The Cisco® IP Transfer Point (ITP) is a comprehensive and flexible solution for transporting Signaling System 7 (SS7) traffic over traditional time-division multiplexing (TDM) networks or advanced SS7-over-IP (SS7oIP) networks. The Cisco IP Transfer Point supports traditional, advanced, and combined traditional/advanced networks, so mobile and fixed telecom operators can migrate to more cost-efficient IP networks that support their business goals.
The Cisco ITP offers the complete feature set found in traditional signaling transfer points (STPs). When operating in a TDM environment, the Cisco ITP provides superior value for transporting SS7 traffic over traditional TDM networks.
Using the standards developed by the IETF's Signaling Transport (SIGTRAN) working group, in an SS7oIP environment, the Cisco ITP connects to traditional SS7 nodes or IP-enabled signaling nodes and offloads this SS7 traffic to reliable and cost-efficient IP networks, thus freeing capacity and ports on the existing and costly SS7 network. The Cisco ITP is also capable of operating in an environment that interworks TDM and SS7oIP.
Additionally, by incorporating the SIGTRAN working group's Message Transfer Part Layer 3 (MTP3) User Adaptation Layer (M3UA) and Signaling Connection Control Part (SCCP) User Adaptation Layer (SUA) standards, the Cisco ITP provides complete signaling gateway functions between traditional TDM networks and IP-enabled signaling endpoints.
The Cisco ITP thus provides superior value over traditional SS7 transport solutions while providing the infrastructure for the next generation of signaling transport.
Important features and benefits of the Cisco ITP include:
• Signaling infrastructure cost reduction
• Superior value and flexible scalability for signaling-capacity expansion, for TDM or IP
• Integrated, leading IP routing features, including IP WAN media support and quality of service (QoS)
• Reliability and performance characteristics demanded by signaling infrastructures
• High-speed link (HSL) support
• Traditional STP feature set, including global title translation (GTT) and gateway screening
• Open industry standards: Message Transfer Part 2 (MTP2) User Peer-to-Peer Adaptation Layer (M2PA), M3UA, and SUA
• IP investment protection
• Portfolio of industry-leading traditional SS7 and SS7oIP solution partners
• Mobile Application Part (MAP) gateway services for wireless LAN (WLAN) subscriber identity module (SIM) authentication and authorization
• Advanced Short Message Service (SMS) multilayer routing (MLR)
• Gateway STP functions, including concurrent multiple variants and conversion
Protocol Specifications and Compliance
Figure 1 shows the basic protocol architecture of a Cisco IP Transfer Point and its any-to-any switching capability.
Figure 1. Cisco IP Transfer Point Protocol Architecture
IETF RFC 2960: Stream Control Transmission Protocol
IETF RFC 3309: Stream Control Transmission Protocol Checksum Change
MAP
03.40 ETSI Document TS 100 901 v7.5.0
The Cisco ITP MTP2 and MTP3 layers have been tested for STP conformance by Telcordia Technologies.
Platform SpecIFIcations
The Cisco IP Transfer Point is implemented on the Cisco 2600XM Series Router1 (Cisco 2650XM and 2651XM), the Cisco 2811 Router, the Cisco 7200 Series Router (Cisco 7204VXR and 7206VXR), the Cisco 7301 Router, and the Cisco 7500 Series Router2 (Cisco 7507 and 7513). All hardware models function similarly by performing MTP3 and Signaling Connection Control Part (SCCP) routing over SS7 TDM links or over an IP (or dual IP) network. The scope of this data sheet is specific to the Cisco 2600XM and 7500 Series Routers. Please reference additional Cisco ITP data sheets for information regarding the additional supported hardware platforms described above.
Note: RAM and Flash memory requirements are determined by operational requirements for maximum capacity. Cisco IOS Software images, routing tables, Global Title Translations (GTTs), and run-time data structures consume memory.
