SIGTRAN (Signaling Transport) Suite defines a set of protocol stacks for transporting signaling information over packet-based networks. The IETF Sigtran defined SCTP is the key transport component in the distributed Voice over Packet (VoP) architecture and therefore the FSS SCTP implementation can be integrated into products such as the Signaling Gateway, Media Gateway Controller and IP-based Service Control Point to develop convergent voice and data solutions.

SIGTRAN Suite Architecture

SIGTRAN Suite consisting of the SCTP(Stream Control Transmission Protocol) protocol along with User Adaptations SUA(SCCP User Adaptation), M3UA(MTP3 User Adaptation Layer), M2UA(MTP2 User Adaptation Layer), M2PA(MTP2 Peer-to-Peer Adaptation Layer), IUA(ISDN Q.921-User Adaptation Layer) and Voice over Packet Software Solutions from Aricent provide a complete set of building blocks for quickly developing Next Generation Solutions. The SIGTRAN solutions consisting of the SCTP protocol meet the carrier class requirements of redundancy, scalability and reliability.

Aricent's SIGTRAN Suite: Functions

The SIGTRAN stack's functions can be divided into SCTP stacks and protocol stacks for Adaptation Layers. SCTP is responsible for Reliable Signaling Transport, Streaming, Congestion Avoidance and Control, Bundling and Un-bundling, Multi-homing and Association Management, Security and User-transparent Fault Management. The Adaptation Layers (M3UA, M2UA, M2PA, IUA and SUA) transport the signaling information from the corresponding signaling layers (MTP3, MTP2, Q.921 and SCCP) using SCTP services.

SIGTRAN Suite Architecture

Aricent's SIGTRAN Suite: SCTP

• SCTP
  • Based on RFC 2960
  • Conformance to SCTP Implementor's Guide draft < draft-ietf-sigtran-tsgwg-sctpimpguide-08.txt >
  • Ordered and Un-Ordered delivery
  • SCTP includes user-data segmentation and bundling
  • SCTP offers protection against Masquerade, Fraud and Repudiation
  • Support for TCP congestion Control (for delayed Acknowledgement) as per RFC 2581
  • Support for multi-homing and multi-streaming features
  • Path MTU Discovery - ECN capable
  • SCTP provides generic interface to support non-signaling applications
  • Simultaneous IPv6 and IPv4 support
  • Socket Interface support as per draft draft-ietf-tsvwg-sctpsocket-07.txt
  • SCTP MIB supported as per draft-ietf-sigtran-sctp-mib-10.txt
  • Dynamic addition of IP Address supported as per draft-ietf-tsvwg-addip-sctp-07.txt
  • CRC32C checksum as per RFC 3309 and Adler32 checksum as per RFC 2960 are supported
  • Stream Control Transmission Protocol Applicability Statement <draft-ietf-sigtran-sctp-applicability-08.txt
  • Next release to be based on following:
    1. SCTP Sockets mapping <draft-ietf-tsvwg-sctpsocket-08.txt>
    2. Stream Control Transmission Protocol Management Information Base using SMIv2 <draft-ietf-sigtran-sctp-mib-10.txt>
    3. draft-ietf-tsvwg-sctpimpguide-10.txt
    4. Draft <draft-ietf-tsvwg-addip-sctp-09.txt>
    5. IPSec support in the SCTP protocol. <RFC 3436>
    6. Implementation of the partial reliability draft <RFC 3758t>

Aricent's SIGTRAN Suite: User Adaptations

• Features common to UAs
  • Supports ASP, SGP level redundancy
  • Can be configured for ASP, SG or IPSP elements
  • Provide status indications to Management
  • SCTP association and stream management
  • IPSP-IPSP communication supported
    
• M3UA
  • Based on RFC 3332 and Implementation Guide Version 4 <draft-ietf-sigtran-m3ua-implementors-guide-04.txt>
  • Supports transfer of SS7 MTP3 User Part Msgs for ISUP, SCCP,TUP
  • Supports Dynamic Routing Key registration procedure
  • Highly versatile message distribution based on DPC/OPC/CIC/SIO
  • Interworking and compatibility with ANSI,, ITU and chinese variants of MTP3
  • Congestion Control Mechanism as per MTP3 Q.704 procedures
  • Default AS & ASP Routing
  • Coexistence of SGP, ASP, IPSP in the same M3UA Instance (FlexiServer)
  • Indication Queue Mechanism
  • Multiple SCTP support
  • Next Release to be based on RFC 3332 and <draft-ietf-sigtran-m3ua-v02-00.txt >
    
• M2UA
• Based on RFC 3331
• Maintains interface ID to SCTP association/stream mapping
• Support for congestion control
• Support for Dynamic Routing Key Registeration Procedures
• Support for Override, Loadshare and Broadcast mode of ASP
  
• IUA
• Based on RFC 3057 and Implementation Guide 01
• Supports Q.931/Q.921 interface
• Configurable to function as both SG and ASP
• Supports dynamic configuration of stack parameters like times etc
• Support for handling Congestion Indications from SCTP
• Maintains interface ID to an SCTP association/stream mapping
  
• M2PA
  • Based on draft-ietf-sigtran-m2pa-06.txt
  • Supports MTP3-MTP2 interface
  • Support for each link to be configurable as either SCTP client or SCTP Server
  • Maintains signaling link to SCTP association mapping
  • Support for handling Congestion Indications from SCTP and also M2Pa own Congestion Handling
  • Next Release to be based on draft-ietf-sigtran-m2pa-12.txt
    
• SUA
  • Based on draft-ietf-sigtran-sua-016.txt
  • Supports S7AP-SCCP interface
  • Supports transfer of SCCP User Part Messages for TCAP, RANAP and RNSAP
  • Support for SCCP protocol classes 0, 1, 2 , 3
  • Support for Dynamic Routing Key Registeration Procedures
  • Relay functionality is supported
  • Congestion Handling
  • Multithreading is supported
  • Statistics are maintained as Per Q.752

Aricent's SIGTRAN Suite: Scalability

Aricent SIGTRAN suite is designed to be scalable, due to a highly configurable run-time and compile-time capacity related options. Moreover the SIGTRAN suite can either be used as a library with a client application or as an independent module communicating with multiple applications.

Aricent Sigtran Suite: Interoperability

• Aricent successfully participated in the ETSI 2nd SIGTRAN interop with all UA's (i.e. M3UA, M2UA, M2PA, IUA, SUA) held in France in September 2002 and 2003. Aricent also authored the interoperability test plans for M3UA, SUA and IUA.
• Aricent successfully participated in the ETSI M3UA interop based on draft ver10 in February 2002. FSS authored the test cases for this event
• Aricent successfully participated in the 1st SUA v08 interop held in Belgium in November 2001 organized by Siemens. We participated with both SG, ASP side of the implementation
• Aricent M2PA stack was represented in the 1st M2PA v03 interop held in November 2001
• Aricent successfully participated in the 3rd SCTP Bake-off (for RFC 2960) which was held at European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) facilities at Sophia Antipolis, France from 23-27 April, 2001. We participated with both the ASP and SG sides of the implementation
• Aricent successfully participated in the SCTP ver 13 interop in October, 2000
• Aricent successfully participated in the 1st M3UA bake-off, held in Madrid, Spain, organized by Ericsson (Spain) from May 7-11, 2000. We participated with both SG, ASP sides of the implementation