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SS7 Decoder
SS7-SP-PC-WIN

Installation Manual
For Windows 98, 2000, XP, 2003

Document # - SS7-SP-PC-WIN-DOC-1.01.01

Copyright 2004 - Teleprime Inc. all rights reserved

Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Introduction Section........ 2. Installation. 2.1 Overview........

3 4 4

3. SS7 Decoder Application 10 4. User Section. 4.1 Input Data Files.. 4.2 User Interface. 4.2.1 Main Window.. 4.2.2 Menu Bar. 4.2.2.1 File Menu.. 4.2.2.1.1 Open.. 4.2.2.1.2 Save... 4.2.2.1.3 Exit. 4.2.2.2 Configuration 4.2.2.2.1 Decode.. 4.2.2.2.2 File Locations... 4.2.2.2.3 Show Decode... 4.2.2.2.4 Decoded File Format.. 4.2.2.2.5 Save Configuration on Exit. 4.2.2.3 Help... 4.2.2.3.1 About. 4.3 Configuration File.. 5. Decoding... 5.1 Supported Protocols.. 5.1.1 Supported Message Types... 5.1.2 Supported Parameters.. 5.2 Output Formats.. 5.2.1 HTML Format.. 14 14 14 15 15 15 15 17 17 18 18 18 18 19 19 19 20 20 21 21 21 22 25 25

6. References 26

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1.0 INTRODUCTION The SS7 Decoder, Model SS7-SP-PC-WIN, is a user application program that runs on Windows based PC workstations for decoding SS7 signaling messages derived from signaling gateway systems into user friendly text meaning display via a users web browser. Signaling gateway system craft port hexadecimal data output can be difficult and time consuming to manually decode but the SS7 Decoder simplifies this process by using text meaning display of the data saving the user valuable time in performing call analysis. The program comes supplied on a CD disk that is self installing in the users PC with the supplied license key. After installation, the user executes the program via desk top icon selection or via program file selection. Signaling gateway systems, such as the Encore Model SP201 and SP230 series products provide SS7 message outputs to the user craft port interface for analysis by systems technicians to isolate issues related to call placement or link connections between the signaling gateway and the Telco service providers. These message outputs are numerical hexadecimal code sequences of SS7 message type and associated parameters. SS7 messages, at the user interface layer in the gateway consist of the Integrated Services User Part (ISUP) message data. The message type may be one of call origination (such as the Initial Address message or IAM), release, block, unblock or other call processing related messages. Each message contains information relating to the circuit identification, function, called/calling number and other call related information, including the status or results of the call. As the chain of message events occur, groups of the hexadecimal messages can be captured into a text file on the PC (via the signaling gateway craft port) for service personnel to analyze, especially in situations of call failure or difficulty. To facilitate prompt analysis, the SS7 Decoder is used to convert difficult to read sequences of hexadecimal information into user friendly message type and parameter text information. The user would use the captured information from the craft port interface (previously stored as a text file on the PC) and execute the SS7 Decoder. Upon execution, the SS7 Decoder would open the users web browsers interface and display the applicable hexadecimal code information along with the converted user friendly text meaning of the message data. The user can store the message data in a HTML format for future reference thereafter. 3

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2.0 INSTALLING THE SS7 DECODER APPLICATION FOR PC ONTO THE TERMINAL PC 2.1. Overview The following steps are required to install the application on the PC. The Application resides on a CD disk as an application to be installed on a PC that connects to a signaling gateway protocol. 1. Insert the CD into the CD-ROM drive located in the Terminal PC. 2. It starts automatically installing the application. Note: If your CD-ROM drive does not have an Auto play option: a. Click Start on your Windows desktop. Select Run b. Enter D: TeleprimeSS7Decoder 1.00.03.exe represents your CD-ROM drive. c. Click OK. 3. The setup program will begin to execute 4. The application requires that your Terminal PC have previously installed a JAVA run time module. If it is not installed, the following message appears. whered

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5. Download the executable from http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.4.2/download.htm and install J2SE JRE 1.4 or higher. 6. After installing the Java Runtime Environment, double click on the SS7 decoder application for PC Software setup.exe file 7. The setup program will begin to execute and the SS7 Decoder Setup Installation screen similar to the one below will be presented.