Table 3. SS7 Interface Support by Platform (interface card part numbers shown below)
Interface Type
Cisco 2650/2651XM
Cisco 7507/7513
V.35
WIC-1T, WIC-2T
PA2-8T-V35, PA-4T+
EIA3/TIA-449
WIC-1T, WIC-2T
PA-4T+
EIA/TIA-530
WIC-1T, WIC-2T
Channelized T1/DS-0
VWIC-1MFT-T1, VWIC-2MFT-T1,
VWIC-2MFT-T1-DI
PA-MCX-8TE1-M
Channelized E1
VWIC-1MFT-E1, VWIC-2MFT-E1,
VWIC-2MFT-E1-DI
PA-MCX-8TE1-M
High-speed links (ATM over T1/E1)
PA-A3-8T1IMA and PA-A3-8E1IMA
High-speed links (Q703 unchannelized E1)"
PA-MCX-4TE1-Q
STM-1
PA-A6-OC3 (MM, SMI, and SML)
Note: WAN interface card = WIC, Voice WIC = VWIC, Port adapter = PA, Electrical Interface Assembly/Telecommunications Industry Alliance = EIA/TIA
T1 Compliance
• ANSI T1.403
• United States (UL 1950, 1459, T1)
• Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Part 68
• Canada (C1950, T1)
• Unites States (FCC part 15J Class A, T1)
• United Kingdom (BS6301, EN60950, EN41003)
• Canada (CSA C108.8 Class A, T1)
• Bellcore-AT&T Accunet (62411)
• ATT 54016
• Japan (VCCI Class 2, T1)
E1 Compliance
• Germany (TUV GS)
• Germany (VDE 0878 part 3 and 30)
• France (NFC98020)
• France (EN60950, EN41003)
• Sweden (SS447-2-22)
• Europe (EN55022 Class B, EN55102-1, EN55102-2)
• CCITT/ITU G.703, G.704, I.431
• ETSI NET5, ETS300156
• CTR-4, CTR-12
• TBR-13
• ETS 300011
• ITU I.431
IP Media Support
• T1
• E1
• Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet
• ATM over T1, E1, OC-3 single mode, OC-3 multimode
• V.35
Note: SS7 over IP (SCTP, M2PA, M3UA, SUA) is supported over T1, E1, Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, and ATM OC-3 single mode and ATM OC-3 multimode. Support for other media types can be considered upon request.
Capacity and performance notes:
• Cisco 7507 and 7513 Router capacity and performance are based on:
– Configured with RSP16 and VIP6-80 processors
– MTP3 offload and xUA SCTP offload enabled
– Dual Route Switch Processor (RSP) for redundancy
– One IP VIP interface for network management
This results in four available slots for interface processors on the Cisco 7507 and 10 available slots for interface processors on the Cisco 7513.
• Each VIP must be dedicated to a single signaling protocol (Low Speed Link [LSL], High Speed Link [HSL], M2PA, M3UA, or SUA).
• Individual links are capable of running at 1.0 Erlang.
• Performance data listed in Table 4 is based on 100-byte average message signal unit (MSU) size.
• For the purposes of estimating MSUs-per-second performance, a packet that enters and then exits the ITP is counted as a single MSU (not as two MSUs). Performance data in Table 4 reflects this methodology.
• For Cisco 7500 Series capacity planning, the rate of MSUs per second cannot exceed the VIP line card or the central processor's MSUs-per-second capacity limits; for capacity planning on the other platforms, the rate of MSUs per second cannot exceed the central processor's MSUs-per-second capacity limits.
• Multilayer routing introduces a typical 10 percent processor overhead. As the multilayer routing requires the central RSP processor for routing, the feature is not compatible with the High-Performance VIP-offload feature, which provides increased MSUs-per-second capacity. The VIP offload NSO feature, however, is supported with multilayer routing.
• GTT introduces up to 20 percent processor overhead. This applies to the Cisco 2651 Router. With VIP-offload enabled on the Cisco 7500 Series, this overhead only applies to the M3UA and SUA signaling gateway protocols.
• For GSM TCAP-segmented messages that require MO-Proxy for MLR operations, extrapolation based on the percentage of traffic that requires MO-Proxy is used to estimate the performance impact. MO Proxy performance shown in Table 4 is based upon 100 percent of SMS traffic requiring TCAP segmentation.
Table 4. Cisco IP Transfer Point Features
Maximum
Cisco 2650/2651 XM
Cisco7507
Cisco 7513
Low-speed TDM links
4
320
800
M2PA links
100
1000
1000
HSLs
-
64
160
LSLs per VIP
-
80
80
HSLs per VIP
-
16
16
MSUs per second per VIP (in each direction; any protocol)
-
6000
6000
LSL, HSL, M2PA MTP3 Routed MSUs per second (bidirectional total)
1200
28,000 - with or without VIP Offload enabled
30,000 - without VIP Offload enabled
60,000 - with VIP Offload enabled and High-Performance License
M3UA MSUs per second (bidirectional total)
1200
15,000 - without VIP Offload enabled
20,000 - with VIP Offload enabled and High-Performance License
15,000 - without VIP offload enabled
20,000 - with VIP Offload enabled and High-Performance License
SUA MSUs per second (bidirectional total)
900
10,000 - without VIP Offload enabled
14,000 - with VIP Offload enabled and High-Performance License
10,000 - without VIP Offload enabled
14,000 - with VIP Offload enabled and High-Performance License
MAP gateway SIM authentication transactions per second
-
1800
1800
MAP gateway SIM authentication plus authorization transactions per second
-
360
360
MO Proxy
800
800
Latency (MTP3 and GTT routed MSUs)
5-40 ms
5-40 ms
5-40 ms
Entries in routing table
1000
10,000
10,000
Maximum
Cisco 2650/2651XM
Cisco 7507
Cisco 7513
Entries in GTT table
150,000
500,000
500,000
M3UA/SUA routing keys
1000
10,000
10,000
Cisco IP Transfer Point Features
Table 5. Cisco IP Transfer Point SS7oIP Features
Category
Cisco IP Transfer Point Capability
SS7 routing
SCCP, GTT, and MTP3 any-to-any routing between all link types
QoS
QoS per SCTP association with classification based on:
• Service indicator
• Point code
• Input link set
• Global title address
• Access lists
• M3UA/SUA routing key
GTT support
Full traditional SCCP and GTT support
Address translation
Gateway screening
The ITP Gateway Screening is a process that checks the contents of an incoming/outgoing message and either allows or rejects the message based on provisioned screening. Screening rules are specified in tables and are applied to an inbound or outbound linkset or an application server. If the incoming message is allowed, it is further processed. If the outgoing message is allowed, it is routed to the specified destination.
