Unit 3 : Digital Cellular Mobile

Standards
Lecture 5: Signaling System No. 7(SS7)

S. B. Bhosle
Government Polytechnic, Yavatmal
 SS7: Introduction
Wikipedia

Signaling System No. 7 (SS7) is a set of telephony signaling protocols developed in
1975, which is used to set up and tear down telephone calls in most parts of the
world-wide public switched telephone network (PSTN). The protocol also
performs number translation, local number portability, prepaid billing, Short
Message Service (SMS), and other services.
 SS7: Introduction

The SS7 signaling protocol is widely used for common channel signaling between
interconnected networks

Is used to interconnect most of the cellular MSCs

Is the key factor in enabling autonomous registration and automated roaming in
first generation cellular systems.

Is an outgrowth of the out-of band signaling first developed by the CCITT under
common channel signaling standard, CCS No. 6

Further work caused SS7 to evolve along the lines of the ISO-OS! seven layer
network definition, where a highly layered structure (transparent from layer to
layer) is used to provide network communication
 SS7: Introduction

Peer layers in the ISO model
communicate with each other through a
virtual (packet data) interface, and a
hierarchical interface structure is
established.

The lowest three layers of the OSI
model are handled in SS7 by the
network service part (NSP) of the
protocol

NSP is made up of three message
trahsfer pans (MTPs) and the signaling
connection control pan (SCCP) of the 557
protocol.
 Network Services Part (NSP) of SS7

provides ISDN nodes with a highly
reliable and efficient means of
exchanging signaling traffic using
connectionless service

The SCCP in SS7 actually supports
packet data network interconnections as
well as connectionoriented networking
to virtual circuit networks.

The NSP allows network nodes to
communicate throughout the world
without concern for the application or
context of the signaling traffic.
 Message Transfer Part (MTP) of SS7

Ensures that signaling traffic can be
transferred and delivered reliably
between the end-users and the network.


Is provided at three levels.
– Signaling data link functions
(MTP Level 1)
– Signaling link functions
(MTP Level 2)
– Signaling network functions
(MTP Level 3)
 Signaling data link functions (MTP Level 1)

provide an interface to the actual
physical channel over which
pommunication takes place

Physical channels may include copper
wire, twisted pair, fiber, mobile radio,
or satellite links, and are transparent to
the layers

CCITF recommends that MTP Level 1
use 64 kbps transmissions, whereas ANSI
recommends 56 kbps

The minimum data rate provided for
telephony control operations is 4.8 kbps
 Signaling link functions (MTP Level 2)

correspond to the second layer in the
OSI reference model and provide a
reliable link for the transfer of traffic
between two directly connected
signaling points.

Variable length packet messages, called
message signal units (MSUs), are defined
in MTP Level 2

A single MSU cannot have a packet
length which exceeds 272 octets

A standard 16 bit cyclic redundancy
check (CRC) checksum is included in
each MSU for eftor detection
 Signaling link functions (MTP Level 2)

Also provides flow control data between
two signaling points as a means of
sensing link failure.

If the receiving device does not respond
to data transmissions, MTP Level 2 uses
a timer to detect link failure, and notifies
the higher levels of the 587 protocol
which take appropriate actions to
reconnect the link.
 Signaling network functions (MTP Level 3)

Provide procedures that transfer messages
between signaling nodes

As in ISDN, there are two types of MTP
Level 3 functions: signaling message handling
and signaling network management.

Signaling message handling is used to
provide routing, distribution, and traffic
discrimination

Signaling network management allows the
network to reconfigure in case of node
failures, and has provisions to allocate
alternate routing facilities in the case of
congestion or blockage in parts of the
network.
Signaling Connection Control Part (SCCP) of
SS7Cladd of Type of Service

Provides enhancement to the addressing Service
capabilities provided by the MTP
Class 0 Basic Connection Class

Uses local addressing based on
subsystem numbers (SSNs) to identi&
users at a signaling node Class 1 Sequenced MTP Connectionless

SCCP also provides the ability to Class
address global title messages, such as Class 2 Basic Connection Oriented Class
800 numbers or non billed numbers.

provides four classes of service: two are
Class 3 Flow Control Connection Oriented
connectionless and two are connection- Class
oriented
 SS7 Services
Touchstar

Also known as CLASS and is a group of switch-controlled services that provide its
users with certain call management capabilities

Services such as call return, call forwarding, repeat dialing, call block, call tracing,
and caller ID are provided.
 SS7 Services
800 Services

were introduced by Bell System to provide toll-free access to the calling party to
the services and database which is offered by the private parties.

The costs associated with the processing of calls is paid by the service subscriber.

The service is offered under two plans known as the 800-NXX plan, and the 800
Database plan

n the 800-NXX plan the first six digits of an 800 call are used to select the
interexchange carrier (DCC)

In the 800 Database plan, the call is looked up in a database to determine the
appropriate carrier and routing information.
 SS7 Services
Alternate Billing Service and Line Information Database (ADB/LIDB)

Use the CCS network to enable the calling party to bill a call to a personal number
(third party number, calling card, or collect etc.) from any number.
 SS7 Performance

The performance of the signaling network is studied by connection set-up time
(response time) or the end-to-end signaling information transfer time.

The delays in the signaling point (SP) and the STP depend on the specific hardware
configuration and switching software implementation.

The maximum limits for these delay times have been specified in the CCITT
recommendations Q.706, Q.716, and Q.766.
 Congestion Control in SS7 networks

With an increasing number of subscribers, it becomes important to avoid congestion
in the signaling network under heavy traffic conditions

SS7 networking protocols provide several congestion control schemes, allowing
traffic to avoid failed links and nodes