1

COMMUNICATION IN THE NETWORK

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CONTENTS

1 COMMUNICATION IN THE NETWORK ....................................................4

1.1 N°7 signalling .....................................................................................6

1.1.1 Need for communication within and between PLMNs .............6
1.1.2 Signalling objects.....................................................................8
1.1.3 How communication works....................................................16
1.2 Setting up objects ............................................................................20
1.2.1 Creation.................................................................................20
1.2.2 Modification ...........................................................................20
1.2.3 Interrogation and listing .........................................................22
1.2.4 Deletion .................................................................................22

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LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1-1 : Intra PLMN communication ..............................................................................6

Figure 1-2 : Inter-PLMN communication ..............................................................................8

Figure 1-3 : Signalling point (SP) and point code.................................................................8

Figure 1-4 : Communication between two adjacent SPs ...................................................10

Figure 1-5 : National addressing by Signalling Point Code (SPC) .....................................10

Figure 1-6 : Communication via an STP ............................................................................12

Figure 1-7 : Different possible signalling levels..................................................................14

Figure 1-8 : Communication via an international gateway .................................................14

Figure 1-9 : MAP message encapsulation .........................................................................16

Figure 1-10 : Signalling object interrogation and listing .....................................................24

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1 COMMUNICATION IN THE NETWORK

Objective:
To adapt signalling communication in the network (following a change of PLMN
environment).
Content:
N°7 signalling.
Implementation of MTP and SCCP objects.

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1.1 N°7 signalling

1.1.1 Need for communication within and between PLMNs

- Intra-PLMN communication
Communication between two units of the NSS (for example: HLR ⇔ RCP or
between two RCPs) is conducted by an exchange of messages built on the
N°7 signalling protocol, between the two user parts named MAP (Mobile
Application Part) in each of the units.
There is no shortage of dialogue examples:
• Location updating which entails an RCP ⇔ HLR dialogue for subscriber
data to be sent from the HLR to the VLR.
• Inter-MSC handovers, which entail dialogue between two adjacent RCPs.

PCM1 PCM1
SSP
TS 1
k 14 11 3
TS
RCP1 k HLR

14 11 1 3

PCM2 PCM2

RCP2

FIGURE 1-1 : INTRA PLMN COMMUNICATION

Similarly, communication between a unit of the NSS and the unit of the BSS
(examples: RCP ⇔ BSC or between RCP ⇔ MS with the BSC acting as a relay)
is based on a set of messages exchanged between the two user parts named
BSSAP (BSS Application Part) in each of the two units, for example:
- Subscriber authentication (RCP ⇔ MS),
- Channel assignment (RCP ⇔ BSC),
- Relaying of handover commands between BSCs (BSC1 ⇔ RCP ⇔ BSC2).
These dialogues are always limited within the area managed by an RCP.

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- Inter-PLMN communication
Some dialogues can be international, typically when the mobile subscriber is
visiting a foreign PLMN:
• GSM mode location update function.

France International Australia

HLR
VLR
STP STP STP
Gateway Gateway
SP SCCP SCCP
SP

MAP MAP

SCCP SCCP SCCP SCCP

MTP MTP MTP MTP MTP MTP MTP

FIGURE 1-2 : INTER-PLMN COMMUNICATION

1.1.2 Signalling objects

Within a network, the systems that intercommunicate are called "Signalling
Points" (or SP) and identified by a "Point Code" number.
Figure 1-1 can therefore be represented differently, as follows:

Sig link set x Sig link set y

RCP1 HLR
(SP 100) (SP 200)

Sig link set a RCP2 Sig link set a

(SP 300)

FIGURE 1-1 : SIGNALLING POINT (SP) AND POINT CODE

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Communication between two adjacent SPs proceeds as follows:

GT=a
SP= 1 GT=b
SP= 2
xAP xAP

GTo=a GTo=a
GTd=b GTd=b

OPC=1 OPC=1
DPC=2 DPC=2

FIGURE 1-2 : COMMUNICATION BETWEEN TWO ADJACENT SPs

Signalling points (SP):

As a general rule, all the systems that need to intercommunicate within a
particular network are known by their Signalling Point Code (SPC).
Any message will contain OPC (Originating Point Code) and DPC (Destination
Point Code) information, each encoded on 14 bits.
A message's originating and destination SPs are not linked by a particular
signalling link set. There is an intermediate "signalling transfer point" (STP).
This function is normally handled by dedicated machines.

