SCTP Technical Tutorial

LongReach Technical Tutorial
John Rumsey
Senior Systems Engineer
LongReach Networks
Technical Tutorial – Stream Control Transmission Protocol Page 1

Stream Control Transmission Protocol
• Next Generation Networks
• TCP – Transmission Control Protocol
• SCTP – Stream Control Transmission Protocol
• User Adaptation Layers for SCTP
• SCTP Packets
• Establishing the Connection (Association)
• Data Transmission
• Closing the Connection (Association)
• Multihoming Operation
• Congestion Control
• Security Issues

Next Generation Networks
Softswitch or
Media Gateway Controller
TeS
Media Gateway
Control Protocol
Legacy ISDN Legacy ISDN
Subscriber IP Network Subscriber
PBX
PBX
MGW MGW
Media Media
Gateway Gateway

Softswitch or
TeS
Media Gateway
Control Protocol
PBX
PBX
MGW MGW
Media Media
Gateway Gateway

Softswitch or
TeS
Media Gateway
Control Protocol
PBX
PBX
MGW MGW
Media Media
Gateway Gateway

Softswitch or
TeS
Media Gateway
Control Protocol
PBX
PBX
Voice Connection
MGW MGW
Media Media
Gateway Gateway

How are Services are carried over IP
 Voice is carried over IP using “Real Time Protocol” but how is

signalling carried?
?? PBX Signalling / RTP or UDP or TCP / IP ??

PBX
MGW TeS
Media Softswitch or
Gateway Media Gateway
MGW Controller

TCP - Transmission Control Protocol
Good Points
• Provides Reliable, In-Sequence delivery of data packets
• Supports Congestion Control and Avoidance Features
Bad Points
• TCP transports a byte stream which must be delivered in order
• Doesn’t Support Multistreaming
• Vulnerable to Denial of Service Attacks
• Doesn’t support Multihoming or Path Monitoring

 SCTP has been specifically designed to provide reliable, error free

transport of message oriented applications over IP
PBX Signalling
PBX
MGW Steam Control Transmission Protocol TeS
Media Softswitch or
Controller
 Supports the good aspects of TCP and fixes the bad aspects of TCP

 SCTP provides the backhauling of signalling messages between a

Signalling Gateway and a Media Gateway Controller, over an IP
network
Signalling Gateway
SCTP
PBX
MGW TeS
Media Softswitch or
Controller

 Supports multiple signalling streams over a

single SCTP connection (association)
PBX
PBX
PBX
Signalling Gateway
PBX
SCTP
PBX
PBX
MGW TeS
PBX
Media Softswitch or
PBX

PBX
Controller
PBX

User Adaptation Layer

PBX
PBX
PBX
Signalling Gateway
PBX
xUA / SCTP
PBX
PBX
MGW TeS
PBX
Media Softswitch or
PBX

PBX
Controller
PBX

User Adaptation Layers for SCTP
• IUA/SCTP
The transport of ISDN Q.921 user messages over IP
• DUA/SCTP
The transport of DASS/DPNSS messages over IP
• V5UA/SCTP
The transport of V5.2 messages over IP
• MTP2/SCTP
The transport of Signalling System 7 Message Transfer Part 2 (SS7 MTP2) user
signalling messages over IP
• MTP3/SCTP
The transport of any SS7 MTP3 - User signalling (e.g., ISUP and SCCP messages)
over IP
• SUA/SCTP
The transport of any Signalling Connection Control Part - User signalling over IP

Why Use SCTP?
 SCTP is a reliable transport protocol
 Specifically designed for transport of message oriented applications
 Acknowledged error free transfer of messages
 Detection of data corruption, loss of data and duplication of data
 Selective retransmission to correct lost or corrupted data
 Heartbeat actively monitors connectivity of session
 Resistance to Denial of Service attacks
 Supports several streams within a connection (or association)

SCTP Stream
SCTP Node A SCTP Node B
SCTP User Same layer as TCP SCTP User

Application and UDP applications Application
SCTP Same layer as SCTP

Transport TCP and UDP Transport
Service Service
IP Network Transport
IP Network IP Network
Service Service

