M3UA is a protocol for supporting the transport of
any SS7 MTP3-User signaling (e.g., ISUP, SCCP and TUP
messages) over the IP Network. M3UA finds its use for
inter-working PDN network with SCN at the VOIP Signaling
Gateway and at a Peer MGC or IP Host where the MTP3
User Part is running. Using M3UA, SG can be configured
to work as a SS7 SEP or a STP. In effect, M3UA provides
a seamless operation of the MTP3-User peers in the SS7
and IP domains.
SS7/IP
Network Architecture
IP Network
Architecture
M3UA also finds its use to replace MTP3 in an all IP
Network. Here it operates in a point to point fashion
in what is known as IPSP (IP Signaling Point) behavior.
Such flexibility has led to M3UA Standard being adopted
by the 3G consortium for carrying SS7 in IP Networks.
The M3UA Layer uses the services of SCTP (Stream Control
Transport Protocol) (RFC 2960) as the transport Layer.
M3UA can be used as a building block in Softswitch,
Signaling Gateway, Media Gateway Controller in the VOIP
domain and in RNC, SGSN, HLR, MSC/VLR in the 3G Networks
and potentially be used in moving IP Resident Databases,
SCPs etc to IP in converged network architecture.
The diagrams below illustrate some possible network
architectures for M3UA deployment.
SS7/IP Network Architecture
IP Network Architecture
Flextronics Software Systems M3UA stack current release
(Release 5.0) is available since May 2004. Our M3UA
Stack already has a diverse customer base with customers
from all over the world deploying M3UA in conventional
SS7 on IP and 3G networks. Flextronics Software Systems
has always been among the major participants in all
M3UA Interops and we have always been in the lead, be
it latest protocol upgrades or value added features
in our offering