Gateway screening tables are identified by the type of screening to be applied. Each gateway screening table consists of two types of information:
• Screening information: screening parameters
• Structural information: next screening steps
Screening rules are chained to indicate the next screening steps. The final result is either to allow the message for further routing or to discard the message.
Supports full traditional STP screening capability, including the MTP3- and SCCP-layer screening using access lists for any combination of the following MSU parameters:
MTP3 screening
• Origination point code
• Destination point code
• Service indicator
• Affected PC in management messages
SCCP screening
• Called party
• Global title indicator
• Translation type
• Numbering plan
• Nature of address indicator
• Encoding scheme
• Point code
• Subsystem number
• Calling party
• Global title indicator
• Translation type
• Numbering plan
• Nature of address indicator
• Encoding scheme
• Point code
• Subsystem number
• SCCP management screening
• Affected point code
• Affected subsystem number
• ISUP
• ISUP message type
General screening
• Byte-pattern and offset
Multilayer routing-based screening features are also supported; see multilayer routing feature description in table further below
SS7 load sharing
Complete MTP3 and SCCP load sharing for links, link sets, and combined link sets for any link types
Multiple point codes
Primary, secondary, and capability point codes and M3UA/SUA routing keys: Up to 32 TDM links to adjacent nodes
Multiple instances
The Multiple Instance feature enables multiple variant and network indicator combinations to run concurrently on one Cisco ITP. Up to 8 instances can be configured. Each instance is a separate domain with a defined variant, network indicator, Cisco ITP point code, optional capability point code, and optional secondary point code.
• Instance Translation - This Cisco ITP feature enables the conversion of packets between instances of the same variant.
• Instance Conversion - This Cisco ITP feature enables conversion between ITU and ANSI instances for point code and global title.
Multilayer Routing (MLR)
The ITP MLR feature helps enable intelligent routing of all SS7 messages at the MTP or SCCP layer based on a flexible schema including OPC-DPC-SI and CdPa and CgPA parameters. Additionally, MLR allows for TCAP-layer routing of SMS mobile-originated/mobile-terminated (MO/MT) messages based on the application or service from which they originated or to which they are destined. The MLR feature can make SMS message-routing decisions based on information found in the TCAP, MAP, and MAP-user layers. Advanced routing capabilities are based on parameters such as SMS A-address, B-address, destination SMSC, and origination MSC. Also supports IS-41 SMS message routing.
MAP gateway SIM authentication and authorization
SIM-based authentication and authorization using RADIUS vendor-specific attributes interface.
MO Proxy
Enables the ability to route segmented GSM MAPv2 and higher messages based on application-layer parameters by terminating the MO dialogue. This capability ensures that the SMS MO dialogues for a given B-address are handled by the same SMSC. MO-Proxy is incompatible with the MMSC Gateway feature.
ITP Group
The ITP Group feature provides the ability to use a single point code to represent a mated-pair of Cisco ITP signaling gateways and the application server client. The feature is available on the Cisco 2651, 7200, and 7301 platforms. The two Cisco ITPs must be identical platforms and must be collocated with a direct Ethernet interface connection. The maximum links supported by the Cisco ITP Group is the maximum supported by the single individual platform.
Preventive Cyclic Redundancy (PCR)
The Cisco ITP supports this additional MTP2-layer error correction algorithm which is often used for satellite-based SS7 links where one-way propagation delays can exceed 40ms.
Network management and monitoring
Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)-based network management for nodes, links, and routes (using a GUI); interoperates with CiscoWorks, CiscoView, HP OpenView products.
DiffServ-compliant Weighted Random Early Detection (WRED)
Flow-based WRED
Flow-based WRED
Generic traffic shaping
Generic traffic shaping
LLQ
Low Latency Queuing
PBR
Policy-Based Routing
RED/WRED
Random Early Detection/WRED
SPD
Selective Packet Discard
Note: Not all IP features listed in Tables 6-8 are available when the "VIP offload" feature is utilized.