SCTP Packets
• An SCTP packet forms the payload of an IP packet
Chunk N Chunk 1 SCTP Header
Destination
Checksum
Verification
Source
Length
Length
Flags
Flags
Value
Value
Type
Type
Port
Port
Tag
N 2 1 1 N 2 1 1 4 4 2 2
• An SCTP packet consists of a 12 byte common header

and one or more “Chunks”

SCTP Header
Source Port & Destination Port

- Uses same port concept as TCP and UDP
SCTP Header
Verification Tag
- Exchanged between endpoints at startup
Destination
Checksum
Verification
Source
- 2 per Association
Port
Port
Tag
- To Validate the sender
Checksum
- Protected by 32 bit checksum (CRC32 4 4 2 2
algorithm)

Chunks
Chunk N Chunk 1 SCTP Header
Destination
Checksum
Verification
Source
Length
Length
Flags
Flags
Value
Value
Type
Type
Port
Port
Tag
N 2 1 1 N 2 1 1 4 4 2 2

Chunks
Type
- Used to distinguish data chunks and different
types of control chunks
Chunk
Flags
- Usage depends on Chunk type
Length
Flags
Value
Type
Length
- Required because chunks have a variable
length
N 2 1 1
Value
- Payload field

0 Payload Data
1 Initiation
Chunk Types
2 Initiation Acknowledgement
3 Selective Acknowledgement
4 Heartbeat Request
5 Heartbeat Acknowledgement
6 Abort
7 Shutdown
8 Shutdown Acknowledgement
Chunk 9 Operation Error
10 State Cookie
11 Cookie Acknowledgement
Length
Flags
Value
Type
12 Reserved for Explicit Congestion Notification Echo

13 Reserved for Congestion Window Reduced
14 Shutdown Complete
15-62 Reserved by IETF
N 2 1 1 63 IETF-defined Chunk Extensions
127 IETF-defined Chunk Extensions
191 IETF-defined Chunk Extensions
255
Technical Tutorial – Stream Control IETF-defined
Transmission Protocol Chunk Extensions Page 20
Establishing the Association
SCTP SCTP
Endpoint A Endpoint B
INIT chunk
CLOSED STATE CLOSED STATE
COOKIE-WAIT
INIT-ACK chunk (contains COOKIE)
COOKIE-ECHO chunk
COOKIE-ECHOED
COOKIE-ACK chunk
ESTABLISHED ESTABLISHED
DATA chunk(s)

SCTP SCTP
INIT chunk
COOKIE-WAIT
• Endpoint A sends an “Initiation chunk” and enters the COOKIE

WAIT state

Initiation (INIT) Chunk
Type = 1 Chunk Flags Chunk Length
Initiate Tag
Advertised Receiver Window Credit (a_rwnd)
Number of Outbound Streams Number of Inbound Streams
Initial Transmission Sequence Number (TSN)
Optional/Variable-Length Parameters
IPv4 Address Parameter (Optional Parameter)

Type = 5 Length = 8
IPv4 Address

SCTP SCTP
INIT chunk
COOKIE-WAIT
INIT-ACK chunk
• Endpoint B receives the INIT Chunk and analyses the data

• From the data it generates a secure hash using a secret key
• The values are then put into a COOKIE, along with the derived
message authentication code (MAC)
• The COOKIE is sent to the sender of the INIT Chunk in an INIT
ACK Chunk
• Endpoint B remains in the CLOSED STATE

Initiation Acknowledgement (INIT ACK) Chunk
Initiate Tag
Number of Outbound Streams Number of Inbound Streams
Initial Transmission Sequence Number (TSN)
Optional/Variable-Length Parameters
State Cookie Parameter (Mandatory Parameter)

Type = 7 Parameter Length
Parameter Value

SCTP SCTP
INIT chunk
COOKIE-WAIT
COOKIE-ECHO chunk
COOKIE-ECHOED
• Endpoint A takes the COOKIE from the INIT-ACK chunk, places it in a

COOKIE ECHO chunk and returns it to Endpoint B
• Endpoint A enters the COOKIE-ECHOED STATE

