TN_SP002_E1_1

Iu Interface and Sigtran overview

V1026

Course Objectives

Function of Iu interface
RANAP protocol overview
SigTran Protocol

lu Interface
PSTN

Internet
AuC

CS

Mc

GMSC
Server

MGW

Abis

Um

GGSN
Other

D
Gn

Gs

SGSN
Iu-CS

RNC

BSC

BTS

MSC
Server/
VLR

Gb

Gc

HLR

Gr
Nc

Mc

PS

MGW
Nb

Gi

Iu-PS

Iur

RNC
Iub

Iub

BTS

Node B

Node B

Node B
Uu

PLMN
Gp

GSN

lu Interface Functions

The creation, maintenance and release management of

RAB
Implementing the switching between systems and within a
system
Support of cell broadcast service
The general management process without relationship with
the subscribers
User signaling management
Support of location services
Support of the simultaneous access into different domains
of the CN by the subscribers
Security function

PS Protocols

Structure of Iu-PS Interface used ATM

Control Plane
Radio
Network
Layer

User Plane
Iu UP Protocol

RANAP

Layer

Transport Network
User Plane

Transport Network
Control Plane

Transport Network
User Plane

SCCP

Transport
Network
Layer

MTP3-B
GTP-U
SSCF-NNI

UDP

SSCOP

IP

AAL 5

AAL 5

ATM

ATM

Physical Layer

Physical Layer

PS Protocols

Structure of Iu-PS Interface used IP

Control Plane
Radio
Network
Layer

User Plane
Iu UP Protocol

RANAP

Layer

Transport Network
User Plane

Transport Network
Control Plane

Transport Network
User Plane

SCCP

Transport
Network
Layer

M3UA

GTP-U

SCTP

UDP

IP

IP

Datalink

Datalink

Physical Layer

Physical Layer

Iu Interface
Radio
Network
Layer

Control Plane
RANAP

User Plane
User Plane
Iu UP Protocol
Layer

Transport
Network
Layer

Control Plane
ALCAP Q.2630.1

User Plane

Iu UP Protocol
Layer

User Plane

Establish connection

STC Q.2150.1
MTP3b
SSCF-NNI

GTP-U

SSCOP

UDP

AAL5

AAL2

ATM
Physical Layer

IP
AAL5

Course Objectives

Function of Iu interface
RANAP protocol overview
SigTran Protocol

RANAP Protocol
(Radio Access Network Application Part)
Responsible for functions of signal
interaction and encapsulation of Iu
interface and higher protocol bearer

RANAP

For interaction ways,it is

divided into three types:
with answer, without
answer and multiple
answer

According to transport
of message ways, it is
divided into connection
oriented and
connectionless

RANAP Function
RAB
assignment
function

Relocation
process

SRNS context
transfer
process

Location report
process:

Traffic report
process

Security mode
control function

Functions of RANAP

Iu interface
release
process

Paging process

RANAP: Initial UE Message

Iu signaling connection initialization (Initial UE

Message)
This process is used by RNC to forward NAS-PDU
from UE to CN transparently when Iu signaling
connection is established by RNC , it belongs to
no response and connection oriented process.
RNC

CN

Initial UE Message

RANAP: RAB Assignment

RAB Assignment is initiated by CN, but CN only

assign RAB ID and related RAB parameters, RNC
is responsible for execution and assigning user
plane resources and respond with one or more
responses to CN.
RNC

CN

RAB Assignment Request

RAB Assignment Response

RANAP: Paging

This process is used for CN to send paging

message for certain UE, it belongs to no response
and connectionless process. When UE is in idle
mode, public paging channel is used for paging;
When UE already has RRC (Radio Resource
Control) , specified RRC connection will be used
for paging.
RNC

CN

PAGING

RANAP: Iu Release

This process is used to release Iu connection and

related resources of UTRAN part, it has response
and is connection oriented.
RNC

CN

Iu Release Request
Iu Release Command [Cause]
Iu Release Complete

Course Objectives

Function of Iu interface
RANAP protocol overview
SigTran Protocol

Definition

SIGTRANSignaling TransportSIGTRAN is
used to transfer SS7 signaling in IP network. The
standard primitive interface supported by the
SIGTRAN does not require any modification to the
application part of the SS7. It transfers SS7
signaling over standard IP transport protocol and
adds functions to meet the transport requirements
of the SS7 signaling.

