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5G SYSTRA
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Contents
2 Introduction ............................................................................................5
2.1 Standard messages .................................................................................6
2.2 Implementation and evolution ..................................................................8
2.2.1 Drawbacks of the CAS system.................................................................8
2.2.2 Common Channel Signalling (CCS).........................................................8
1 Module objectives
After completing this module, the student will be able to:
• Define the term signalling
• Describe the SS7 protocol stack and its functions
• Identify the SS7 protocol stacks implemented in each GSM network element
(BSC, MSC, and HLR)
• identify the protocols introduced in Release 4 core networks
without using any references.
2 Introduction
Signalling in telecommunication networks has come a long way since the early days
when a lady operator used to sit at the central exchange. Telecommunication networks
were relatively simple and the general procedure of setting up a call would go
something like this:
You would pick up the “handset” of your telephone, electrical current would flow to
the exchange and a light would start blinking accompanied by a sound. This would let
the lady know that you are requiring service. She would plug in one connector to your
terminal and the other to her “headphone” and inquire about whom you wanted to talk
to. After listening to your answer, she would try to connect you to the person you
wanted to talk with.
Then she would pull out the connector from your terminal and connect it to your
intended party. He would then hear his phone ringing. After he answers, the lady will
connect you to him. While you are talking, she will supervise the call, and once the
conversation is over (which will be indicated by another light), she will “pull out the
plugs.” That would be a typical scenario at a telephone exchange during the first half
of this century.
%#!&?:^*
(%&¤#”/=
14. Exchange 2 terminates the tone generation. It then informs exchange 1 about the
on-going call.
15. Now, a speech call can take place between telephone A and B.
subscriber A / subscriber B /
telephone A exchange 1 exchange 2 Telephone B
1. service request
2. dial tone
3. provide telephone number
4. number analysis &
resource reservation
5. address information
6. number analysis &
resource reservation
7. set-up message
8. set-up confirmation
9. ringing
11. address complete 10. alert message
message
12. ringing tone
14. connect message 13. connect message
15. Conversation
Telephones and switches are exchanging messages about the ongoing call. For
instance, between exchange 1 and 2, there exist transmission resources. They
exchange messages to inform each other, which of the available transmission
resources to allocate to a specific call. They also have to inform each other about
abnormal endings of calls. If not, one exchange would release the transmission
resources, while the other one is still blocking them. This already indicates the
importance to exchange messages between network elements of a telecommunication
network. These messages are called signalling and control messages.
A wide range of signalling systems exist. A signalling system represents a specified
set of rules on how network elements have to exchange signalling and control
information. Each signalling system must support messages for
• call set-up,
• call supervision,
• call termination, and
• abnormal situation handling.
In Europe, the signalling system European Digital Subscriber Signalling System No. 1
(E-DSS1) is often used between exchanges and telephones. Between exchanges, the
Common Channel Signalling System No. 7 (CCS#7, CS#7, SS#7, SS7) is the most
common protocol. It has also been adopted for GSM.
As a signalling system for setting up calls CAS was a good system that performed
quite well. A large number of telephone exchanges in the world are still using this
system, but its implementation is such, that it is only suitable for cases where traffic is
low. Another problem with CAS is that it is not possible to send signalling messages
in the absence of a call. This causes bottlenecks and wastes bandwidth.
The CCITT (now the ITU) came up with a new recommendation for a signalling
system which was the Common Channel Signalling System Number 7. One of the
main advantages of this system was that signalling did not have to go along the same
path as the speech. It is abbreviated CCS7, CCS#7, SS7 or simply C7, but they all
refer to the same system.
SS7 was developed in the beginning of the 1980s and is a Common Channel
Signalling system (CCS) with a signalling path bandwidth of 64 Kbits/s. The term
“Common Channel Signalling” indicates, that signalling information and user data are
transmitted via separate resources. Signalling messages are transmitted via
transmission resources, which are used for several hundreds up to thousand calls. This
is possible for three reasons: SS7 is packet orientated, i.e. signalling messages are sent
as packets similar to IP packets in the Internet. The signalling load is low in
comparison to the user data traffic. And there is mainly need for signalling resources
during the call set-up and call termination phase. To use common resources results in
a fairly high resource efficiency of the signalling resources.
End points of SS7 signalling messages are exchanges, such as the MSC, but also
register elements, such as the HLR. Within SS7, the originator and the receiver of SS7
signalling messages are called Signalling Points (SP). It depends on the operator,
whether Service Points can directly exchange SS7 messages. Often, the routing of SS7
messages is done via Signalling Transfer Points (STP). A Signalling Transfer Point
receives SS7 messages, analyses the destination address of the SS7 message, then
forwards the message, following rules set by the operator in the routing tables of the
Signalling Transfer Point.
