M3UA has three primary functions:
Provides an interface between the higher SS7 layers (ISUP, SCCP, and TUP) and the lower SCTP layer.
Routes messages to their IP destinations. M3UA uses a flexible configuration capable of supporting a wide variety of network routing and addressing requirements.
Maintains the availability status of all destinations through all routes in the case of failure or congestion.
Refer to the Dialogic® NaturalAccess™ SIGTRAN Stack Developer's Reference Manual for more information.
SS7 provides the following sample files for M3UA configurations that you can modify for your specifications:
|
Files |
Description |
|
M3UAcp1.cfg |
M3UA file for board 1. |
|
M3UAcp2.cfg |
M3UA file for board 2. |
Refer to Sample SS7 IP configurations for more information.
The M3UA configuration utility (m3uacfg) runs as part of the initial board download with ss7load. The utility reads the text configuration file and downloads the specified configuration to the M3UA and SCTP tasks on the TX board. You can also run the M3UA configuration utility after the initial configuration to dynamically update selected configuration parameters.
This topic presents:
The following example is the M3UA configuration file for board 1 in an IPSP-IPSP configuration:
#
# M3UA Sample Configuration File
#
# All timer values are in milliseconds
#
#------------------------------------------------
# General M3UA Parameters
#------------------------------------------------
NODE_TYPE ASP # Only ASP currently supported
MAX_NSAP 2 # Max number of NSAP (M3UA users/variants to support simultaneously)
MAX_NETWORK 2 # Max number of network contexts (one per network ID/variant)
MAX_ROUTE 16 # Max number of route entries including local routes
MAX_DPC 32 # Max # of DPCs supported includes configured & dynamically learned
MAX_PS 8 # Max number of peer servers including local
MAX_LPS 4 # Max number of local peer server
MAX_PSP 16 # Max number of peer server processes
MAX_MSG 128 # Max number of M3UA messages in transit
MAX_RNDRBN_LS 4 # Max number of peer servers using round robin load sharing
MAX_SLS_LS 4 # Max number of peer servers using SLS based load sharing
MAX_SLS 128 # Max number of SLS values (total number used by all PS)
QUEUE_SIZE 256 # Outgoing congestion queue size per association
CONG_LEVEL1 64 # Congestion level 1
CONG_LEVEL2 128 # Congestion level 2
CONG_LEVEL3 196 # Congestion level 3
TMR_RESTART 10000 # Restart hold-off time (not used for IPSP)
TMR_AS_PEND 5000 # Time a PS can remain in AS_PENDING state
TMR_ASP_UP1 2000 # Initial time between ASPUP retries
TMR_ASP_UP2 2000 # Steady-state time between ASPUP retries
NMB_ASP_UP1 3 # Number of initial attempts at sending ASPUP
TMR_ASPDN 2000 # Time between ASPDN retries
TMR_ASPM 2000 # Time to wait after send ASPM message (ASPAC/ASPIA) before fail
TMR_DAUD 2000 # Time between DAUD messages
TMR_DRKM 2000 # Time between DRKM messages
NMB_DRKM 3 # Number of DRKM attempts before failing
TMR_SEQ_CNTRL 1000 # Delay when diverting traffic to maintain sequencing
END
#------------------------------------------------
# Network Configuration Parameters
#------------------------------------------------
NETWORK_ID 1 # Network ID
NETWORK_APPEAR 1234 # Optional network appearance code coordinated with SGP
SSF NAT # Subservice field (NAT / INTL)
DPC_LENGTH 24 # Point code Length (24 / 16 / 14)
SLS_LENGTH 5 # SLS Length (4 / 5 / 8)
SERVICE_USER_VAR ANSI # Service user variant, ANSI, ITU, CHINA, BICI, TTC, NTT
SERVICE_USER_VAR2 ANSI # Service user variant for TCAP ANSI/ETSI/ITU
END
# -----------------------------------------------
# NSAP Configuration
#------------------------------------------------
NSAP_ID 0 # Network sap ID
NWK_ID 1 # Network ID corresponding to above section
SERVICE_TYPE ISUP # Service type ISUP/TUP/SCCP/BICC
END
NSAP_ID 1 # Network sap ID
NWK_ID 1 # Network ID corresponding to above section
SERVICE_TYPE SCCP # Service type ISUP/TUP/SCCP/BICC
END
#------------------------------------------------
# M3UA SCT SAP Configuration
#------------------------------------------------
SCT_SAP_ID 0 # M3UA reference for SCTP SAP. Currently, This value must be 0
SRC_PORT 2905 # Source Port
SP_ID 0 # SCTP reference for SCTP SAP. Currently, This value must be 0
END
#------------------------------------------------
# Peer Signaling Process (PSP) Configuration
#------------------------------------------------
PSP_ID 1 # Unique PSP ID from 1 to Max Number of PSP -1
PSP_TYPE IPSP # Type of Peer (SGP/IPSP)
IPSP_MODE DE # Used if PSP_TYPE=IPSP (SE=single ended/DE=double ended)