Figure - 1 5

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8. If you agree with the terms of the License Agreement, then click on I Agree button to accept all the terms of the License Agreement. You must accept the agreement to install SS7 Decoder. 9. You will be presented with a screen similar to the one shown below re asking to choose Components.

Figure - 2 10. The Base software and SS7_ITU options are selected by default, click on the Next button to go to the next step.

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Figure -3 11. You will be presented with a Choose Install Location Dialogue box screen similar to the one shown above. 12. In the Destination Folder Area click on the Browse button to set the path to locate the software installation executable file. 13. Click Next to proceed further. You will get a screen Choose Start menu Folder Dialogue box, which will allow you to select the start menu Folder in which you would like to create the programs shortcuts. You can also enter a name in the text field to create a new Folder. 7

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Figure 4

14. Choose Install Button to install only the selected components. The Program will now set up system parameters and will start copying the required files to your hard disk. 15. A screen similar to the one shown below will be displayed, indicating completion of installation. Click on Close.

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Figure 5 16. Your system may now re-boot and the icon for SS7 Decoder will be created on your desktop.

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3.0 SS7 DECODER APPLICATION FOR PC 1. Locate the SS7 Decoder icon on the Desktop and Double click on it. The user will be prompt on the first execution for the CD serial number and Security Code. The CD Serial number is located on the supplied CD Disk and the security code is located on the rear of the CD Case.

Figure 1 2. The top tool bar contains File, Configuration, and Help. Click on File menu to open the file into the Decoder to decode it. This is shown in Figure - 2

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Figure -2

3. You will find Open, Save and Exit options when you click on File menu. 4. Select Open to open the file, which you want to decode and you will find a Dialogue box with a title of Open to select a file.

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Figure 3

5. Select the file and click on Open button on the dialogue box. 6. You will be presented with a screen with a path of the file in the source directory field as shown in Figure 4.

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Figure 4 7. Click on Decode Button. You will find the file will be opened in the Browser window. This will create the html file of the Decoded file as shown in Figure 5.

Figure 5 Refer to Section 5 Decoding, for additional description of the decoded information. 13

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4. 0 USER SECTION 4.1 Input data files from SP2xx signaling gateway The SS7 Decoder uses disk files stored from trace captures derived from the SP2xx craft serial port (refer to the SP2xx documentation for trace capture procedures). Below is an example of the data captured from SP2xx device. icc/isdn2ss7/dmtp3.c,270:ISUP:UP:CIC=2198:Msg=MI_INIADDR q931/isdn2ss7/in_bdy9.c,5792:ISDN:DOWN: msg: qlen: 1 mlen: 38 2-->0 dat: 08 02 00 3e 05 a1 04 03 90 90 a3 18 03 a9 83 86 ...>............ 1e 02 8a 81 70 10 91 30 31 31 35 32 38 31 38 33 ....p..011528183 6 39 35 32 35 32 695252 icc/isdn2ss7/dmtp3.c,217:ISUP:UP: msg: qlen: 1 mlen: 24 1-->2 dat: 66 08 01 00 21 00 0a 03 06 00 03 80 90 a2 09 04 f...!........... 10 10 31 78 63 57 23 57 ..1xcW#W icc/isdn2ss7/dmtp3.c,270:ISUP:UP:CIC=2150:Msg=MI_INIADDR q931/isdn2ss7/in_bdy9.c,5792:ISDN:DOWN: msg: qlen: 1 mlen: 37 0-->0 dat: 08 02 6d 5f 05 a1 04 03 90 90 a3 18 03 a9 83 96 ..m_............ 1e 02 84 83 70 0f 91 30 31 31 33 38 37 33 36 37 ....p..011387367 33 32 37 35 4.2 User Interface A user interface is part of the SS7 Decoder application that manages the location of source and destination files, and to allow a user to change the configuration of the SS7 decoder. The main window contains a single frame with a menu bar and single control buttons to start the decode process. 4.2.1 Main Window The main application window contains the menu bar (section 2.2), three text input fields for Source Directory, Source File and Decoded File names, and a Decode button. 14

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A user may edit Source Directory and Source File text fields. The decode process is started by the user pressing the Decode button. If source directory and file contain a valid SP2XX captured data file, the result of this operation is saved into an output file in the same directory as a source file and keeps the same name but with a different extension. The extension is depending on a type of output format chosen in the Options menu. If the HTML format is selected, then the output files extension will be .html. For plain text output files, the .dcd extension is added.

