Structure of Intelligent Network (IN)

IN technology makes providing new services efficient with the help of control data that is centralized and available to all SSP switches Otherwise, service information should be updated to all exchanges when there is a need to change it In principle, we could implement all intelligence in SCP This would require heavy signaling between switching points and SCP

Structure of Intelligent Network (IN)

SMS

DB

SCP SSP
IP

Server for value-added services

SSP

In practice, the services that do not require a centralized database, are implemented in switching points to reduce load on the SCP A simple example is call transfer, which can be handled independently by local exchanges So no requirement of signaling between SSP and SCP This is called distributed intelligence, that we use to implement most supplementary services

Supplementary Services
Examples of supplementary services include Call forwarding

Permits a person to direct incoming calls to another telephone During a call in progress, a subscriber is notified of an incoming call by hearing a faint tone in receiver, user can alternate between these two calls

Call waiting

Automatic callback

Can be used when the dialed number is busy, subscriber notifies the system that he wants to have a call when the number is free, then he will be informed when this happens. When subscriber then lifts the receiver, the number will automatically be redialed

Supplementary Services

Abbreviated dialing

Permits a subscriber to specify short numbers that correspond to complete telephone numbers A subscriber may specify which telephone numbers are forbidden and calls to or from the specified numbers are not established. This service is implemented by the telephone service provider according to a customer reaquest

Screening of incoming and outgoing calls

Value-added Services
An important category of services implemented with help of IN technology This term refers to the services that give additional value, not just point-to-point conversation These services are often provided by separate service providers Some examples of value-added services include Universal access number

A company with several offices in different parts of a country may have the same number Each call is automatically connected to the office closest to the calling subscriber Cost of the call is same no matter to which office the call is connected

Value-added Services

Premium rate services

Information is provided over the phone, for example, a doctor or a lawyer service Service provider charges subscriber on their telephone bill This service is used by companies that want to provide free customer service The receiver pays for the call A service user can pay with his credit card by dialing his account number and identity code

Free phone

Credit card call

IN services

IN technology provides many other services some of these are

Home-to-mobile and mobile-to-home calling Card service for which the network operator charges his customer instead of the telephone he is calling from

A concept called universal personal telecommunication (UPT) will be implemented with IN technology It means that telephone number is not associated with a certain telephone set or socket Subscriber may receive their calls anywhere Using a personal code, a subscriber identifies himself to the system and indicates the terminal to which his call shall be routed

SS7

An international standard for exchange of information on call setup, call routing and control in the PSTN The SS7 network enables enhanced services such as:

SS7 information travels over a separate network

Call setup, management and teardown CallerID, call forwarding, 3-way calling, ... Toll-free (800/888) and toll (900) services Wireless roaming Wireless subscriber authentication

Message-based packet network SS7 signaling links are dedicated channels, separate from voice channels

SS7

SS7 signaling links are bidirectional channels SS7 signaling is out-of-band, meaning that a signaling link is not in a voice channel Out-of-band signaling enables:

Faster call setup than would be possible with in-band signaling using multi-frequency tones Support for intelligent network features Signaling End Point (SEPs) Signal Transfer Points (STPs) Service Control Points (SCPs)

Types of SS7 signaling points:

SS7

Service End Points (SEPs)

There are two types of SEPs

The SEP is an end point in the SS7 network End Points in the SS7 use an address known as a Signaling Point Code PSTN breaks phone numbers down into Area Code, Exchange Code and Line Number, the SS7 breaks Signaling Point Codes into Network, Cluster and Member portions

The first type is called a CCSSO (Common Channel Signaling Switching Office), which is a limited version of SSP The second type is the Service Switching Point (SSP) SSPs are PSTN switches that originate or terminate calls, or route calls to other switches (tandem switches)

SS7

Service Control Points (SCPs)

SCPs are database servers that respond to requests from SSPs for call routing information

Signal Transfer Points (STPs)

STPs are packet switches that serve as routers in the SS7 network Incoming SS7 messages are switched to outgoing links based on routing information contained in the messages (not just based on the destination numbers)

Addressing and routing Signaling points are addressed by unique point codes Message routing uses the source and destination point codes and routing tables at each signaling point

SS7

What would you say is the key element in the PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network)? The SS7 is held together by a digital sister of the switch known as a Signaling Transfer Point (STP) The job of the STP is to examine the destination of messages it receives, consult a routing table, and send the messages on their way using the links that are selected from the routing tables The routing becomes necessary because, STP may have numerous links to end users of the network It may have links to other STPs to perform the routing to locations with no direct connections to the STP which performs the first routing

SS7 Links

Link names are defined by what they connect and, sometimes, by the function they perform They are named using the letters of the alphabet (AF) Knowing the types of links that make up the link-set brings an immediate knowledge of the type of network nodes (without the specifics of the applications working there) that are linked The links shown in the drawing below connect an SEP to an STP thereby providing network access for the SEP