Cookie Echo (COOKIE ECHO) Chunk
Type = 10 Chunk Flags Length
Cookie

SCTP SCTP
INIT chunk
COOKIE-WAIT
COOKIE-ECHO chunk
COOKIE-ECHOED
• Endpoint B unpacks the data contained in the COOKIE and uses the
Message Authentication Code (MAC) to verify whether it was the originator of
this COOKIE
• If the MAC computes OK, the data values contained in the COOKIE are
used to initialise the SCTP instance

SCTP SCTP
INIT chunk
COOKIE-WAIT
COOKIE-ECHO chunk
COOKIE-ECHOED
COOKIE-ACK chunk
ESTABLISHED ESTABLISHED

Cookie Acknowledgement (COOKIE ACK) Chunk
Type = 11 Chunk Flags Length = 4

Data Transmission
SCTP SCTP
ESTABLISHED DATA chunk(s) ESTABLISHED
STATE STATE

Payload Data Chunk
Type = 0 Reserv. U B E Length
Transmission Sequence Number (TSN)
Stream Identifier S Stream Sequence Number N
Payload Protocol Identifier
User Data (seq. n of Stream S)

Data Transmission
SCTP SCTP
ESTABLISHED DATA chunk ESTABLISHED
STATE STATE
SACK chunk
• The Selective Acknowledgement Chunk is used to

acknowledge received Data Chunks, and to inform
of gaps in the sequence of Data Chunks

Selective Acknowledgement (SACK) Chunk
Cumulative Transmission Sequence Number (TSN) Ack
Number of Gap Ack Blocks = N Number of Duplicate TSNs = X
Gap Ack Block #1 Start Gap Ack Block #1 End
Gap Ack Block #N Start Gap Ack Block #N End
Duplicate Transmission Sequence Number (TSN) 1
Duplicate Transmission Sequence Number (TSN) N

Acknowledging DATA Chunks
SCTP SCTP
DATA chunk TSN=100
DATA chunk TSN=101
DATA chunk TSN=102
DATA chunk TSN=103
DATA chunk TSN=104
DATA chunk TSN=105
DATA chunk TSN=106
DATA chunk TSN=107
DATA chunk TSN=108
SACK chunk Cumulative TSN=108

Acknowledging DATA Chunks
DATA chunk TSN=109
DATA chunk TSN=110
DATA chunk TSN=111
DATA chunk TSN=112
DATA chunk TSN=113
DATA chunk TSN=114
DATA chunk TSN=115
X
DATA chunk TSN=116
X
DATA chunk TSN=117
DATA chunk TSN=118
DATA chunk TSN=119
DATA chunk TSN=120
DATA chunk TSN=121
DATA chunk TSN=122
DATA chunk TSN=123
DATA chunk TSN=124
X
DATA chunk TSN=125
DATA chunk TSN=126
SACK chunk Cumulative TSN=113
Gap Ack Block #1 Start = +3 End = +9
Gap Ack Block #2 Start = +11 End = +13

Terminating the Association
• Graceful Termination of an Association

− All outstanding data will be acknowledged before shutdown
• Aborting the Association

− Shutdown immediately on receiving the ABORT chunk
• Special Cases
− Restart of an Endpoint where it uses a new tag value
− Both endpoint send an INIT chunk at about the same time
− Excessive delay of Cookie chunks

Graceful Termination of the Association
SCTP SCTP
ESTABLISHED DATA chunk(s) ESTABLISHED
STATE STATE
SHUTDOWN SACK chunk

PENDING STATE
• The initiator of the shutdown enters SHUTDOWN

PENDING state and waits for all outstanding data to
be acknowledged
• It will not accept any new data from it’s upper
layers but will retransmit data to Endpoint B if
necessary

SCTP SCTP
ESTABLISHED Payload Data chunk(s) ESTABLISHED
STATE STATE
SHUTDOWN SACK chunk

PENDING STATE
SHUTDOWN chunk
SHUTDOWN SHUTDOWN
SENT STATE RECEIVED STATE
• Endpoint A sends a SHUTDOWN chunk to

Endpoint B and enters the SHUTDOWN SENT state
• On receipt of the SHUTDOWN chunk, Endpoint B
enters the SHUTDOWN RECEIVED state

Shutdown Association (SHUTDOWN) Chunk
Cumulative Transmission Sequence Number (TSN) Ack

