Methods and systems for communicating SS7 messages over packet-based network using transport adapter layer interface

• US 20060013203A1
• Filed: 07/19/2005
• Published: 01/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tekelec, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Tekelec
• Inventors: Brendes, Dan Alan, Sprague, David Michael, Benedyk, Robby Darren
• Granted Patent: US 7,525,997 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/104 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1043 Gateway controllers, e.g. media gateway control protocol [MGCP] controllers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/085 specially adapted for interworking of IP-based networks with other networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/325 in the network layer [OSI layer 3], e.g. X.25 H04L69/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/326 in the transport layer [OSI layer 4] H04L69/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/066 where the auxiliary connection is via an Internet Protocol network interworking of signalling system number 7 (SS7) with Internet Protocol-based session control protocols H04M7/1265, H04M7/127
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0025 Provisions for signalling
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0045 involving hybrid, i.e. a mixture of public and private, or multi-vendor systems

Abstract

A transport adapter layer interface (TALI) includes messages, processes, and packet structures for sending and receiving SS7 information over a stream-oriented connection, such as a TCP/IP connection. For example, the TALI interface includes test messages for testing the status of a connection and allow and prohibit messages for enabling and disabling service data communications without invoking a TCP handshaking procedure. The TALI interface also includes SYNC and LENGTH fields for facilitating extraction of individual message packets over a stream-oriented connection.

Claims

1. A method for processing transport adapter layer interface (TALI) messages received over a stream-oriented connection, the method comprising:

(a) receiving a plurality of TALI messages over a stream-oriented connection;

(b) identifying the beginning of each of the TALI messages using a first field in each of the TALI messages;

(c) identifying the end of each of the TALI messages using a second field in each of the TALI messages; and

(d) extracting individual TALI message packets using the first and second fields.

2. The method of claim 1 comprising identifying the content of each of the TALI messages using a third field in each of the TALI messages.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving a plurality of TALI messages over a stream-oriented connection includes receiving a plurality of TALI messages over a transmission control protocol (TCP) connection.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying the beginning of each of the TALI messages includes identifying each of the TALI messages using a SYNC field in each of the TALI messages.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying the end of each of the TALI messages using a second data field includes identifying the end of each of the TALI messages using a LENGTH field for specifying the length of a data portion of each of the TALI messages.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein identifying the content of each of the TALI messages using a third data field includes identifying the content of each of the TALI messages using an OPCODE field for specifying the content of each of the TALI messages.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein a data portion of each of the TALI messages carries SS7 information.

8. A computer program comprising computer-executable instructions embodied in a computer-readable medium for performing steps comprising:

(a) receiving a plurality of TALI messages over a stream-oriented connection;

(b) identifying the beginning of each of the TALI messages using a first field in each of the TALI messages;

(c) identifying the end of each of the TALI messages using a second field in each of the TALI messages; and

(d) extracting individual TALI message packets using the first and second fields.

9. The computer program product of claim 8 comprising identifying the content of each of the TALI messages using a third field in each of the TALI messages.

10. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein receiving a plurality of TALI messages over a stream-oriented connection includes receiving a plurality of TALI messages over a transmission control protocol (TCP) connection.

11. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein identifying the beginning of each of the TALI messages includes identifying each of the TALI messages using a SYNC field in each of the SS7 messages.

12. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein identifying the end of each of the TALI messages using a second data field includes identifying the end of each of the TALI messages using a LENGTH field for specifying the length of a data portion of each of the TALI messages.

13. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein identifying the content of each of the TALI messages using a third data field includes identifying the content of each of the TALI messages using an OPCODE field for specifying the content of each of the TALI messages.

14. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein a data portion of each of the TALI messages carries SS7 information.