A simple example can be seen in the figure below: There are three exchanges. Each
exchange holds a SS7 Signalling Point. The blue lines represent the transmission
resources, while the green lines represent the independent packet oriented SS7
network. Exchange 1 can directly sent SS7 messages to exchange 2. If the signalling
link between the two exchanges fails, then there is still an option to route the messages
via the Signalling Transfer Point. Exchange 1 has no direct signalling link to the
Signalling Point of exchange 3. In this case, the signalling messages must be always
routed via the Signalling Transfer Point.
SS7
exchange 3
Independent,
SP packet
oriented
signalling
network
STP
SP SP
exchange 1 exchange 1
SP Signalling Point
STP Signalling Transfer Point
It is modular in design, although the modules are not as clearly defined as is the case
with the OSI 7-layer model, which it pre-dates. Let us take a closer look at this system
in the following sections.
The lowest level, MTP layer 1 (physical connections), defines the physical and
electrical characteristics. MTP layer 2 (data link control) helps in error free
transmission of the signalling messages between adjacent elements. MTP layer 3
(network layer) is responsible for taking the message from any element in a
signalling network to any other element within the same network.
TUP TUP
Call Control
NUP messages NUP
ISUP ISUP
Transport of signalling
Layer 3 messages within one network Layer 3
MTP
MTP
Data link Layer 2 Layer 2‘ Data link
Layer 2 control control Layer 2‘
Physical Physical
Layer 1 connections Layer 1 Layer 1‘ connections Layer 1‘
STP
With the introduction of the Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN), which has a
broader capability than the PSTN, some extra sets of messages were required. These
became known as the ISDN User Part (ISUP). Whether it is TUP, NUP or ISUP they
are all doing the same job in helping to set up a call.
Virtual
Connection using
“Connection Oriented”
SCCP
A
MTP
Signalling
Point B
Signalling MTP
Point Destination
Signalling
Signalling Point
Point MTP
The solution to these two problems was the creation of another protocol layer on top
of the MTP that was called the Signalling Connection and Control Part (SCCP).
The SCCP takes care of virtual connections and connectionless signalling. Note that
the tasks of TUP and SCCP are different, and thus they are parallel to each other, but
both use the services of the MTP.
Call Control
e.g. ISUP messages
e.g. ISUP
Transport of signalling
Layer 3 messages within one network Layer 3
MTP
MTP
Data link Layer 2 Layer 2‘ Data link
Layer 2 control control Layer 2‘
Physical Physical
Layer 1 connections Layer 1 Layer 1‘ connections Layer 1‘
STP
As far as the fixed telephone network (the Public Switched Telephone Network,
PSTN) is concerned, this is all there is to SS7 and these protocol layers serve their
purpose very well. At the moment there is no other protocol in SS7 for PSTN
exchanges.
3.4 Summary
The MTP is the message transfer part. It is responsible for transferring messages from
one network element to another within the same network. It consists of three
sublayers.
The TUP is the user part of the messages transferred by the MTP. These messages
deal with setting up, supervising and clearing the call connections. It has two
variations: NUP and ISUP.
The SCCP is the signalling connection and control part. Its main function is to
provide virtual connections and connectionless signalling.
Control
BSSAP messages BSSAP
Transport of signalling
messages within one network
Layer 3 Layer 3
MTP
MTP
Data link
Layer 2 control Layer 2
Physical
Layer 1 connections Layer 1
Note
The MSC-MSC communication using MAP is used only in case of non-call-
related signalling. For routing a call from one MSC to another MSC, TUP or
ISUP is still used.
Transaction Capabilities
TCAP Application Part TCAP
MTP
Data link
Layer 2 control Layer 2
Physical
Layer 1 connections Layer 1
4.4 Summary
MAP
BSSAP TUP
TCAP
NUP
ISUP
SCCP
MTP
the BSSAP is not needed either, which leaves the MTP, SCCP, TCAP and MAP as the
signalling protocols in the HLR, VLR, and EIR.
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SIGTRAN is the definition of a suite of protocols to carry SS7 and ISDN messages
over IP. This protocol suite is made up of a new transport layer–the Stream Control
Transmission Protocol (SCTP)–and a set of User Adaptation (UA) layers which mimic
the services of the lower layers of SS7 and ISDN.
The transmission of bounded, structured frames is useful since the transport protocol
does all the work to split the stream of data into message segments, reducing the user’s
responsibility for interpreting a continuous stream of bytes. Multi-streaming is
designed to allow users to partition a single IP connection between two endpoints into
separate logical streams of data and assign each stream to a particular application or
resource. The purpose is that errors or delays on one stream will not interfere with
normal delivery on another.