SCTP SCTP
STATE STATE
SHUTDOWN SACK chunk

PENDING STATE
SHUTDOWN chunk
SHUTDOWN SHUTDOWN
SACK chunk
• Endpoint B waits for all outstanding data to be

acknowledged
• It will not accept any new data from it’s upper
layers but will retransmit data to Endpoint A if
necessary

SCTP SCTP
STATE STATE
SHUTDOWN SACK chunk

PENDING STATE
SHUTDOWN chunk
SHUTDOWN SHUTDOWN
SACK chunk
SHUTDOWN ACK chunk SHUTDOWN ACK

SENT STATE
• Endpoint B sends a SHUTDOWN ACK chunk to

Endpoint A and enters the SHUTDOWN ACK SENT
state
Shutdown Acknowledgement (SHUTDOWN ACK) Chunk

SCTP SCTP
STATE STATE
SHUTDOWN SACK chunk

PENDING STATE
SHUTDOWN chunk
SHUTDOWN SHUTDOWN
SACK chunk
SHUTDOWN ACK chunk SHUTDOWN ACK

SENT STATE
SHUTDOWN COMPLETE chunk


Shutdown Complete (SHUTDOWN COMPLETE) Chunk
Type = 14 Reserved T Length = 4

Abort Association (ABORT) Chunk
Type = 6 Reserved T Length
Zero or more Error Causes
Operation Error (ERROR) Chunk
Type = 9 Chunk Flags Length
One or more Error Causes
Error Cause
Cause Code Cause Length
Cause Specific Information

Error Causes
1. Invalid Stream Identifier
2. Missing Mandatory Parameter
3. Stale Cookie Error
4. Out of Resource
5. Unresolvable Address
6. Unrecognised Chunk Type
7. Invalid Mandatory Parameter
8. Unrecognised Parameters
9. No User Data
10. Cookie Received While Shutting Down

Multihoming Operation
Both the INIT and INIT ACK The Source IP Address in the
chunks contain lists of IP INIT chunk is used as the
addresses, which are exchanged destination address for the
during INITIATION of association INIT ACK response
INIT
IP address A1 1 IP address B1
INIT ACK
SCTP SCTP

• Endpoints will monitor data timeouts and the number of

retransmissions to determine the suitability of the path
DATA DA
SACK
SCTP SCTP

• Retransmitted Data chunks will be sent over both paths if the

status of one path is suspect
DATA
SCTP SCTP
DATA
SACK

• All faulty paths will be marked as “Out of Service”
Out of Service
IP address A1
X 1 IP address B1
SCTP SCTP
DATA DA
SACK

• Heartbeat chunks are sent periodically to all inactive IP addresses

• Non responding IP addresses will be marked as Out of Service
Heartbeat
Heartbeat Ack
SCTP SCTP
Heartbeat
Heartbeat Ack

Heartbeat Request (HEARTBEAT) Chunk
Type = 4 Chunk Flags Heartbeat Length
Heartbeat Information TLV (Variable Length)
Heartbeat Acknowledgement (HEARTBEAT ACK) Chunk

Type = 5 Chunk Flags Heartbeat Ack Length
Heartbeat Information TLV (Variable Length)

Congestion Control
Basically congestion is controlled by observing the number of

packets lost and modifying the transmission rate accordingly
Congestion Control Window

• Represents the senders view of network conditions
• Dynamically changed to suit network conditions
Receiver Window Size

• Represents the senders view of the receivers incoming buffer space
• Updated by the receiver in SACK chunks (Advertised Receiver Window Credit)

Congestion Control Window Congestion Control
Slow Start
Threshold The Congestion Control Window
dictates how many Data Chunks
can be transmitted before you must
wait for an Acknowledgement
DATA
SCTP SCTP

Slow Start
Threshold If packets are being successfully delivered
and acknowledged. The Congestion
Control Window will be increased.
DATA DATA
SCTP SCTP

Slow Start
Threshold If lost packets are being experienced,
Slow Start
Threshold the Congestion Control Window will
be reset, and the Slow Start
Threshold may be lowered.
DATA
SCTP SCTP
Endpoint
SACK
SACK A Endpoint B

