CCS#7 OVER IP

Types of Signaling
Signaling in Telecommunications Network
Channel Associated Signaling (CAS)
Common Channel Signaling (CCS)

Channel Associated Signaling (CAS)

Used for In-Band Signaling
Signaling is transmitted in the same frequency
band as used by voice.
Voice path is established when the call setup is
complete, using the same path that the call
setup signals used.

Common Channel Signaling

Out of Band signaling
Employs separate, dedicated path for signaling.
Voice trunks are used only when a connection is
established, not before.
Faster Call Setup.

Voice Trunks
Switch
A

Switch
B
Signaling Link

Advantage of CCS over CAS

Faster call setup

Greater Trunking Efficiency:- CCS has shorter call set
up and tear down times that result in less call holding
time, thereby reducing the traffic on the network.
Information Transfer:- CCS allows the transfer of
additional information along with the signaling traffic
providing facilities such as caller identification and
voice or data identification

CCS7 Principle
Out of band Signaling
Higher Signaling data rates (56Kbps & 64 Kbps)
Variable length signal units with maximum size
limitation
Optimum use of bandwidth
Reliability and flexibility

SS7 Protocol Stack

OSI

SS7

Protocols
Message Transfer Part (MTP Level 1) Physical
Provides an interface to the actual physical channel
over which communication takes place
CCITT recommends 64Kbps transmission whereas
ANSI recommends 56 Kbps

Protocols
MTP Level 2 (Data Link Layer)
Ensures accurate end-to-end transmission of a
message across a signaling link
Variable Length Packet Messages are defined here
Implements flow control, message sequence
validation,
error
checking
and
message
retransmission
Monitor links and reports their status
Test links before allowing their use
Provides sequence numbers for outgoing messages

Protocols
MTP Level 3 (Network)
Message routing between signaling points in the SS7
network
Signaling network management that provides traffic,
links and routing management, as well as congestion
(flow) control
Re-routes traffic away from failed links and signaling
points, controls traffic when congestion occurs

Protocols
Signaling Connection Control Part (SCCP)
Provides connectionless and connection-oriented
network services
Provides global title translation (GTT)
Provides more detailed addressing information than
MTPs
Used as transport layer for TCAP (Transaction
capabilities applications part) based services

Protocols
Transaction Capabilities Applications Part
(TCAP)
Exchange of non-circuit related data
Between applications across the SS#7 network
Using the SCCP service
Queries and responses sent between Signaling Switching
Point (SSPs) and Signaling Control Point (SCPs)
Sends and receives database information
Routing information

Protocols
Telephone User Part (TUP)
Basic call setup and tear down
ISDN User Part (ISUP)
Necessary messaging for setup and tear down of all
circuits (voice and digital)
Messages are sent from a switch, to the switch where
the next circuit connection is required
Call circuits are identified using circuit identification
code (CIC)

Addressing in SS7 Network

Point Codes are carried in signaling messages and exchanged
between signaling points to identify the source and destination
of each message (14 bit address).

What goes over Signaling Link

Signaling information is passed over the
signaling link in form of messages, which are
called signaling units (SUs)
3 Types of SUs are:
Message signal units(MSUs)
Link status signal units(LSSUs)
Fill-in signal units(FISUs)

Signaling Units
Message signal unit (MSU)
Carries signaling associated with call setup & teardown,
database query and response and SS7 network input

FLAG BSN/
BIB

FSN/
FIB

8-272

Length
Service
Signaling Check
Indicator Info. octet Info. field sum

Service Information Octet

Bit 1 - 4 Type of Information in Signaling Information Field

Bit 5 - 6 Whether Message is intended for National or
International Network
Bit 7 - 8 To identify Message Priority

Signaling Information Field

8 272 Octets
The first portion of this field is routing label
Routing Label Identifies Message Originator,
Intended destination & Signaling Link Selected.
Routing Label is of 7 Octets
Destination Point Code 3 Octets
Originating Point Code 3 Octets
Signaling Link Selection 1 Octet

Signaling Units
Link status signaling units (LSSU)
Inform the far end about the changes in status of
link
Message length can be 1 or 2 bytes

FLAG

BSN/
BIB

FSN/
FIB

1 or 2

Length Status
Indicator Field

Check
Sum

Signaling Units
Fill-In Signal Units (FISU)
Fill the gaps between MSU and LSSU messages
Sent only when the buffer is empty, to keep the
signaling link active
Facilitate in constant monitoring of link quality.

