SIGTRAN

SIGTRAN stands for SIGnaling TRANsport

and is name given to an IETF working group
that was assigned the task of defining a set
of standard protocols to allow SS7 traffic to
be transported over an IP network. Ref IETF
SIGTRAN working page:-
http://www.ietf.org/html.charters/sigtran-
charter.html

IETF – Internet Engineering Task Force

 Operators Benefit
SIGTRAN will allow an operator to migrate their SS7
signaling network from a SS7 transport network to
the evolving and expanding IP domain. The decision
to go IP may be based on a number of factors:
– Desire to go to IP backhaul to avail of the OpEx cost
saving and/or
– Need to expand the SS7 signalling network and
benefit on IP equipment CapEx saving

Dec 2005 Motorola Internal Use Only

 Points of Interest
•
SIGTRAN is not a protocol (Commonly used to refer to a set of
IETF defined protocols).
•
IETF standard body defines the SIGTRAN protocol suite which
are mostly RFC status.
•
SIGTRAN does NOT impact Bearer traffic (voice is still TDM).
•
SIGTRAN does NOT impact MTP3 user applications. MTP3 user
applications are carried seamlessly across IP and SS7 transport
networks.
•
SIGTRAN defines a single solution to replace any MTP stack, i.e.
ITU, ANSI, China & Japan.
•
M3UA implemented each of the MTP-primitives, i.e. MTP-
TRANSFER, MTP-PAUSE, MTP-RESUME etc. Upper layer is
unaware of change to the lower layers, i.e. M3UA instead of
MTP3.
•
SIGTRAN may be considered a HSL (and therefore a
workaround for the 16 (LSL) limitation).

IETF – Internet Engineering Task Force

RFC – Request For Comment
IE – Internet Draft
Dec 2005 Motorola Internal Use Only
SCTP - Stream Control Transmission Protocol
 SCTP is common to ALL SIGTRAN
protocols.
 SCTP has been used by transport
mechanism for many non-SIGTRAN
defined protocols
 Motorola inhouse SCTP tutorial
http://compass.mot.com/doc/106849688/SCTP_Protocol_O
verview.ppt

Dec 2005 Motorola Internal Use Only

 IP Signaling Transport
IP Connectivity to SS7 legacy entities IP Connectivity to IPSP entities

M3UA/SCTP/IP

SCP HLR

MSS
SGW CS IP Domain IP
IP Domain
Node
PSTN

MGW

Remote Remote
MSC MSC
IP Backhaul on the same IP plain

SS7 Transport
May be one box IP Transport

Figure: MSS Signaling Connectivity

Dec 2005 Motorola Internal Use Only

 M3UA Protocol Stacks Communication
This example illustrates TCAP/SCCP connectivity to both an IPSP node
and a legacy SS7 entity via SGW. Examples of an IPSP nodes are HLR, MSC etc
SS7 Legacy SGW MSS IPSP

TCAP TCAP TCAP

SCCP SCCP
SCCP
NIF
M3UA M3UA
MTP3 MTP3 M3UA

SCTP SCTP
MTP2 MTP2 SCTP

MTP1 IP IP
MTP1 IP

SS7 IP

1. Connectivity to legacy SS7 Networks

2. Connectivity between two IPSP entities

Dec 2005 Motorola Internal Use Only

 M3UA Modes
The IETF RFC 3332 for M3UA defines
three modes of operation
ASP (Application Server Process) defined as a process
instance of an Application Server (AS). An ASP will always
communicate with SGP. MSS-C FR28883 MSS-U FR25813
IPSP (IP Server Process) essentially the same as ASP,

except that it uses M3UA in a point-to-point fashion.

Conceptionally, an IPSP does NOT use the services of a SGW
node. Future Release

SGP (Signalling Gateway Process) FR29117

Dec 2005 Motorola Internal Use Only

 M3UA & SCTP Terminlogy
 AS - Application Server - A logical entity serving a specific Routing Key. The MSS
may be viewed on as the AS which is addressable by a PC. The MSS may provision N
local point codes, each LPC or S-OPC may be viewed as an individual AS. (Note – For
the MSS the valid range for N is 1 to 4 for each National variant provisioned).
 ASP - Application Server Process - A process instance of an application server.
From the MSS perspective the SS7MH processes equate to ASP’s. The MSS may
provision M number of ASP’s. Note - there is no correlation between the N local point
codes of the AS and the M number of ASP’s.
 SCTP Endpoint - The logical sender and receiver of SCTP packets. from the MSS
perspective, the remote SCTP endpoint is the SGP. The MSS SCTP endpoint is
denoted by the SCTP Transport Address of the SGP.
 SCTP Association - A protocol relationship between SCTP endpoints, uniquely
identified by the transport address used by each endpoint. A SCTP association exists
between an ASP and a SGP. For example, if the MSS has two ASP’s equipped,
SS7MH01 and SS7MH02, and the SG has two SGP’s SGP1 and SGP2, then the MSS
may provision 4 SCTP associations,
 SS7MH01 to SGP1
 SS7MH01 to SGP2
 SS7MH02 to SGP1
 SS7MH02 to SGP2
 SCTP Address – Each SCTP endpoint is addressable by the SCTP address which
includes an IP address plus port number, for example [10.1.101.45:100].

