M3UA

Patrick Sharp

M3UA
Drive to exploit the values of IP in
traditional telephone networks led
to the creation of the SIGTRAN
group in the IETF (Internet
Engineering Task Force).
Need for protocols with best of both.

M3UA
M3UA is a protocol for interfacing
legacy SS7 networks with IP.
M3UA MTP3 User Adaptation Layer
Allows integration of existing
networks with new technology.

SS7
Signaling Support 7
An architecture for performing outof-band signaling in support of the
functions of the PSTN (Public
Switched Telephone Network).

SS7
PSTN functions
Call-establishment
Routing
Billing
Information exchange

SS7

SSP-telephone switches
STP-packet switches
SCP-databases

SS7

MTP3
SS7 protocol is layered. We are
interested in the Message Transfer
Part-Level 3.
Together with the Message Transfer
Part-Level 2, referred to as the MTP
(Message Transfer Part)

MTP3
MTP3 extends MTP2, which provided
link-layer functionality. MTP3 adds
network functionality.
Ensures that messages are delivered
across the network regardless of
whether or not the nodes are
directly connected.

MTP3
Capabilities:
Node addressing
Routing
Alternate routing
Congestion control

MTP3
Sits between MTP2 and user parts
(ISUP, TUP, SCCP).
Made up of 2 parts:
SMH (Signaling Message Handling)
SNM (Signaling Network
Management)

MTP3
SNM:
Deals with the
general
management of
the MTP.

SHM:
Deals with
discrimination,
distribution and
routing of
signaling
messages.

MTP3 User Adaptation

M3UA allows for all the functionality
of MTP3 to be done over IP.

M3UA
Supports the transport of MTP3-User
signaling over IP.
ISUP-ISDN User Part
SCCP-Signaling Connection Control
Part
TUP-Telephone User Part

M3UA
Transports the MTP3-User signaling
using the Stream Control
Transmission Protocol (SCTP).
SCTP provides for unique needs of
the telephony network.

SCTP
Protocol that met the needs of
determinism, reliability and timeliness.
UDP: Best effort delivery, but not reliable.
TCP: Guaranteed delivery, but not timely.
SCTP: Deterministic, reliable and timely.

SCTP

Deals with framed messages.

Multi-homing support, end-points can be
more than one IP address.
Delivers data in chunks in independent
streams, eliminates head-of-the line
blocking.
Path selection of a primary path and
monitoring of connectivity.
Validation and acknowledgment prevents
flooding and missing/duplicated chunks.

M3UA
M3UA is generally deployed in an
application server as an Application
Server Process.
Provides a link between SS7 and IP,
but can also be used to transport
MTP3-User signaling between IP
networks.

SS7/IP

SS7/IP
M3UA can be used as a gateway, in
almost the same way as an SS7 STP.

SS7/IP
All SS7 elements above MTP3 remain
the same, but routing and
transport are replaced by IP.
This allows the same services to be
offered but adds flexibility and
efficiency.

IP/IP

IP/IP
Less commonly used, but M3UA also
allows for the transport of MTP3User parts between two IP
applications.

M3UA Protocol
M3UA message format includes a
common header followed by zero
or more parameters as determined
by the type of message.

M3UA Protocol

Version: 8 bits, version number

Class: 8 bits, message class
Type: 8 bits, message type
Length: 32 bits, length of message in bytes,
including header and parameter padding
Data: variable, contains the parameters, if any

M3UA Protocol

M3UA Protocol
Each message class has different types.
MGMT: ERR, NTFY
Transfer: Payload Data
SSNM: Destination
Unavailable/Available, Destination
State Audit, Signaling Congestion,
Destination User Part Unavailable,
Destination Restricted

M3UA Protocol
ASPSM: ASP Up/Down, Heartbeat,
ASP Up/Down Ack, Heartbeat Ack
ASPTM: ASP Active/Inactive, ASP
Active/Inactive Ack
RKM: Registration
Request/Response, Deregistration
Request/Response

M3UA Protocol
All classes also have reserved types
for IETF use as well as reserved
types for IETF defined extensions.

M3UA Protocol
Each message class and type has
zero or more parameters, far too
many to list here.
Parameters contain message bodies,
context information, configuration
data, destination/origination codes,
etc.

M3UA Procedure
A Signaling Gateway (SG) sends and
receives native signaling at the edge
of the IP network. It appears to be a
signaling point to the SS7 network.
A Signaling Gateway process is a
process instance of the SG. It
interacts with the ASP.

M3UA Procedure

Establishment of traffic between an ASP

and SGP

M3UA Procedure
When the M3UA layer at the ASP gets a
TRANSFER request from the M3UA user it
must:
Determines correct SGP
Determine if the DATA field needs to be
filled
Map the request into the Data field
Send the DATA message to the SGP over
SCTP

M3UA Procedure
When the M3UA at the ASP receives
a DATA message it must:
Evaluate the optional Data fields
Map the Data field into an MTPTRANSFER primitive
Pass the primitive to the user part

M3UA Procedure

A single exchange between IP Server

Processes (IPSP)

M3UA Security
Goals:
Availability of reliable and timely
user data transport
Integrity of user data transport
Confidentiality of user data

Benefits of M3UA

Replace physical SS7 links with virtual IP

associations
Maintain deterministic qualities
demanded in signaling.
Eliminate SS7 bandwidth restrictions
Eliminate SS7 complexity
Deploy existing SS7 call-setup and value
added service w/out legacy overhead
Point to point or gateway configuration

Questions:

What is the purpose of M3UA?

How is M3UA commonly deployed?
How can M3UA be configured?

Answers

Allowing seamless use of MTP3User signaling between SS7 and IP.

As an application server process on
an application server.
Point to point or as a gateway.

References

http://www.networksorcery.com/enp/rfc/rfc3332.t
xt
http://www.ulticom.com/html/products/sigtran/m
3ua.asp
http://www.iec.org/online/tutorials/ss7/index.html
http://www.hssworld.com/voip/stacks/sigtran/Sig
tran_M3UA/overview.htm
http://www.networksorcery.com/enp/protocol/m3
ua.htm
http://www.javvin.com/protocolMTP.html