ISSUE

Fixed Network Curriculum

Development Section
OAA000009 SIGTRAN Protocol
Principle
2.0
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Objective
Functions and structures of SIGTRAN
protocols
Commands of each protocol of
SIGTRAN protocol stack
Meanings and usage of the parameters
in commands
Message interaction process of each
protocol
After this session, you will learn:
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References
Product Manual -- Technical Manual -- Signaling and
Protocols Chapter 2 SIGTRAN
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About this session

Section 1 Overview
Section 2 SCTP Protocol
Section 3 M2UA Protocol
Section 4 M3UA Protocol
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Definitions of SIGTRAN Protocols
SIGTRAN is
a protocol stack rather than a protocol.
It includes
transmission protocol (SCTP)
adaptation protocols (M2UA and M3UA).
SIGTRAN supports transmission of SCN (Switched Circuit
Network) signaling via IP network.
SIGTRAN is responsible for the communication between
SG and MGC, with such two functions as
adaptation
transmission
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SIGTRAN Protocol Stack Structure
SCTP
IP
MAC
M3UA M2UA IUA M2PA V5UA SUA

M3UA: MTP3 User
Adaptation layer
M2UA: MTP2 User
Adaptation layer
IUA: ISDN Q.921 User
Adaptation layer
M2PA: MTP2 Peer
Adaptation layer
V5UA: V5 User
Adaptation layer
SUA: SCCP User
Adaptation layer
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Section 1 Overview
SIGTRAN Applications in SoftX3000
Terms
Protocol Structure
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SIGTRAN Applications in SoftX3000
PSTN SoftX3000
TMG
SG
Signaling stream
Media stream
SS7
SIGTRAN
H.248
Switched Circuit Network Packet Switched Network

IP core network
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Section 1 Overview
SIGTRAN Applications in SoftX3000
Terms
Protocol Structure
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Terms
MG
MGC
SG

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Section 1 Overview
SIGTRAN Applications in SoftX3000
Terms
Protocol Structure
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Protocol Structure in SoftX3000
When SoftX3000 uses M2UA of the SIGTRAN protocol
stack to connect with SG:
SEP SG SoftX3000
IP
ISUP
MTP
1-2
M2UA
SCTP
IP
M2UA
SCTP
IP
ISUP
MTP1-2
MTP3
MAC
MAC
MTP3
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Question
What are the main functions of SIGTRAN?
What protocols are used to realize these
functions?
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Answer
The main functions of the SIGTRAN
protocol stack are transmission and
adaptation. The transmission function is
realized via SCTP while the adaptation
function is realized via M2UA and M3UA
protocols.
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Brief Summary
SIGTRAN is a protocol stack that mainly includes three
protocols: SCTP, M2UA and M3UA.
The SIGTRAN protocol stack is responsible for the
communication between SG and MGC, with such two
functions as adaptation and transmission .
In NGN softswitch system, SIGTRAN is used to bear and
adapt interworking between SS7 of SCN and IP network
softswitch control system, acting as a bridge for
signaling conversion.
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About this session

Section 1 Overview
Section 2 SCTP Protocol
Section 3 M2UA Protocol
Section 4 M3UA Protocol
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SCTP Overview
SCTP(STREAM CONTROL TRANSMISSION PROTOCOL) is a
reliable datagram transmission protocol based on the protocol
providing unreliable transmission services, such as IP.
The SCTP is designed to transmit PSTN signaling messages
over the IP network.
SCTP improves some defects of TCP.
The design of SCTP includes proper congestion control, flooding
prevention, disguise attack and support to better real-time
performance and multi-homing attribute.
The SCTP is usually regarded as a transmission layer protocol,
whose upper layer is SCTP user application
lower layer is packet-switched network (for example, IP network).
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SCTP Overview
Transport address and IP address:
A transport address of SCTP is
IP address : SCTP port number.
SCTP port number is used for the identification of the users at the
same address, and it is identical to the concept of TCP port number.
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Overview SCTP Terms
Host and endpoint:
S
C
T
P

IP
A
d
d
r
e
s
s
1
P
O
RT
1
User 1
User 2
EndPoint1
EndPoint2
Host
P
O
RT
2
IP
A
d
d
r
e
s
s
2
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About this session

Section 1 Overview
Section 2 SCTP Protocol
Section 3 M2UA Protocol
Section 4 M3UA Protocol
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Concepts
M2UA ---- SS7 MTP2-User Adaptation Layer Protocol
is a protocol for the transport of SS7 MTP2 user signaling
messages (MTP3 messages) over IP using SCTP or any
other suitable transport protocol.
Used between Signaling Gateway (SG) and Media Gateway
Controller (MGC).
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Concepts
SEP
MGC
ISUP
MTP3
MTP2
MTP1
ISUP
MTP3
M2UA
SCTP
IP
M2UA
SCTP
IP
MTP2
MTP1
SS7 SIGTRAN
SG
PSTN IP
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Concepts
Name Description
Interface ID
Used in the communication between the two ends of M2UA. It can be text
or integer. Each interface ID corresponds to one actual physical link: An
interface is the logical ID of an SS7 signaling link used between SG and
ASP.
Application server