FLAG

BSN/
BIB

FSN/
FIB

Length
Indicator

Check
Sum

SS7/IP Inter-working
IP offers an economical solution to challenges
created by high volume traffic at network edge.
Operators off load voice calls from PSTN to VoIP
networks because it is less costly to carry voice traffic
over IP network than over Switched circuit network.
In NGN network, digitized voice data is highly
compressed and carried in packets over IP network,
thereby efficiently utilizing the bandwidth and
increasing the number of voice calls carried.
Saving realized in using VoIP network are passed on
to users in the form of lower cost.

Features of SS7 over IP

In-Sequence Delivery of Signaling Messages within
a single control stream
Identification of the originating and terminating
signaling points
Identification of voice circuits
Error detection, re-transmission and other error
correcting procedures.
Controls to avoid congestion on the internet.
Detection of status of peer entities.
Support for security mechanism.

Stream Control Transmission Protocol(SCTP)

Allows the reliable transfer of

signaling messages between
signaling end points in an IP
network
Allows signaling messages to be
independently ordered with in
multiple streams to ensure in
sequence
delivery
between
associated end points.
SIGTRAN recommends SCTP
rather
than
TCP/IP
for
transmission
of
signaling
messages over IP networks as
TCP/IP does enforce Head-ofline Blocking.

Signaling in NGN networks

NGN Networks carry SS7 over IP using protocols defined by Signaling
Transport (SIGTRAN) working group of the Internet Engineering Task
Force (IETF).
In IP telephony networks, signaling information is exchanged between
the following functional elements.
Media Gateway
Media Gateway Controller
Signaling Gateway.

NGN Network Configuration

SIGTRAN Protocol Stack Model

The SIGTRANs protocol specify
the means by which SS7
messages
can
be
reliably
transported over IP network.
The architecture identifies three
component
A standard IP
A common signaling transport
protocol for SS7 protocol layer
being carried.
An adaptation module to
emulate lower layers of the
protocol.

SIGRAN PROTOCOL STACK

Stream Control Transport Protocol (SCTP)

Overview
SCTP is a new IP transport protocol, which exists
at an equivalent level with TCP and user
datagram protocol (UDP) and which currently
provides transport layer functions to many
Internet-based applications. SCTP has been
approved by the IETF as a proposed standard.

COMMON HEADER

SOURCE PORT NUMBER

DESTINATION PORT NUMBER

VERIFICATION TAG
ADLER-32 CHECKSUM
CHUNK ID
CHUNK 1

CHUNK LENGTH

CHUNK VALUE
CHUNK ID

CHUNK 2

CHUNK PLAGS

CHUNK LENGTH

CHUNK VALUE
CHUNK ID

CHUNK n

CHUNK PLAGS

CHUNK PLAGS
CHUNK VALUE

SCTP PACKET FORMAT

CHUNK LENGTH

SCTP Common Header Format

Source/Destination Port Number Field: 16 Bits

Indicates the SCTP sender's/destination's port number.
Verification Tag Field: 32 Bits
The receiver of this packet uses the verification tag to validate
the sender of this SCTP packet.
Checksum Field: 32 Bits
This field contains the checksum of this SCTP packet. SCTP
uses the Adler-32 algorithm for calculating the checksum.

SCTP
The primary motivation behind the development of SCTP is
the fact the neither UDP nor TCP offer both the speed and
reliability required of a transport protocol used to carry
signaling.
The design of SCTP is an attempt to make such reliability
and speed available to SCTP users.

SCTP CHUNK TYPES

ID VALUE
00000000
00000001
00000010
.
.
00000110

00001111 TO 11111111

CHUNK TYPE
DATA
INIT
INIT ACK

ABORT
RESERVED BY IETF

CONCLUSION
SIGTRAN SUITE OF PROTOCOLS PROVIDE A MEANS
TO CARRY STANDARD SS7 SIGNALLING OVER IP
NETWORKS WITH SAME PRECISION , SPEED AND
RELIABILITY AS IN CONVENTIONAL CIRCUITSWITCHED TELEPHONE NETWORKS

THANK YOU !