4.2.2

Menu bar The Menu bar is located at the top of the main window and it consists of three drop-down menu items: File, Configuration and Help. 4.2.2.1 File Menu 4.2.2.1.1 Open

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Selecting the Open item in the File menu results in opening a complex dialog box similar to the Windows Explorer and Unix File Manager programs. The starting location of this dialog box matches the value of the configuration item File Locations (Section 4.2.2.2.2)

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4.2.2.1.2 Save Selecting the Save item from the File menu causes the application to save its current configuration. 4.2.2.1.3 Exit Selecting an Exit item in the File menu results in termination of this application. The application may open a dialog box and ask a user to save a current configuration before exiting. This feature is configurable in the Configuration menu (Error! Reference source not found.). If the save option is chosen all configuration options are saved for the next session.

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4.2.2.2 Configuration

4.2.2.2.1 Decode Choosing this menu item initiates a decode operation on the currently selected file. 4.2.2.2.2 File Locations To simplify a users navigation through a file system the default File location is configurable. After installation, this location will be pointing to the applications installation directory, for example C:\dev\Teleprime" to "C:\SS7. 4.2.2.2.3 Show decode This option allows a user to launch an application associated with a chosen decode format. For example, if HTML format is selected, a default Web browser will be launched on a completion of a decoding process and the results are displayed in a browser window. Note: all Windows based computers uses Internet Explorer as a default browser. 18

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4.2.2.2.4 Decoded File Format This option selects a type of format for the decoded output file. A choice of HTML or plain text is available with radio-style buttons. All HTML tags comply with HTML version 4.0 and CSS. 4.2.2.2.5 Save Configuration on exit This option allows a user to choose if he (she) wants to be prompted to save a current configuration on exit. Three choices are provided in a dialog box with radiostyle buttons. 4.2.2.3 Help The Help menu has only one available choice: the About item. Save on exit without prompt. Save on exit with a prompt. Never save on exit.

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4.2.2.3.1 About Selecting the About item in the Help menu displays an informational dialog box with the name of this application, its version number and copyright reference.

4.3

Configuration file All session configuration information is stored in the local directory and is used to initialize the Decoder application during start-up of the next session. The name of the file is config.cfg.

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5.0 DECODING 5.1 Supported Protocols The SP2XX SS7 Decoder supports ITU Q.763, Q.767 (C7) and ANSI T1.113 (SS7). 5.1.1 Supported Message types Table 1 represents a complete list of all known message types. Only packets containing message type colored in red are fully decoded, for all remaining packets this application decodes all data fields up to the message type and then displays the hex dump of remaining bytes of this packet.

SS 7 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 0A 0B 0C 0D 0E 0F 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Message Type IAM ? INR INF COT ACM CON FOT ANM ? ? REL SUS RES ? RLC CCR RSC BLO UBL BLA UBA GRS CGB Initial Address Subsequent address (not for US) Information Request Information Continuity Address Complete Connect Forward Transfer Answer Reserved Code used in CCITT Red Book Reserved Code used in CCITT Red Book Release Suspend Resume Reserved Code used in CCITT Red Book Release Complete Continuity Check Request Reset Circuit Blocking Unblocking Blocking Acknowledgement Unblocking Acknowledgement Circuit Group Reset Circuit Group Blocking

SS 7 2A 2B 2C 2D 2E 2F 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 3A 3B 3C 3D 3E 3F 40 41

