Introduction to SCCP/TCAP

SCCP and TCAP support offers advanced routing, data transfer, and management control features. Signaling Connection Control Part (SCCP) provides both connectionless and connection-oriented network services above MTP Level 3. Transaction Capabilities Application Part (TCAP) provides transaction and remote operation capabilities to a large variety of applications distributed over the Excel platform and service centers in the network. The Excel SCCP/TCAP implementation supports the following connectionless services:

The SCCP layer and TCAP layer services are directly accessible through the SCCP and TCAP primitives. The option of using SCCP services only or using both SCCP and TCAP services is configurable for each subsystem. This allows users to choose the appropriate protocol interface for customized applications.

Together SCCP and MTP are used as the network layer for TCAP-based services. For each component of an SS7 network, SCCP provides a different service to its user which is referred to as the subsystem.

• For a Signal Transfer Point (STP), the SCCP also provides Global Title Translation.

TCAP enables the deployment of advanced intelligent network services by supporting non-circuit related information exchange between signaling points using the SCCP connectionless service. TCAP provides the framework to retrieve information or invoke remote operations.

TCAP offers the means for end users in the SS7 network to query another end office and acts as the software interface between an SS7 office and database services in order to obtain data from the SS7 network.

SCCP and TCAP provide the services to the host by a set of SCCP primitives and a set of TCAP primitives which are carried in the PPL Event Request and PPL Event Indication API messages.

For higher performance, TCAP/SCCP primitives can be sent through the SS7 card directly to the host using an Ethernet connection.

The host can send PPL Event Request messages to the Matrix Controller. In turn, the Matrix Controller can send PPL Event Indications messages to the host. The approach may be needed if a single host is controlling the CSP.

The following are the standards versions that the SCCP/TCAP implementation supports:

See Transaction Capability Application Part.

SCCP. The signaling connection and control part of the SS7 signaling protocol. For example, performs Global Title Translations (GTT), Subsystem Management.

See Message Transfer Part.

TCAP. The transaction capabilities application part of the SS7 protocol. It is the top layer of the SS7 stack, equivalent to Layer 7 of the OSI model.

See Signaling System Number Seven.

SubSystem Prohibited. See also Service Switching Point.

STP. A node in the telephony network that normally does not handle voice. It acts as a message router, transferring signaling messages between switches.

Open System Interconnection model

See Programmable Protocol Language.

A condition that, when met, drives a state machine from one state to another. A condition that drives a Component out of its current state by invoking an associated primitive.

The protocol used in most local area PC networks. Typically, most Ethernet networks support data transmission speeds up to 10 Mbps, but 100 Mbps is also possible.

A computer, attached to the Excel platform through an RS-232 or Ethernet link, from which you run the telecommunications application that controls the Excel platform.

International Telecommunications Union (UN)

Functional Description of TCAP

ITU-TSS Publication on TCAP Procedures

American National Standards Institute. ANSI administers and coordinates the U.S. voluntary standardization and conformity assessment system for the
telecommunications industry. More details on these standards may be
viewed at www.ansi.org.

Digital communications link - voice, data, and video at a 1.544 Mbps rate (24 64 Kbps channels)