SIGTRAN Protocol Structure

TCAP
Q931/QSIG

MTP3

IUA

M2UA/M2PA

TUP

ISUP

M3UA

SCTP
IP

SCCP

TCAP

SUA

Application
Adaptation
Transport
IP layer

SigTran Protocol contains two layers: Transport layer and Adaptation layer

SCTP Protocol

The Stream Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP)

is designed to transfer SCN narrowband signaling
messages over the IP network. Actually the SCTP
is a connection-oriented protocol, but the concept
of the SCTP association is broader than that of the
TCP connection.
SCTP is a reliable datagram transfer protocol
based on an unreliable transfer protocol such as
UDP.

SCTP Terminology

Host: it is a physical entity, e.g. one computer

configured with one or more IP addresses.

SCTP End Point: it is a logical entity, e.g.

datagram sender and receiver. Each end point is
just identified by IP address and port number,
similar to TCP.

SCTP Association: it is a logical association or

channel established between two SCTP End
Points. C/S mode is adopted.

SCTP Layer model

SCTP user

SCTP user

SCTP layer

SCTP layer

IP layer
SCTP endpoint A

One or more IP addresses

Network transfer

IP layer
SCTP endpoint B

SCTP Initiation Procedure

The SCTP initiation procedure relies on a fourmessage sequence:

INIT, INIT ACK, COOKIE ECHO, COOKIE ACK.

SCTP Features

Features of SCTP:

Supporting sequenced or unsequenced transfer of user

datagram within the stream;
Establishing multiple streams within an association, and
the transfer of the data between the streams is
independent;
Supporting multi-homing at either or both ends of the
association to improve the reliability of the association;
Using COOKIE authentication to ensure the security of
the association setup;

Adaptation Protocols

According to the different upper users, different

adaptation protocols are adopted.

M3UA
M2UA
M2PA
SUA

Adaptation Layer-M3UA

M3UA (MTP3-User Adaptation Layer) protocol

conducts conversion between SPCs and IP
addresses. It is used for the SS7 signaling transfer
between the SGSN and the RNC. It supports
transferring the MTP3 user messages over the IP
network, including ISUP, TUP, and SCCP
messages.

M3UA Terminology Introduction

AS (Application Server): AS is a logical concept

and relevant to a physical equipment.
ASP (Application Server Process): ASP is a
progress instance. The AS contains a set of one
or more unique ASPs, of which one or more is
normally actively processing traffic.
In our system, we can have more than 1 ASP to
server an AS.

M3UA Terminology Introduction

IP Server Process (IPSP): it is the process

instance based on IP application. Essentially,
IPSP is the same as ASP but SCTP just uses the
end-to-end service.

M3UA occurred in IPSP

IPSP

IPSP

ISUP

ISUP

M3UA

M3UA

SCTP

SCTP

IP
IP

IP

Adaptation Layer-M2UA

M2UA: The MTP2 user adaptation layer (M2UA)

terminates the MTP2 at the edge SG of the
packet-based network, and transparently transfers
MTP2 user messages (MTP3 messages) to the
MTP3 in the packet-based network.

M2UA in SG

SP

SG

ASP

MTP3

(NIF)

MTP3

MTP2
L1

M2UA

M2UA

SCTP

SCTP

MTP2
SS7

L1

IP

IP

IP

Adaptation Layer-M2PA

M2PAM2PA is used to support the operations

between the peer layers of the MTP3 in the IP
network, support the boundary interface between
the MTP2 and MTP3, support the message
transfer through the SCTP association, implement
the MTP2 link function, and report the change to
the management status.

M2PA in SG

SP

SG

ASP

MTP3

MTP3

MTP3

MTP2
L1

MTP2
SS7

L1

M2PA

M2PA

SCTP

SCTP

IP

IP

IP

M2PA in IPSP

IPSP

IPSP

MTP3

MTP3

M2PA

M2PA

SCTP

SCTP

IP

IP

IP

Adaptation Layer-SUA

SUA: The SUA defines how to transfer SCCP user

messages between two SPs through IP. It can be
used by the SG for the interworking between the
SS7 and IP; it can also be used for the
interworking between two IPSPs in the IP network.

SUA in SG

SP

SG

ASP

TCAP

NIF
SCCP SUA
MTP3
MTP2 SCTP
L1
IP

TCAP

SCCP
MTP3
MTP2
L1

SS7

SUA
SCTP
IP

IP