Terminology Used

The following terminology is used in this document.

AS

Application Server. A logical entity serving a specific routing key. An example is a virtual switch element handling call processing for a unique range of PSTN trunks.

ASP

Application Server Process. An ASP serves as an active or backup process of an Application Server. An ASP can be configured to process signaling traffic with more than one Application Server.

Association

SCTP association providing transport for the delivery of the protocol data units for one or more interfaces.

HLR

Home location registry

IP

Internet Protocol

IPSP

IP Server Process is an instance of an IP based application. An IPSP is essentially the same as an ASP except that it uses M3UA in a point-to-point fashion. Conceptually, an IPSP does not use the services of a Signaling Gateway.

Layer Management

Nodal function in an SG or ASP that handles the inputs and outputs between the M3UA layer and a local management entity.

M3UA

MTP3 User Adaptation Layer

MGC

Media Gateway Controller

MTP

Message Transfer Part

Point Code

A unique code which identifies a network node in order for the SS7 network to route calls.

Routing Key

Describes a set of SS7 parameters and parameter values that uniquely define the range of signaling traffic to be handled by a particular Application Server.

Routing Contexts

The unique number assigned to each SG to AS logical connection. This number appears in the actual M3UA messages.

 

SCN

Switched Circuit Network

SCTP

Stream Control Transmission Protocol

SG

Signaling Gateway. An SG is a signaling agent that receives/sends switched circuit network signaling at the edge of the IP network. An SG appears to the SS7 network as an SS7 Signaling Point.

SGP

Signaling Gateway Process. A process instance of a Signaling Gateway that serves as an active, backup, load-sharing, or broadcast process of a Signaling Gateway.

SIGTRAN

Signaling Transport. A set of protocol standards defined by the International Engineering Task Force (IETF) to provide the architectural model of signaling transport over IP networks.

SMSC

Short message service center

SS7

Signaling System #7

Stream

SCTP stream is a unidirectional logical channel established from one SCTP end point to another. All messages are delivered in sequence except for unordered delivery service.