DRKM_ALLOWED FALSE # Whether this PSP can accept DRKM messages
USE_NWK_APP FALSE # Use network appearance in M3UA msgs? TRUE if exchanging
# messages from different networks over same association.
ASP_ID_MAND NONE # Whether AspId is mandatory to by transmitted/received in
# ASPUP/ASPUP-ACK msgs (NONE / RX / TX / BOTH)
NWK_ID 1 # Default network context for incoming messages
# Association parameters
PRIME_DEST_ADDR 192.168.1.2 # Primary Peer Destination Address.
DEST_PORT 2905 # Remote SCTP Port
CLIENT_SIDE TRUE # Whether we initiate associations if IPSP
NMB_OUT_STREAMS 2 # Number of streams supported by this association
END
#-----------------------------------------------
# Peer Server (PS) Configuration
#-----------------------------------------------
# Local PS for ISUP
PS_ID 1 # Local PS ID, does not have to be zero
NWK_ID 1 # Selects a network context for this PS
MODE ACTSTANDBY # Active/standby
LOCAL TRUE # Is this a local AS? Yes
PSP 1
RTE_CTX 0xA # Routing context
END
# Local PS for SCCP
PS_ID 2 # Local PS ID, does not have to be zero
NWK_ID 1 # Selects a network context for this PS
MODE ACTSTANDBY # Active/standby
LOCAL TRUE # Is this a local AS? Yes
PSP 1
RTE_CTX 0xB # Routing context
END
# Remote PS for ISUP
PS_ID 3 # Remote PS ID
LOCAL FALSE # Is this a local AS? No
NWK_ID 1 # Selects a network context for this PS
MODE ACTSTANDBY # Peer server mode
LOAD_SHARE_TYPE ROUND_ROBIN # Load Share type (ROUND_ROBIN / SLS )
PSP 1
RTE_CTX 0xC # Routing context
END
# Remote PS for SCCP
PS_ID 4 # Remote PS ID
LOCAL FALSE # Is this a local AS? No
NWK_ID 1 # Selects a network context for this PS
MODE ACTSTANDBY # Peer server mode
LOAD_SHARE_TYPE ROUND_ROBIN # Load Share type (ROUND_ROBIN / SLS )
PSP 1
RTE_CTX 0xD # Routing context
END
#------------------------------------------------
# Routing Entry Parameters
#------------------------------------------------
#
DPC 1.1.1 # DPC to accept traffic for
SIO ISUP # SIO value ISUP/TUP/SCCP/BICC or numeric 0 - 0xF
SIO_MASK 0xF # Use SIO for routing
RTE_TYPE PS # PS
NWK_ID 1 # Selects a network context for this PS
NSAP_ID 0
RTE_PS_ID 1
END
DPC 1.1.1 # DPC to accept traffic for
SIO SCCP # SIO value ISUP/TUP/SCCP/BICC or numeric 0 - 0xF
SIO_MASK 0xF # Use SIO for routing
RTE_TYPE PS # PS
NWK_ID 1 # Selects a network context for this PS
NSAP_ID 1
RTE_PS_ID 2
END
DPC 1.1.2 # DPC supported by the peer server
RTE_TYPE PS # PS
NWK_ID 1 # Selects a network context for this PS
DPC_MASK 0xFFFFFF # Match exactly
OPC 0 # Optional OPC - 0 if OPC route matching unused
OPC_MASK 0 # Optional OPC mask if OPC route matching used
SIO ISUP # SIO value ISUP/TUP/SCCP/BICC or numeric 0 - 0xF
SIO_MASK 0xF # Option SIO mask if SIO route matching used
RTE_PS_ID 3 # Peer Server ID for this Route
END
DPC 1.1.2 # DPC supported by the peer server
RTE_TYPE PS # PS
NWK_ID 1 # Selects a network context for this PS
DPC_MASK 0xFFFFFF # Match exactly
OPC 0 # Optional OPC - 0 if OPC route matching unused
OPC_MASK 0 # Optional OPC mask if OPC route matching used
SIO SCCP # SIO value ISUP/TUP/SCCP/BICC or numeric 0 - 0xF
SIO_MASK 0xF # Option SIO mask if SIO route matching used
RTE_PS_ID 4 # Peer Server ID for this Route
END
Refer to M3UA configuration considerations for more information.