Bearer Independent Call Control (BICC) protocol is a call control protocol used
between serving nodes. This protocol is based on the ISUP protocol, and was adapted
to support the ISDN services independent of the bearer technology and signalling
message transport technology used. The messages are of call set-up type. The BICC
can be transported in several ways as shown on the MMS protocol architecture. Both
traditional SS/ and SIGTRAN stacks are allowed for.
The Megaco protocol is used between multimedia gateways and their controllers. This
protocol creates a general framework suitable for gateways, multipoint control units
and interactive voice response units (IVRs). Packet network interfaces may include IP,
ATM or possibly others. The interfaces support a variety of SCN signalling systems,
including tone signalling, ISDN, ISUP, QSIG and GSM. National variants of these
signalling systems are supported where applicable.
MS MSC HLR
BTS BSC
CM CM
MAP
MM MM
Between the BSC and the BTS, a signalling protocol known as LAPD (Link Access
Protocol for the ISDN "D" channel) is used. This is the same protocol that is used in
ISDN networks between the customer and the network. This protocol is also used the
exchange requests and responses between the BSC and the TRAU.
Between the mobile station and the BTS, the LAPD is used with small modifications
to cope with the characteristics of the radio transmission medium. This protocol is
known as LAPDm where the "m" denotes modified.
The LAP-D message structure is similar to SS7, but it does not support networking
capabilities, therefore, it is used for point to point connections.
As can be seen with the figure above, a signalling protocol is required to negotiate to
radio resources to be used for dedicated signalling and user data transport. The
protocol is called Radio Resource (RR) management protocol, and its messages are
exchanged between the MS and the BSC via LAPDm and LAPD. RR’ in the above
figure indicates that some radio resource management tasks can be directly performed
between the MS and the BTS.
The BTS determines which radio interface resources are allocated to the MS for
dedicated traffic. But also the BTS must be informed about it. This is one cause for the
existence of the BTSM (BTS Management) protocol.
What about mobility management? Mobility Management (MM) comprises tasks
such as location update and authentication. These are messages which are exchanged
directly between the MS and the MSC/VLR. As can be seen above, there are other
network elements in the transmission path of the mobility management messages, such
as the BTS and the BSC. But these network elements transparently transmit the higher
layer mobility management messages. Similar to the STP in SS7, they take the
signalling message, and forward it to the next entity. The MS and the MSC/VLR are
the so-called peer entities of mobility management messages.
The same is true for Connection Management (CM) messages. Connection
management includes call set-up messages, alerting message, etc., i.e. messages
necessary for call control. Also SMS and supplementary services are managed with
the help of the connection management.
A virtual connection uses packet type switching principles and the connection only
exists when packets or messages are being transferred. In the simplest form of packet
switching each packet is regarded as a complete transaction in itself. This is known as
the “connectionless” mode as there is no sense of a connection being set up before
communication begins, and the network treats each packet independently. Some
applications, however, involve the transfer of a sequence of packets, for which the
“connection-oriented” approach is more appropriate. In this case, a virtual connection
is established by an initial exchange of "set-up" packets between the communicating
terminals. During the data transfer, each packet associated with a connection is passed
over the same route through the network.
Key points
• Signalling is the transfer of information between subscriber interface points and
the network, and between different network elements to help establish a call.
• Signalling information is interchanged as standard sets of messages that was
developed and standardised into the present SS7 system.
• GSM networks need non-call related signalling, which is possible with SS7.
• The SS7 used in PSTN networks is not sufficient to fulfil the signalling
requirements of GSM networks, thus new protocols specific to GSM were
developed.
• The MTP is the basis of SS7, and it is responsible for transferring signalling
messages from one element to another within the same signalling network.
• The TUP/ISUP are the user parts of the MTP that handle call control.
• The SCCP is needed for virtual connections and connectionless signalling.
• The BSSAP is used for signalling between MSC-BSC and MSC-MS.
• The MAP is needed for signalling between MSC-HLR, MSC-VLR, HLR-VLR
(and MSC-MSC in the case of non-call related signalling).
• The Link Access Protocol in D channel (LAP-D) provides a point-to-point
signalling capability. It is used between the BTS and BSC, and in a modified
version between the MS and the BTS (LAP-Dm).
• Release 4 introduces several new protocols for signaling
8 Review questions
In the following questions, please select one alternative that you think is the best
answer for the particular question.
5. Which pair of network elements in the GSM network does not both have SS7?
a. MSC, HLR.
b. BSC, HLR.
c. MSC, BSC.
d. BTS, HLR.
MAP
ISUP TCAP BSSAP
SCCP
MTP
b.
MAP
BSSAP SCCP TUP
NUP
ISUP
TCAP
MTP
c.
MAP
BSSAP TCAP TUP
NUP
ISUP
SCCP
MTP
d.
BSSAP
MAP TUP
TCAP
NUP
ISUP
SCCP
MTP