Linksets
 Cross Links (C-Links)
 Interconnects a STP with its mate.
 C-links are use only when failure or congestion
occurs.
 Under normal conditions, these links carry only
management traffic.
 Diagonal Links (D-links)
 Interconnects mated STP pairs of one
hierarchical level to meted STP pairs of
another hierarchical level.
 Diagonal Links

STP STP D-Links STP

SCP SCP

STP STP D-Links STP

Other Network
SSP SSP
Signaling Links and
Linksets
 Extended Links (E-links)
 Interconnects SSP to an alternate STP
 More reliable
 F-links
 Used to directly interconnect two
signaling end point.
 There links are used when STPs are not
available or high traffic volume exits.
SS7 Protocol Stack
OSI Model Signaling Point Function SS7 Level
Layer 7

Layer 6 TCAP
Layer 5
ISUP TUP Layer 4

Layer 4 SCCP
Layer 3 MTP L3 Layer 3

Layer 2 MTP L2 Layer 2

Layer 1 MTP L1 Layer 1

SS7 Protocol Stack
 MTP
 Message Transfer Part
 ISUP
 ISDN User Part
 TUP
 Telephone User Part
 TCAP
 Transaction Capabilities Application Part
 SCCP
 Signaling Connection and Control Part
ISUP (ISDN User Part)
 This user part is used to setup and
tear down circuits for calls in PSTN.
 ISUP has replaced TUP (Telephone
User Part).
 ISUP was designed to be
compatible with ISDN signaling.
SCCP
 SCCP is the Signaling Connection and
Control Part
 SCCP is used primarily to access databases in
the entire network
 Segmentation & Reassembly of TCAP
messages. (TCAP provides transport
capabilities to application entities)
 End to end addressing
SCCP
 SCCP provides services on the top of MTP3
 The combination of those two layers are the
network service part.
 Topically uses SCCP to access database
 SCCP routing services enable the STP to
perform global title translation using OPC
subsection number
CIC (Circuit identification
code)
 Identifies the circuit being setup or
reject for example.
 IAM
 ACM
 ANM
TCAP
 TCAP is the Transaction
Capabilities Application Part
 TCAP provides a protocol to enable
transactions with a database and to
invoke remote operations on a switch
e.g. Call Back on Busy.
 All IN server access relies on TCAP.
Example 800/900 call.
 Access database
TCAP
 TCAP uses SCCP and MTP protocols to
route message end to end
 Different from ISUP, which pass
message switch to switch.
 Two portions
 Transaction (begin or query)
 Component portions (error or reject)
Physical Layer – MTP L1
 The physical layer (L1) of the MTP
defines the physical and electrical
characteristics of the signaling link.
 Also called MTP1, this SS7 protocol
layer is virtually identical to OSI L1.
 Some possible MTP1 networks are.
 T1, DS-0, E1, 56/64 Kbps and V.35
Data Layer – MTP L2
 The data layer (L2) of the SS7 protocol is
MTP L2, also called MTP2.
 The MTP2 protocol is used to create
reliable point-to-point links between
endpoint in the network
 MTP2 does not run across the network,
therefore it is not connected with the
final destination of the message.
Data Layer – MTP L2
 MTP2 has the following mechanisms
 Error detection and correction.
 Sequence of packet
 Link status indicator
Data Layer – MTP L2
 Three type signal units provide MTP2 data
layer function
 Fill-in Signal Unit (FISU)
 Provide link error detection in SS7 network
 Link Status Signal Unit (LSSU)
 Provides link status on the link between two directly
connected signaling element.
 Message Signal Unit (MSU)
• Provides the structure to carry the information
massage in the SS7 network
Network Layer – MTP3
 The MTP3 protocol routes SS7
messages and relies on the delivery of
the message from MTP2.
 The MTP# protocol is divided in to two
main function
 Signaling message handling (SMH)
 Route SS7 message during normal condition.
 SNM – reroute link traffic duration network
failure condition.
Application Services
Elements
ASE Application Service Element

TCAP

SCCP

MTP
Basic Call Setup and
Teardown Example
STP1 STP2

1 IAM 2 ACM 2 ACM

1 IAM

4 REL 3 ANM
4 REL 3 ANM

5 RLC 5 RLC

SSP1 Voice Trunk SSP2

Example
 Organizing call

 Collecting info

 Analyzing info

 Selecting route state

800 Database Query
Example
800
STP2
SCP

3 Response (End)

2 Query (Begin)

3 Response (End)

1 Query (Begin)
SSP1 STP1
 Call Simulation (1)
SS7 Network

STP

STP
STP
STP

IAM3
IAM2
IAM1 SP
SP
SP

SP

PSTN Switches Network

 Call Simulation (2)
SS7 Network

STP

STP
STP
STP

ACM1

ACM2
SP
ACM3
SP
SP

SP

PSTN Switches Network

 Call Simulation (3)
SS7 Network

STP

STP
STP
STP
ANM1
ANM2
ANM3
SP
SP
SP

SP

PSTN Switches Network

 Call Simulation (4)
SS7 Network

STP

STP
STP
STP

REL2
REL2
REL1 SP
SP
SP

SP

PSTN Switches Network

 Call Simulation (5)
SS7 Network

STP

STP
STP
STP

REL2
REL2
REL1 SP
SP
SP

SP

PSTN Switches Network

 Call Simulation (6)
SS7 Network

STP

STP
STP
STP

RLC1

SP
SP
SP

SP

PSTN Switches Network

 Call Simulation (7)
SS7 Network

STP

STP
STP
STP

RLC2
SP
SP
SP

SP

PSTN Switches Network

 Call Simulation (8)
SS7 Network

STP

STP
STP
STP

RLC3
SP
SP
SP

SP

PSTN Switches Network

 Call Simulation (9)
SS7 Network

STP

STP
STP
STP

SP
SP
SP

SP

PSTN Switches Network