M3UA implements services through the configuration of the following entities:
|
Entity |
Description |
|
General M3UA |
The general configuration parameters define and control the general operation of M3UA including maximum values of various layer resources, congestion levels, and protocol timers. |
|
Network configuration |
Defines the SS7 network context or appearance for potential use over multiple SS7 networks, including SSF, DPC length, and SLS length. |
|
Network service access points (NSAPs) |
Defines the upper layer SS7 applications that use M3UA. Each NSAP is associated with one application, as identified by the service indicator field of a message, and one protocol variant. |
|
M3UA SCT SAP (service access points) |
Defines the lower layer interface between M3UA and SCTP. Only one SCT SAP can be defined. |
|
Peer signaling process (PSP) |
An instance of a peer server that can either be local or remote. A peer signaling process can process signaling traffic for multiple peer servers. Note: A peer server process can be a signaling gateway process (SGP), an application server process (ASP), or an IP server process (IPSP). |
|
Peer server (PS) |
A logical entity that serves a specific routing key. For example, a peer server can be a virtual switch element that handles a signaling relation identified by DPC/OPC, or a virtual database element that handles all HLR transactions for a particular SIO/DPC/OPC combination. There is a one-to-one relationship between a peer server and a routing key. Because the application server effectively represents an MTP3 user, it has its own point code. Note: A peer server can be an application server (AS) or signaling gateway (SG). |
|
Routing entry |
Set of M3UA parameters that uniquely define the range of signaling traffic to be handled by a particular peer server. |
Refer to M3UA configuration reference for more information.
Configure M3UA as either an application server process (ASP) or an IP server process (IPSP). In the actual configuration, there is little difference. The following table shows the required differences when configuring M3UA:
|
Parameter name |
ASP |
IPSP |
|
MODE (for remote peer servers) |
Must be set to LOADSHARE |
Can be set to either LOADSHARE or ACTSTANDBY |
|
PSP_TYPE |
Set to SGP |
Set to IPSP |
If M3UA is configured as an IPSP, the IPSP_MODE parameter must be configured as either singled-ended (SE) or double-ended (DE):
|
Mode |
Description |
|
Single-ended |
A single exchange of the ASPAC (ASP Active) and ASPAC ACK (ASP Active Acknowledgement) messages, that initiated from either side, is sufficient to allow traffic to flow in both directions. |
|
Double-ended |
Each side must send and receive the ASPAC and ASPAC ACK messages before allowing traffic flow. |
IPSP_MODE is valid only when IPSP is configured as the remote peer signaling process type.
The CLIENT_SIDE parameter is required in an IPSP configuration. This parameter tells M3UA whether or not to initiate an association to the peer. Setting the CLIENT_SIDE parameter to TRUE indicates that M3UA always initiates an association. Setting this parameter to FALSE indicates that the other side is expected to initiate the association. If configured as an ASP, M3UA always initiates the association.
The RTE_CTX parameter, in the PS configuration section of the M3UA configuration file, must match the peer side’s configuration. For example, the route context for a remote PS must match that side’s route context for a local PS, and vice versa. The route context is passed in most M3UA messages and is used to match incoming messages with their associated NSAPs and upper layers. Refer to SIGTRAN architecture for more information.