Dec 2005 Motorola Internal Use Only

 M3UA & SCTP Terminlogy cont
 Linkset – A number of signalling links that directly interconnect two signalling
points.
 SCTP/IP link - This is a logical signalling link between SCTP endpoints. An SCTP
association is referring to the SCTP/IP link association. From the MSS perspective a
SCTP/IP link a combination of the local ASP and the remote transport address
(remote “IP address + SCTP port”) it communicates with. Note - The MSS allows for
up to 16 (SCTP/IP) signalling links to be defined within a linkset.
 SCTP Transport Address - This is a combination of an IP address and an SCTP port
on the machine that “owns” that IP address (IP address + SCTP port). Each ASP
provisioned on the MSS will include one SCTP transport address for each remote SGP
it communicates with. From an ASP perspective the SCTP transport address is the
remote IP address of the SGP (typically the IP of the SGP card) and an assigned
SCTP portfor that SGP.
 Route - The term route is referring to the path which MTP3 user applications take
from AS to the remotenetwork entity, i.e. ASP id, linkset id and link. This is no
different than was used in regular SS7 transport.

Dec 2005 Motorola Internal Use Only

 State Transition Diagrams
ASP State Transition Diagram AS State Transition Diagram

ASP-ACTIVE
IA2AC

AS-INACTIVE AS-ACTIVE
ASPAC / ASPIA /
ASPAC Ack ASPIA Ack

PN2IA AC2PN
IA2DN
ASP-INACTIVE DN2IA PN2AC

ASPDN /
ASPUP / ASPIA Ack
ASPUP Ack SCTP CDI
SCTP RI
AS-DOWN AS-PENDING
PN2DN
ASP-DOWN
ASPDN /
ASPDN Ack
SCTP CDI
SCTP RI

Dec 2005 Motorola Internal Use Only

 SCTP & M3UA Link Allignment
ASP SGP
SCTP CLOSED ASP SGP
INIT SCTP ESTABLISHED

ASPUP
INIT Ack

ASPUP Ack
Cookie Echo

ASPAC
Cookie Echo Ack

SCTP ESTABLISHED ASPAC Ack

BEAT
Each Side may Link Available for DATA
BEAT Ack perform
BEAT Periodic Test
BEAT Ack

Dec 2005 Motorola Internal Use Only

 M3UA Message Classes & Types
 Management (MGMT) 
ASP Traffic Maintenance (ASPTM)
– ERR (Error) – ASPAC (ASP Active)
– NTFY (Notify) – ASPAC Ack (ASPAC Acknowledge)
 Transfer – ASPIA (ASP Inactive)
– DATA (Data) – ASPIA ACK (ASPIA Acknowledge)
 SS7 Signalling Network 
Routing Key Management (RKM)
Management (SSNM) – REG REQ (Registration Request) Not Supported
– DUNA (Destination Unavailable) – REQ RSP (Registration Response) Not Supported
– DAVA (Destination Available) – DEREQ REQ (Deregistraion Request) Not Supported
– DAUD (Destination Audit) – Not Supported – DEREQ RSP (Reregistration Response) Not Supported
– SCON (System Congestion)
– DUPU (Destination User Part Unavailable)
– DRST (Destination Restricted)
 ASP State Maintenance (ASPSM)
– ASPUP (ASP Up)
– ASPUP Ack (ASPUP Acknowledge)
– ASPDN (ASP Down)
– ASPDN Ack (ASPDN Acknowledge)
– BEAT (Heartbeat) Receive ONLY
– BEAT Ack (Heartbeat Acknowledge) Send ONLY

Dec 2005 Motorola Internal Use Only

 M3UA Common Header
00 08 16 24 31

Common Header
Version Reserved Message Class Message Type

Message Length

Variable Parameter Parameter Tag Parameter Length

Parameter Value

Common Header
 Version – contains the M3UA version (1=Release 1.0 only valid ver)
 Reserved – not used.
 Message Class – Message class for example MGMT, SSNM, ASPSM etc.
 Message Type - Message type within a class, for example ERR, DATA, ASPUP, ASPAC etc
Variable Length Parameter
 Parameter Tag – Unique parameter tag
 Parameter Length
 Parameter Value

Dec 2005 Motorola Internal Use Only

 M3UA Protocol Data
00 08 16 24 31

OPC

DPC

SI NI MP SLS

User Protocol Data

 OPC – Originating Point Code

 DPC – Destination Point Code These are the
 SI – Service Indicator
 NI – Network Indicator MTP parameters
 MP – Message Priority used on and taken
 SLS – Signalling Link Selection from the
 User Protocol Data – Application data,
for example ISUP, TCAP/SCCP or MTP transport side.
BSSMAP/SCCP etc.

