1.1 Introduction

1.2 SS7 System Architecture

1.1 Introduction

The SS7 MTP Layer 3 Developer's Reference Manual explains how to create applications that make use of SS7 MTP Layer 3.

Subsequent sections of this document describe the general characteristics and operation of the MTP 3 APIs as well as a detailed specification of the messages and function calls that comprise the APIs.

1.2 SS7 System Architecture

The TX SS7/MTP implementation (Figure 1) consists of the following:

On the TX board:

• The MTP task running on the TX board. This task implements the
  SS7 MTP 2 (data link) layer and the MTP 3 (network) layer.

• The TX Alarms Manager task. This task collects unsolicited alarms (status changes) generated by the SS7 tasks and forwards them to the host for application-specific alarm processing.

• The CPK/OS operating system.

On the Host Processor:

• The OS-independent TX device driver that provides low level access to the TX board from the host PC.

• The SS7 MTP Layer 3 configuration file, a text file that describes the general configuration of the MTP Layer 3 process, the SS7 links and link sets available to it, and the routes to other SS7 signal points.

• An MTP 3 configuration program that reads the SS7 MTP 3 configuration file and loads the configuration to the MTP task at system startup.

• Function-call based APIs that provide the application with a high-level interface to the MTP layer services, both data and management.

• Sample applications for both the data and the management APIs. These samples are provided in source and object code formats.

• A log process for capturing alarms from the board.

The MTP 3 data and management APIs are comprised of a set of function calls to pass messages between the user data and/or management application and the MTP layer 3 task on the TX board in order to transfer data, control flow, control communications in the SS7 network, and to obtain status and statistical information. A set of C-language functions are provided to simplify data and management operations and perform the byte ordering translation, where necessary, between application processor (Intel, or "little endian") byte order and network (or "big endian") byte order.

Figure 1. SS7 System Architecture