STP STPv
SP SS7 network SP
(MTP)
SP2
STP STPu
SP1 to SP2

SP1 OPC=1 to DPC=2 SP2

SP1 to SP2
SP1

FIGURE 1-3 : NATIONAL ADDRESSING BY SIGNALLING POINT CODE (SPC)

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GT=a xAP STP= u GT=b

SP= 1 SP= 2 xAP

GTo=a GTo=a
GTd=b GTd=b
OPC=1
OPC=1 OPC=1
DPC=2
DPC=2 DPC=2

FIGURE 1-4 : COMMUNICATION VIA AN STP

There are three signalling network levels that limit the scope of the SPCs:
1) a "local" level: signalling between a main system and other equipment that
communicate only with that main system.
2) a "national" level: signalling between systems in the same country; or within
the same "national" network.
3) an "international" level: uniting all the systems authorised to communicate
worldwide (international gateways).
A system can operate at one, two or all three levels, and accordingly has as many
different SPCs . (See Figure 1-5).
Global Titles (GT):
National addressing by SPC therefore has the following limitations:
- In a large network, the number of SPs to be declared in each system can
become too large, and too cumbersome to manage.
- It is inadequate for international calls (and even inter-network calls, in
practice).
To overcome these shortfalls, any system required to support international (or
inter-network) communication must, in addition to its SPC, have a global title (GT)
in E.164, E.212 or E.214 international format (see Appendix).
- To communicate within the same country, it is therefore possible to use
addressing based:
1) on SPCs (OCP and DPC). Ex : SP1 ï SP3
2) or on GTs. Ex : GTa, SP1 ï GTd, SP3
In case 2), the message goes to an "SCCP relay" (STPu) which recognises
that the destination GT (GTd) is not its own and retransmits the message to
the destination (GTd, SP3).

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- For international communication (see Figure 1-2 : Inter-PLMN

communication), it is essential always to base communication on GTs:
GTa, SP1 ï GTf, SPu
The message must then go via an "SCCP international gateway", SP5, which
recognises that the destination GT (GTf) is not its own and retransmits the
message, in the international signalling network, to the destination (GTf, SPy).
SPy is the SCCP gateway of the destination country, which then retransmits the
message, within the national network, to the destination (GTf, SPu).

National Sig. (country 1) Intern. Sig. National Sig.

Local Sig.
SP5 SPt (country 2)
SPb STP STPv GT b SPy SPs
GT c
SPc SPa SP6
STP STPu SPu
SPd GTf
SP3
GTa SP1 GTd

FIGURE 1-5 : DIFFERENT POSSIBLE SIGNALLING LEVELS

international international Country 2

Country 1 gateway 2
gateway 1
GT=a GT=b GT=c GT=f
SP= 1 xAP SP= 5 SP= t SP= y SP= s SP= u xAP

GTo=a GTo=a GTo=a

GTd=f GTd=f GTd=f GTo=a
GTd=f
O=t O=s
OPC=1 O=1 O=t O=s
D=y D=u
DPC=5 D=5 D=y D=u

FIGURE 1-6 : COMMUNICATION VIA AN INTERNATIONAL GATEWAY

NOTE: Communication between an RCP and the BSCs that it supervises is

conducted in a "national" signalling plane, based on "local" SPCs. In this case,
the GTs are not used in routing messages (an RCP's local signalling network is in
star configuration).

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1.1.3 How communication works

The systems of the NSS swap messages by MAP or INAP protocol. These
messages are encapsulated at each layer crossed: a few octets are added to the
header.

MAP message

GTd or MS-ISDN or IMSI

SCCP header:
routing
indications
Life span: from origin system
MAP message to destination system
MTP3 header:
OPC-DPC
Sig : Loc/Nat/Int Life span: from origin SP
MAP message
to destination SP
MTP2 header:
frame Life span: from one terminal SP
numbering of a signalling link set to the other
MAP message

FIGURE 1-1 : MAP MESSAGE ENCAPSULATION

When a system wants to send a message to another system, the originating

information can be:
- a global title (GT) in E.164 format, or
- an IMSI (E.212 format to be converted into E.214 format if necessary when
the SCCP gateway does not know the E.212 numbering plan) on a location
update, or
- an MS-ISDN (E.164) on a TC call in an RCP.
For messages to be routed correctly, "objects" must be declared in the various
machines.
- The originating information (GT) is therefore compared with "SCCP analysis"
objects (ANC).
The ANCs provide a means of not having to declare all the global titles of all
potential recipients (PLMN) separately within a system. For example,
groupings by home country can be used by declaring an ANC = CC (Country
Code).
In addition, an ANC can be used to modify the global title by adding and/or
deleting digits in the header.

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When an ANC is found, it leads to a destination signalling point and routing

indications, described in an "SCCP routing" object (ASS).
- An ASS indicates:
• The target or destination SP (DPC). It can correspond to:
é the destination system, or
é an SCCP relay, or
é an international SCCP gateway.
• How the system's SCCP layer must construct the SCCP header, based
on the destination global title (GTd) received for the called (destination)
and calling (originating) systems with the following information:
é a routing indication: routing based on GT or even on SPC + SSN,
é the global title, GT (present or not),
é the subsystem number, SSN (present or not),
é the Signalling Code Point, SPC (present or not).

