ATM Protocols and Signaling

- Fundamentals -

ATM protocol for signaling

Signaling protocol can be looked at as an important application running on top of the lower, physical, ATM and AAL layers

Signaling Protocols Layers

Signaling occurs over a Signaling ATM Adaptation Layer (SAAL) residing between the ATM layer and the signaling protocol The SAAL provides reliable transport of signaling message between two ATM systems to include the recovery of multiple gaps within the data stream The SAAL is composed of the sub layers:

Common Part

Based on ALL5 Consists of to additional sub layers

Segmentation and Reassembly Sublayer (SAR) Common Part Convergence Sublayer (CPCS)

Service Specific Part

Service Specific Co-ordination Function (SSCF)

The SSCF maps signaling messages from the upper level into SSCOP

Service Specific Connection oriented protocol (SSCOP)

Provides mechanisms for establishing, releasing and monitoring signaling information exchange between signaling entities

Signaling Protocols Layers

There are two types of SAAL:

SAAL-NNI SAAL-UNI

AAL Type 2 Signaling

Provides functions to dynamically establish and release AAL type 2 point to point connections as requested by AAL2 served users in a network comprised of AAL2 endpoint and AAL2 switches The AAL2 served user in 3G networks is the radio resource management and control entity which establishes/releases AAL2 connections when new soft handover legs are established/released The AAL2 signaling protocol is used by higher layer functionalities for AAL2 connection establishment and release of a connection I can establish an AAL2 connection, release an AAL2 connection and maintenance functions to align the status of the AAL2 resources within the two peer AAL2 nodes It offers a reset mechanism which is used to return one or several AAL2 channels to idle condition Also contains mechanism for blocking and unblocking resources during test procedures

AAL2 Signaling protocol architecture

General Protocol model for UTRAN terrestrial interfaces

The protocol structures in UTRAN terrestrial interfaces (Iu, Iur, Iub) are designed according to the same general protocol model as in the figure

General Protocol model for UTRAN terrestrial interfaces

Horizontal layers

Radio network layer

All UTRAN related issues are visible only in the radio network layer
Represents standard transport technology that is selected

Transport network layer

Vertical planes

Control Plane

Used for all 3G specific control signaling It includes the application protocol (RANAP in Iu, RNSAP in Iur, NBAP in Iub) and the signaling bearer for transporting the application protocol messages The application protocol is used among other things for setting up bearers to the UE
All information sent and received by the user, such as coded voice in a voice call or the packets in an Internet connection are transported via the user plane The user plane includes the data stream and the data bearer Is used for all control signaling within the transport network layer It includes the ALCAP (Access Link Control Application Part) protocol that is needed to set up the transport bearers for the user plane The data bearers in the user plane and the signaling bearers for the application protocol also belong to the transport user plane The data bearers in the transport network user plane are directly controlled by the transport network control plane

User plane

Transport network control plane

Transport network user plane

Protocol Structure for Iub

Protocol Structure for Iur

Protocol Structure for Iu-CS

Protocol Structure for Iu-PS

ATM adaptation layer for user plane

ATM adaptation layer for control plane

ATM adaptation layer for transport network control plane

Protocol stack for circuit switched data

Protocol stack for packet switched data

Protocol stack for Iur interface

Protocol stack for AAL 2 signaling