Table 8. Other Cisco IOS Software Features in the Cisco ITP
Feature
Description
AAA
Authentication, authorization, and accounting
Access lists
Access lists
Cisco Discovery Protocol
Cisco Discovery Protocol
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)
DHCP Client, DHCP Proxy Client, DHCP Server-Easy IP Phase 2
IP routing
IP EIGRP route authentication, IP multicast load splitting across equal-cost paths, IP-named access control list
IP-to-ATM QoS
IP Multicast
Cisco Express Forwarding
NAT
Network Address Translation
NTP
Network Time Protocol
RADIUS
Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service
SAA
Cisco Service Assurance Agent
SNMP
SNMP, SNMP version 3, SNMPv2C
TACACS
Terminal Access Controller Access Control System, TACACS SENDAUTH function, TACACS single connection
System Availability Metrics
The Cisco 7500 Series offers full hardware redundancy at all system levels and is widely deployed in industry segments that require a carrier-class, highly reliable, and high-availability platform.
Cisco monitors mean time between failure (MTBF) and mean time to repair (MTTR) data for Cisco 7500 Series hardware and software in large service provider networks. From customer results, single Cisco ITP availability achieves "five nines" or 99.999 percent availability and, with an MTTR of one-half hour, can achieve "six nines" or 99.9999 availability. Mated-pair Cisco ITP system availability far exceeds "six nines" or 99.9999 percent availability.
Cisco Mobile Wireless Transport Manager
Cisco Mobile Wireless Transport Manager (MWTM) Release 6.0 provides monitoring and management capabilities to the Cisco ITP solutions. Cisco MWTM addresses the element-management requirements of mobile operators and provides fault, performance, configuration, and troubleshooting capability as mobile operators make the transition from first-generation fixed, leased-line networks to a converged IP-based infrastructure.
Features
Table 9 includes a list of new features available with the Cisco MWTM 6.0 release.
Table 9. Cisco Mobile Wireless Transport Manager 6.0 Features
Features
Description
Extensive Cisco ITP support
Supports all Cisco ITP platforms:
• Cisco 2650 and 2651 Multiservice Platforms
• Cisco 2811 Integrated Services Router
• Cisco 7204VXR and 7206VXR Routers
• Cisco 7301 Router
• Cisco 7507 and 7513 Routers
• Cisco 7600 Series Routers
Event monitoring
Displays a real-time event list that supports acknowledgement, annotation, customized filtering, and field viewing that conform to ITU-T X.733 standards.
Receives native traps from hardware devices in the Cisco ITP solutions and uses Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) polling to identify the status of each managed Cisco ITP device and the status of links and link sets. Cisco MWTM uses easy-to-recognize color-coded icons to report the status.
Wizard-based provisioning
Assists in provisioning destination point code (DPC) route tables, global title translation (GTT) tables, multilayer routing (MLR) address tables, application servers, application server processes, interfaces, links, and link sets by providing GUI-based editing; reduces errors by checking syntax and semantics before deploying the tables to the Cisco ITP device.
Performance reporting
Provides extensive Web-based accounting and network statistics reports.
Displays real-time data rate and usage line graphs.
Includes network efficiency and detailed interface-level statistics as well as Q.752-based statistics reports, point code inventory reports including Message Transfer Part Level 3 (MTP3), GTT, MTP3 User Adaptation (M3UA) or Signaling Connection Control Part (SCCP) SCCP User Adaptation (SUA), Message Signal Unit (MSU) and multilayer routing reports.
Autodiscovery and topology
Discovers the entire Cisco ITP network and displays each network element, neighboring equipment, and physical/logical connectivity in a network topology drawing that users can customize.
Troubleshooting
Customizable troubleshooting tools aid in reducing the total time to resolution of network/device problems.
OSS integration
Receives SNMP traps and generates Cisco MWTM-specific traps for forwarding to external SNMP-based network management applications such as Cisco Info Center or IBM Tivoli Netcool.
Statistics are stored in comma-separated value (CSV) format files for extracting performance and Key Performance Indicator (KPI) metrics information.
Northbound: Cisco ITP Extensible Markup Language (XML)/Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) APIs for events, traps, and inventory allows third-party OSSs to programmatically manage events by retrieving a list of events or providing access to inventory data.
Northbound: Cisco ITP Provisioning XML/SOAP APIs allows third-party OSSs to programmatically configure Cisco ITP tables and objects.
Security
Supports multiple user-authentication methods-OS-based and standalone.
Optional SSL-based encryption between client and server support optional Secure Shell (SSH) Protocol-based encryption between server and network element.
Client/server architecture and OS support
Based on client/server architecture, Cisco MWTM supports Windows and Solaris clients and Solaris and Linux servers and provides data access through a Web browser.