To facilitate the specifying of these information items, profiles have been created.
The most commonly used profiles are:
1) INTRA3, for intra-PLMN messages, routing based on originating and
destination SPC + SSN, with no relays used.
2) INTRA4, for intra-PLMN messages, routing to destination based on its
GT, so routing with the possible use of an SCCP relay.
3) INTER, for inter-PLMN messages (routing based on GT, necessarily
involving an SCCP international gateway).
- An SPC is described in an object called "signalling analysis": ANS
- The ANS points to an object called "signalling route set": ASM
- The ASM describes which objects called "signalling link sets", FSM, lead to
this SPC (four at most).
- The FSM is then used to ascertain the objects called "signalling links", CSM,
available on the PCM multiplex.
Having selected an FSM of the ASM, and selected a CSM of the FSM, the
message is sent on the time slot (TS) of the PCM multiplex corresponding to this
CSM.

GT [ANC] ï [ASS] ï DPC = SP [ANS] ï [ASM] ï [FSM] ï [CSM] ï PCM + TS.

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1.2 Setting up objects

1.2.1 Creation
The signalling objects must be created to comply with the ascending order of
protocol layers, so it is strongly recommended to choose names for the
various objects in the form of mnemonics reflecting the entities involved
(example: FSM_RCP1, ANC_GTWY):
1. FSMCR : creating signalling link sets (maximum four) (name of FSM object,
SPC at other end, network indicator (Local / National /
International) and signalling link selection law), comprising the
declaration of the first signalling link (SLC, number, PCM and TS).
2. FSMAD : where appropriate, for adding other signalling links (up to 16) to the
link set. A number of signalling link sets can be created by
repeating steps 1 and 2.
3. ASMCR : creating a signalling route set (ASM object name, name and
number of the 1 to 4 possible link sets and signalling link set
selection law).
4. ANSCR : for declaring MTP analyses (for each: ANS object name, value of
the SPC point code, adjacent or not, network indicator (Local /
National / International) and the ASM MTP routing leading to it).
For RCP ↔ BSC communication, these steps are sufficient.
5. ASSCR : for declaring SCCP routings (for each: ASS object name, SP to
which the routing leads, routing profile).
6. ANCCR : for declaring SCCP analyses (for each: ANC object name, global
title (GT) up to 16 digits, numbering plan of the address and SCCP
routing, ASS, leading to it).
1.2.2 Modification
The modification commands are:
1. CSMMO : for activating or deactivating a signalling link.
2. FSMMO : used solely to change the signalling link selection law within a
signalling link set.
3. FSMAD, FSMRE : for cancelling/removing a signalling link from a signalling
link set.
There is no command for modification (of link sets) of an ASM! For
this, the ASM must be deleted and another created.
4. ANSMO : used simply to modify, for a given remote SP, the signalling route
set used to reach it.
5. ASSMO : for modifying all the characteristics of an SCCP routing.
6. ANCMO : used mainly to modify the ASS used to reach the global title.

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1.2.3 Interrogation and listing

Interrogation and listing commands can be used at all levels:
1. LSTEQP : CMIC is used to list all the PCM links of a system.
2. CSMIN : for obtaining a status listing and the characteristics of all the
signalling links that meet specified criteria: signalling link of a
given PCM multiplex, of a given signalling link set, and so on.
3. FSMIN : for listing the states and characteristics of all the signalling links
of a given signalling link set.
4. LOIIN : for displaying the table defining a given law.
5. LOIIL : for indicating which signalling route sets and/or signalling link
sets use a given law.
6. ASMIN : for indicating the characteristics of a given signalling route set:
signalling link set and law that comprise it.
7. ASMIL : for listing all the signalling route sets that satisfy the specified
criteria: signalling route set containing a given signalling link set,
a given law, etc.
8. ANSIN : for indicating the characteristics of a given signalling point (SP):
network indicator (Local / National / International), overall
accessibility of the SP, the signalling route set leading to it and
accessibility to the SP via each of the signalling link sets of that
signalling route set.
9. ANSIL : for listing all the SPs that satisfy specified criteria: SP of a given
signalling network, SPs that the signalling accesses via a
signalling route set, etc.
10. ASSIN : for indicating the characteristics of a given SCCP routing (ASS):
the SP to which it corresponds and the routing profile used.
11. ASSIL : for listing all the SCCP routings (ASS) leading to a given SP.
12. ANCIN : indicates for a given SCCP analysis (ANC) or for all the analyses
of a given numbering plan, the corresponding ASSs.
13. ANCIL : for listing all the SCCP analyses that use a given ASS.
Note: The global title (GT) of a system (RCP or HLR) can be ascertained by
interrogating the system with INTLGT: NAME=LGT01, INFTYP=AC;
1.2.4 Deletion
Deletion must be carried out from top to bottom, in reverse order of creation. An
object cannot be deleted if a higher level object refers to it.

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FIGURE 1-1 : SIGNALLING OBJECT INTERROGATION AND LISTING

Destination GT or called MS-ISDN or IMSI

ANC ANC ANC ANC ANC ANC ANC ANC ANC ANC
ANCIN

ANCIL

ASS ASS ASS ASS

ASSIN

ASSIL SCCP analysis

ANS ANS ANS ANS ANS MTP analysis

ANSIN

ANSIL
ASM ASM ASM
ASMIN

ASMIL
FSM FSM FSM FSM
FSMIN

CSMIN
CSM CSM CSM CSM CSM CSM CSM

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