A logical entity representing certain resources and corresponding to a
specific routing context. For M2UA, AS is a group of Interface IDs.
Every AS includes a set of ASPs, and one or more of which can process
traffic
Application Server
Process

ASP is a process instance of an AS. Each ASP contains one SCTP
endpoint, and can serve a number of ASs. In the M2UA application, ASPs
work in the active/standby mode, and only the active ASP processes
traffic.
Signaling Backhaul

It refers to transfer of non-local signaling from the interface connecting
with the data stream (i.e. the SG function of MGU) back to the call
processing point (i.e. MGCU)
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Item -- M2UA Link
M2UA LINK: t
The logical connection established between SG and ASP.
A Link consists of SG, ASP and SCTP associations
between SG and ASP.
Its state corresponds to ASP state and SCTP association
state
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Item -- M2UA Link
MG/SG0
MTP2 link 0
MTP2link 1
MTP2 link 2
MTP2 link 3
ASP0
ASP1
ASP2
ASP3
SCTP assoc 0
SCTP assoc 1
SCTP assoc 2
SCTP assoc 3
AS0
AS1
AS0 includes MTP2 link0 and link 1
AS1 includes MTP2 link2 and link 3
MGC
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Item -- M2UA Link
MG/SG0
MTP2 link 0
MTP2 link 1
MTP2 link 2
MTP2 link 3
M2UA LINK 0(servered for MTP2 link 0and link1)
AS0
AS1
M2UA LINK 1(servered for MTP2 link 2and link3)
MGC
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Item -- M2UA Function
Support for MTP2/MTP3 interface boundary that enables
a seamless, or as seamless as possible, operation of the
MTP2 users in the PSTN and IP network.
Support for management layer communication between
SG and MGC.
Support for management of SCTP association between
SG and MGC.
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About this session

Section 1 Overview
Section 2 SCTP Protocol
Section 3 M2UA Protocol
Section 4 M3UA Protocol
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Section 4 M3UA Protocol
Overview
Services provided by M3UA
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Concepts
M3UA is
the SS7 MTP3 user adaptation layer
providing the primitive communication service for the MTP3
user in the IP network and MTP3 at the network edge
interworking between TDM SS7 and IP .
M3UA supports the following functions:
SS7 SPC presentation
Routing function
Interworking between SS7 and M3UA
Congestion management
SCTP stream mapping
Client/server model
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Concept Architecture of M3UA Protocol
SCTP
IP
MAC
M3UA M2UA IUA M2PA V5UA SUA

M3UA: MTP3 User
Adaptation layer
M2UA: MTP2 User
Adaptation layer
IUA: ISDN Q.921 User
Adaptation layer
M2PA: MTP2 Peer
Adaptation layer
V5UA: V5 User
Adaptation layer
SUA: SCCP User
Adaptation layer
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Concept -- M3UA Application
M3UA application in SGP-ASP mode:
SS7
IP
SEPMGC SG
NIF
M3UA
SCTP
IP
IP
SCTP
M3UA
IP MTP1
MTP2
MTP3
NIF MTPUser
MTP3
MTP2
MTP1
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M3UA Application
M3UA application in IPSP-IPSP mode:
IP
MGC
MGC
User
M3UA
SCTP
IP
User
M3UA
SCTP
IP
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Section 4 M3UA Protocol
Overview
Services provided by M3UA
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Services provided by M3UA
Support for the transport of MTP3 user messages
Local management functions
Interworking with MTP3 network management function
Support for the management of SCTP associations
between SGP and ASPs
Support for the management of associations to multiple
SGPs
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Summary of the Chapter
SIGTRAN is a protocol stack consisting of SCTP, M2UA and
M3UA. SIGTRAN itself is not a protocol
Compared with TCP and UDP, SCTP has lots of advantages in
reliability, security and real-time performance, and it supports
multi-homing feature. SCTP is used as the bearer transport
layer of M2UA and M3UA.
M2UA and M3UA are used as the IP adaptation layers of MTP2
and MTP3 respectively, and are used for interworking between
SCN and IP network. The upper layer user of M2UA is MTP3 and
the further upper layer user is ISUP, while the very upper layer
user of M3UA is ISUP directly. MTP2 needs no signaling point
while MTP3 must have its own signaling points.
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