Introduction to SS7

Signalling
Objectives
At the end of the module the student is 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.
subscriber A / Signalling operations 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
Signalling system implementation
• Set of standard messages
• Many ways of implementation
• Evolution of multiple systems
• Problems in compatibility
• Development of Channel Associated Signalling
– Good for low traffic only
– Bottleneck and waste of bandwidth
• Development of SS7
– High capacity
– Signalling in the absence of a call possible
Signalling Points and Signalling Transfer
Points SS7

exchange 3 Independent,
SP packet-
oriented
signalling
network

STP

SP SP
exchange 1 exchange 1
SP Signalling Point
STP Signalling Transfer Point
Message bearers and managers
 SS7 - MTP

Layer 3 Signalling Message Handling

Message
Transfer Layer 2 Data Link Control
Part (MTP)

Layer 1 Physical Connections

 Interconnection of two signalling
networks

SP10, NA0
SP50, NA0

SP30, NA0 SP40, NA0

SP20, NA1 SP10, NA1

SP20, NA0 Signalling network NA1 SP60, NA0

Signalling network NA0 Signalling network NA0

 SS7 - MTP / TUP / ISUP
MSC PSTN exchange
SP SP

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
 Virtual connections
Virtual
Connection using
“Connection
Oriented”
SCCP
A
MTP
Originating
Signalling B
Point Signalling MTP
Transfer Point
Destination
Signalling Point
Signalling
Transfer Point MTP
Signalling
Transfer Point
 SS7 - SCCP
Exchange Offers following services to higher layers: Exchange
• non-call related signalling via networks
SP of different operators SP
• connection-orientated network service

Call Control
e.g. ISUP messages
e.g. ISUP

Signalling Connection &

SCCP Control Part SCCP

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
 Summary SS7 protocols - part 1
• 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.
• TUP is the user part of the messages brought by the MTP. These
messages deal with setting up, supervising and clearing the call
connections. It has two variations, NUP and ISUP.
• SCCP is the signalling connection and control part. Its main
function is to provide virtual connections and connectionless
signalling.
 SS7 - BSSAP
BSC Used to MSC
• exchange requests and responses between
BSC and MSC
• encapsulate messages to be exchanged
transparently between MS and MSC
Control
BSSAP messages BSSAP

Signalling Connection &

SCCP Control Part SCCP

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

BSSAP Base Station Subsystem Application part

 Summary of SS7 protocols - part 2
• BSSAP
Base Station Subsystem Application Part
Protocol layer responsible for communicating GSM specific messages
between the MSC and the BSC, and the MSC and the MS.

• MAP
Mobile Application Part
A GSM specific protocol for non call related applications between
NSS elements.

• TCAP
Transaction Capabilities and Application Part
Protocol layer responsible for providing service to MAP by handling
the MAP transaction messages between multiple elements.
 Protocol stack in the MSC

MAP
BSSAP TUP
TCAP
NUP
ISUP
SCCP

MTP
SS7 protocols in different network elements
MSC
PSTN TUP
MAP exchange NUP
BSSAP TUP ISUP
TCAP NUP
ISUP
SCCP
SCCP

MTP MTP

MAP
BSC HLR
BSSAP TCAP

SCCP SCCP

MTP MTP
 MSS protocol stack
MAP
MAP CAP
CAP INAP
INAP

TCAP
TCAP BSSAP
BSSAP RANAP
RANAP

SCCP
SCCP BICC
BICC ISUP
ISUP

M3UA
M3UA H.248
H.248 SIP
SIP

SCTP
SCTP TCP
TCP UDP
UDP

IPv4,
IPv4,IPv6
IPv6

Ethernet
Ethernet
 SIGTRAN
M2UA provides the services of MTP2 in
a client-server situation, such as SG to
MGC. Its user would be MTP3.
TCAP

M2PA provides the services of MTP2 in

SCCP
a peer-to-peer situation, such as SG-to-SG
connections. Its user would be MTP3.

MTP3 M3UA provides the services of MTP3 in

ISDN
both a client-server (SG to MGC) and
peer-to-peer architecture. Its users would
be SCCP and/or ISUP.
M3UA M2UA M2PA SUA IUA
SUA provides the services of SCCP in a
SCTP peer-to-peer architecture, such as SG to IP
SCP. Its user would be TCAP, or another
transaction-based application part.

IP IUA provides the services of the ISDN

Data Link layer (LAPD). Its user would be
an ISDN layer 3 (Q.931) entity.
 Protocols introduced in Release 4
• Bearer Independent Call Controll (BICC) A call control protocol
used between serving nodes. Based on the ISUP protocol, 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
• Megaco Megaco/H.248 allows an MSS to instruct MGW:s to
connect streams coming from outside a packet or cell data network
onto a packet or cell stream such as the ATM AAL2 stream. Meg
• SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) is an application-layer control
protocol that can establish, modify, and terminate multimedia
sessions such as Internet telephony calls (VOIP).
 Summary of SS7
• 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,
and 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 GSM protocols
specific were developed.
 Summary of SS7
• MTP is the basis of SS7, and it is responsible for transferring
signalling messages from one element to another within the same
signalling network.
• TUP/ISUP are the user parts of MTP that handle call control.
• SCCP is needed for virtual connections and connectionless
signalling
• BSSAP is used for signalling between MSC - BSC and MSC - MS.
• MAP is needed for signalling between NSS elements.