Message Type CQ M Circuit Group Query CQ R Circuit Group Query Response CP G Call Progress USR User-to-User (ITU only) UCI Unequipped Circuit Identification C Code CFN Confusion OL M Overload (ITU only) CR Charge Information (ITU only) G NR Network Resource Management M FAC UPT UPA ? ? SG M ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? AP Facility User Part Test User Part Available Reserved Reserved Segmentation Reserved Reserved Reserved Reserved Reserved Reserved Reserved Reserved Application Transport

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M 19 1A 1B 1C 1D 1E 1F 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 CGU CGB A CGU A CMR CMC CMR J FAR FAA FRJ FAD FAI LPA CSV R CSV S DRS PAM GRA Circuit Group Unblocking Circuit Group Blocking Acknowledgement Circuit Group Unblocking Acknowledgement Call Modification Request Call Modification Completed Call Modification Reject Facility Request Facility Accepted Facility Reject Facility Deactivated Facility Information Loopback Acknowledgement CUG Selection and Validation Request CUG Selection and Validation Response Delayed Release Pass Along Circuit Group Reset Acknowledgement 42 . . . E9 EA EB EC ED . . . FF PRI ? ? ? ? ? CRA CR M CVR CVT EX M ? ? ? ? ? Pre-release Information Reserved Reserved Reserved Reserved Reserved Circuit Acknowledgement Reservation

Circuit Reservation (ANSI Only) Circuit Validation Response (ANSI Only) Circuit Validation Test (ANSI Only) Exit (ANSI Only) Reserved Reserved Reserved Reserved Reserved

Table 1. ISUP message types

5.1.2 Supported Parameters Table 2 represents a complete list of all known parameter types. Only packets containing parameter type colored in red are fully decoded; for all remaining packets this application decodes all data fields up to the parameter type and then displays the hex dump of remaining bytes of this parameter.

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Access Transport Automatic Congestion Level Backward Call Indicators Business Group (ANSI) Call Modification Indicators (ITU) Call Reference Called Party Number Calling Party Number Calling Party's Category Carrier Identification (ANSI) Carrier Selection Information (ANSI) Cause Indicators

M M Mv M

ITU Cause Codes ANSI Cause Codes Charge Number (ANSI) Circuit Assignment Map (ANSI) Circuit Group Characteristic Indicators (ANSI) Circuit Group Supervision Msg Type Ind. Circuit Identification Name (ANSI) Circuit State Indicator Closed User Interlock Code (ITU) Circuit Validation Response Indicator (ANSI) Connected Number Connection Request Continuity Indicators Egress Service (ANSI) End of Optional Parameters Event Information Facility Indicators (ITU) Forward Call Indicators Generic Address Parameter (ANSI) Generic Digits Parameter (ANSI) Hop Count Parameter (ANSI) Information Indicators Information Request Indicators Jurisdiction Information (ANSI) Nature of Connection Indicators Network Transport (ANSI) Notification Indicator (ANSI) Optional Backward Call Indicators Original Called Number Originating Line Information (ANSI) Outgoing Trunk Group Number (ANSI)

M M Mv M

M M M M M

* M M M

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Optional Forward Call Indicators (ITU) Range and Status Redirecting Number Redirection Information Redirection Number (ITU) Service Activation (ANSI) Service Activation Parameter (ANSI) Service Code (ANSI) Signalling Point Code (ITU) Special Processing Request (ANSI) Subsequent Number (ITU) Suspend/Resume Indicators Transaction Request (ANSI) Transit Network Selection Transmission Medium Requirement User Service Information User-to-User Indicators (ITU International) User-to-User Information (ITU International)

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M M

Mv

M = Mandatory Fixed Mv = Mandatory Variable

Table 2. ISUP Information Elements.

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5.2 Output formats The SP2XX SS7 decoder supports two basic styles of the output format: HTML and text. 5.2.1 HTML Format Below is a sample of a decoded message in the HTML output format.

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6.0 REFERENCES 1. ITU-T Specifications of Signaling System No. 7. Q.763 Format and codes of the ISDN User Part. March 1993. [include q.767] 2. ANSI Specification T.113-1996 Signaling System No. 7 (SS7) Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) User Part

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