SS7 Links (SEP to STP)

Link from SEP to an STP provides network Access for the SEP Because of this, the links are referred to as Access Links, or simply A links Telecommunications reliability requires redundancy. For this reason STPs are always paired. Links connect the pair and allow messages to cross over from one to the other Because of this, the links are referred to as Cross Links, or simply C links

SS7 Links (STP to STP)

An STP which has no links into the broader network can do no routing except for messages coming from and going to its own connected SEPs The next step for an STP to broaden its routing horizons might well be to find another local STP pair serving its own SEPs For the sake of real redundancy each of the STPs in the pair connects links to each of the STPs in the other pair The result is a quad-linking arrangement which creates a bridge from one local network to another Because of this, the links are referred to as Bridge Links, or simply B links

SS7 Links (STP to STP)

Their are instances, in which the SEP needs to communicate with locations which are far beyond the confines of a local network To satisfy such needs an STP pair will sometimes connect to an STP pair at a different level of the hierarchy To accomplish that connection a quad-linking arrangement is used that is identical to Bridge links However these links are drawn diagonally as to show the hierarchy level therefore called Diagonal or D links. In the drawing above the local STP pair is shown on the right at the lower level of the hierarchy

SS7 Links (SEP to STP)

To increase the likelihood of remaining in service and to increase the flexibility, SEP might choose a second STP pair to which it connects In so doing, the SEP gains greater access into the network these new connections will be made to a local pair which is not quite so local. That is, this new pair is further away so to reach them well have to Extend our links The resulting links are therefore called Extended or E links

SS7 Links (SEP to SEP)

In the drawing above, both SEPs have Access connections (A links) into the network at large They could certainly communicate with each other using the routing services of the STP However, they also have a direct link connection called F Links (for Fully Associated)

SS7 Links

SS7 and PSTN

SS7 Network developed originally with the idea of improving the efficiency of the PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) There are two types of Signaling nodes that are switch associated The first type is called a CCSSO (Common Channel Signaling Switching Office) These are end or tandem offices which have the capability to use the SS7

SS7 and PSTN

The second type is the Service Switching Point (SSP) Like the CCSSO this switch can handle call setup Unlike the CCSSO, the SSP also has the ability to stop call processing, make queries of even unknown databases, and perform actions appropriate to the response The greatest difference between the two lies with the fact that the SSP is equipped with whatever software is required to handle numerous feature capabilities In a way the CCSSO is a more limited version of the SSP

SS7 and PSTN

SS7 and PSTN

A location which provides data from database or other digital services is called a Service Control Point They come in a large number of flavors (such as Calling Card verification and tracking) Such locations free the switch from trying to maintain larger routing tables, and enable the use of a broad range of services which depend on translations or digital data services of a variety of types As we have seen, nodes in the SS7 network are addressed by their Signaling Point Code (SPC) When locations like an SCP are addressed, Signaling Point Code is not enough Another value must be used to identify the service application that is sought

SS7 and PSTN

For this purpose the SS7 simply uses a value (represented in the message packet by a byte, and therefore, in the range of 0 to 255) which is called a Subsystem Number (SSN)

SS7

Intelligent Peripheral (IP) is home to a Process which can deal with the requests through the SCP Services Node (SN) is a similar node

SS7

Mobile Switching Center (MSC) Home Location Register (HLR) is essentially a database providing subscriber information.

SS7

Nodes in an SS7 network generally fall into only a few categories 1. Switches (SSP, MSC, etc.) which control voice circuits and need to send circuit related SS7 data to other switches 2. Databases (SCPs, HLRs) which provide dialed digit translations, subscriber information, credit card and calling card validation, and any other required information not available at the switch 3. Locations offering other resources such as special switch features, hardware technologies, etc

SS7 PROTOCOL STACK

SS7 MESSAGE TRANSFER PART (MTP)

MTP Level 1

Physical and electrical interfaces of SS7 digital signaling links E-1 (2048kb/s), DS-1 (1544 kb/s), DS-0 (64 kb/s), V.35 (64 kb/s), DS-0A (56 kb/s) Handles message transmission over a physical link Includes flow control, packet sequencing, error detection, retransmission
Handles message routing between SSPs Provides congestion control

MTP Level 2

MTP Level 3

SS7 TRANSPORT AND HIGHER LAYERS

Telephone User Part (TUP)

Analog call circuit setup/teardown Setup, management & release of trunk circuits Transport layer for TCAP-based services such as 800/888 numbers, wireless roaming, etc. Provides subsystem numbers (like port numbers in TCP/UDP), which enable addressing to specific applications at destination signaling points

ISDN User Part (ISUP)

Signaling Connection Control Part (SCCP)

Transaction Capabilities Application Part (TCAP)

Used for SCP-SSP communications concerning routing of 800/888/900 calls, to encapsulate Mobile Application Part (MAP) messages containing customer profile information for roving mobile subscribers, and for callingcard calls

SS7

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