Receiver Buffer Window

Slow Start
Threshold
DATA DATA
SCTP SCTP
Endpoint
SACK
SACK A Endpoint B

Security Considerations
• Verification Tag and Cookie Mechanisms to stop Denial of Service

Attacks
• SCTP specifies the use of IPSec if strong security is required
• RFC 3436 describes the usage of the Transport Layer Security (TLS)
protocol, as defined in RFC 2246, over the Stream Control
Transmission Protocol (SCTP)

SCTP Technical Tutorial

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LongReach Technical Tutorial

Technical Tutorial – Stream Control Transmission Protocol Page 1

Technical Tutorial – Stream Control Transmission Protocol Page 2

Technical Tutorial – Stream Control Transmission Protocol Page 3

Technical Tutorial – Stream Control Transmission Protocol Page 4

Technical Tutorial – Stream Control Transmission Protocol Page 5

Technical Tutorial – Stream Control Transmission Protocol Page 6

 Voice is carried over IP using “Real Time Protocol” but how is

?? PBX Signalling / RTP or UDP or TCP / IP ??

Technical Tutorial – Stream Control Transmission Protocol Page 7

Technical Tutorial – Stream Control Transmission Protocol Page 8

 SCTP has been specifically designed to provide reliable, error free

MGW Steam Control Transmission Protocol TeS

Technical Tutorial – Stream Control Transmission Protocol Page 9

 SCTP provides the backhauling of signalling messages between a

Technical Tutorial – Stream Control Transmission Protocol Page 10

 Supports multiple signalling streams over a

Gateway Media Gateway

Technical Tutorial – Stream Control Transmission Protocol Page 11

User Adaptation Layer

Gateway Media Gateway

Technical Tutorial – Stream Control Transmission Protocol Page 12

Technical Tutorial – Stream Control Transmission Protocol Page 13

Technical Tutorial – Stream Control Transmission Protocol Page 14

SCTP Node A SCTP Node B

SCTP User Same layer as TCP SCTP User

SCTP Same layer as SCTP

Technical Tutorial – Stream Control Transmission Protocol Page 15

• An SCTP packet forms the payload of an IP packet

Chunk N Chunk 1 SCTP Header

• An SCTP packet consists of a 12 byte common header

Technical Tutorial – Stream Control Transmission Protocol Page 16

Source Port & Destination Port

Technical Tutorial – Stream Control Transmission Protocol Page 17

Chunk N Chunk 1 SCTP Header

Technical Tutorial – Stream Control Transmission Protocol Page 18

Technical Tutorial – Stream Control Transmission Protocol Page 19

12 Reserved for Explicit Congestion Notification Echo

Technical Tutorial – Stream Control Transmission Protocol Page 21

• Endpoint A sends an “Initiation chunk” and enters the COOKIE

Technical Tutorial – Stream Control Transmission Protocol Page 22

Type = 1 Chunk Flags Chunk Length

Advertised Receiver Window Credit (a_rwnd)

Number of Outbound Streams Number of Inbound Streams

Initial Transmission Sequence Number (TSN)

IPv4 Address Parameter (Optional Parameter)

Technical Tutorial – Stream Control Transmission Protocol Page 23

• Endpoint B receives the INIT Chunk and analyses the data

Technical Tutorial – Stream Control Transmission Protocol Page 24

Type = 2 Chunk Flags Chunk Length

Advertised Receiver Window Credit (a_rwnd)

Number of Outbound Streams Number of Inbound Streams

Initial Transmission Sequence Number (TSN)

State Cookie Parameter (Mandatory Parameter)

Technical Tutorial – Stream Control Transmission Protocol Page 25

• Endpoint A takes the COOKIE from the INIT-ACK chunk, places it in a

Technical Tutorial – Stream Control Transmission Protocol Page 26

Type = 10 Chunk Flags Length

Technical Tutorial – Stream Control Transmission Protocol Page 27

Technical Tutorial – Stream Control Transmission Protocol Page 28

Technical Tutorial – Stream Control Transmission Protocol Page 29

Type = 11 Chunk Flags Length = 4

Technical Tutorial – Stream Control Transmission Protocol Page 30