Dec 2005 Motorola Internal Use Only

 IP Packet
SCTP Packet
Data Chunk 1 Data Chunk n

SCTP SCTP SCTP DATA DATA

IP
Common Control Control Chunk Message 1 Chunk Message n
Header
Header Chunk Chunk Header Header

20 12 16 16 16
M3UA Message
*May not always be
present with Data Chunk

Version Reserved Msg Class Msg Type Common

Message
Length
Header
Tag Length

Network Appearance Data

SIO SSF SI
Message
Tag Length
DPC
Routing Context
OPC DPC
Routing Tag Length
Label OPC
OPC
SLS OPC
DPC Protocol
Message Type
Data
SI NI MP SLS Parameter
SS7
Message
Message User Protocol Data
Example IAM
Tag Length
SS7 Transport
Correlation Id

Dec 2005 Motorola Internal Use Only

*Higher data rates may be achieve my “bundling Control & Data chunks into same SCTP packet
M3UA Message
 MSS IP Connectivity
CPU Card

ASP1A (Active)
AS#1 (L-OPC) 1 ASP2b (Standby)
Z
Y F Edge
N E
ASP2A (Active) Router
X
AS#2 (S-OPC#1) 2
ASP1b (Standby)

AS#3 (S-OPC#2)
ASP(N-1)A (Active) Edge
N-1 Z Router
ASPNb (Standby) Y F
AS#4 (S-OPC#3) N E
ASPNA (Active) X
N
ASP(N-1)b (Standby)

 Each Local/secondary OPC may be considered a unique AS

 Each SS7MH process may be considered a unique ASP process
 Incoming Traffic - Any active ASP can route traffic to any AS
 Outgoing Traffic - Any AS can route traffic to any active ASP
 Any active ASP can route traffic thru any (Zynx & FE) combination (fully redundant)
 An ASP will loadshare traffic in a round robin fashion to each SCTP links
(associations) on a “per call” bases.

Dec 2005 Motorola Internal Use Only

 MSS RNE SG Configuration Steps
1. Configure SG RNE
2. Configure timer profile for SCTP link
3. Configure SCTP links

Dec 2005 Motorola Internal Use Only

 MSS UI – RNE > “Add”
 CONFIGURATION ->
RNE -> ADD
 A NEW RNE type SG is
added. (The SG is
provisioned similarly
to an STP)
 Note – MSS uses the
SG RNE PC as internal
reference – PC is NOT
needed for M3UA side.
Used if we perform
GTT on SGW

Dec 2005 Motorola Internal Use Only

 MSS UI – RNE > “Add” cont.

 Create a
NEW Linkset
for SG
 The SG is
provisioned
as a “Direct
Connection”

Dec 2005 Motorola Internal Use Only

 MSS UI – SS7 -> ADD

 CONFIGURATION -
> SS7 ->
ADD/EDIT

 ASPID

 Remote SCTP
Address consists of
(IP address and
Port Number)

 SCTP timer profile

Dec 2005 Motorola Internal Use Only

 MSS UI – SS7 -> EDIT

 Edit UI screen

Dec 2005 Motorola Internal Use Only

 External Signalling Gateway
 The SG terminates the SS7 transport MTP and converts to M3UA.
 The MSS M3UA solution uses an external Signalling Gateway (SG) to
interconnect to SS7 nodes that use SS7 legacy transport. The SG box acts
as an interworking unit converting between SS7 transport and IP
transport. The MTP3 user applications are considered payload data and are
seamlessly transported over IP and SS7.
 The SG box may be strategically co-located with the SS7 transport node to
allow for IP backhaul (of the MTP3 application data). For example, you
may have a remote CBSC which uses SS7 transport, by co-locating a SG
box with the CBSC and converting the A1 signalling link to M3UA over IP
transport, the A1 signalling link may be backhauled over the IP network
directly to the MSS
 The SG can be considered as an “off the shelve” box so technically
speaking any SG may be choosen providing:-
– the MSS and SG both implemented M3UA and
– The SG and legacy SS7 boxes match on the SS7 transports side)
 A simplistic view is to think of the SG as an IP version of the STP. How
much of the STP functionality is performed depends on the SG vendor.

Dec 2005 Motorola Internal Use Only