Need for Global TitleTranslation in SS7 SS7 routing principles are interesting.

Right from the origin of design, the SS7 has seen lot of transformations. Still it is evolving ondemand and fulfilling t he requirements. For example, SCCP (SignallingControl and Connection Part) was n ot available in the initial design. Whenthe need for flexible and more robust ro uting evolved, SCCP was formed.A problem arised when the point code within the n ational network wasused outside the network also by a different operator. In thi s case, thedifferentiation cannot be made by the originating exchange and it isc onfused. Thus SCCP was introduced for flexible analysis. Till now, SCCP plays a major role in design of SS7 protocolarchitecture. Global Title (GT) is one of th e components that participate inthe SCCP activity. This document explores the ex act need for GT in SCCPand also the actual functioning of GT.Simple defined Glob al Title (GT) is an address. But it is not anaddress of a node in the SS7 networ k (DPC, SSN). Instead, it is an alias forsuch an address that needs to be transl ated into an SS7 network address.Before getting into GT analysis, let s have a look into other user parts.MTP The MTP (Message Transfer Part) has a job that is limite d to reliablytransferring messages over the links in a link set. That is, MTP on ly caresabout the address of the node at the other end of the links it is tendin g. Therefore the only addressing the MTP requires is the SPC (Signalling PointCo de) of the node at the end of its links. MTP sees this address as theDestination Point Code (DPC) of all messages it sends over the links. Theonly concern MTP h as for any other location in the network is to be able tomake use of the final d estination of the message to help it pick out onelink set from all the available link sets as the best one to use for sendingthe message. This is what MTP routi ng is all about. ISUP The ISUP (ISDN User Part) addressing is different. In normal CallControl use, ISUP addresses a switch at t he other end of its trunkconnections. For the SS7, this too means using a Destin ation Point Code(DPC). But the switch ISUP talks to (which is the next switch in a circuitbeing set up or torn down) is not necessarily (and really not likely) to belocated at the other end of its own SS7 links.At this stage, SCCP was intro duced to face the addressing issues. Like theother User Parts, SCCP can, and doe s, make use of DPC. This addressalone can be used to get a message toany node in the global SS7 network in the same way that a telephonenumber can be used to ad dress any telephone in the global telephonenetwork. But SCCP addressing needs to go beyond this method o