Signalling Gateway Resolves SS7 Point Code Conflicts
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Solution Overview
Problem
In SS7 networks, the lack of a regulatory organization for numbering plans leads to potential point code conflicts between different networks, making it challenging to uniquely address signalling nodes across networks.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that translate common addresses of SS7 network entities into unique symbolic addresses within each network, allowing a single signalling endpoint to communicate with multiple SS7 networks by processing messages through a signalling gateway, such as a SIGTRAN signalling gateway, to enable individual addressing of network entities with shared addresses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If point codes are used to identify signalling nodes in SS7 networks, then communication between network entities can be established, but point code conflicts occur when different networks use the same point code for different nodes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a signalling gateway as an intermediary component between SS7 networks. The gateway translates point codes from different networks, mapping them to unique internal representations. This mediator resolves the conflict by ensuring that even if Network A and Network B both use point code '123' for different nodes, the gateway can distinguish between them through translation tables, maintaining reliable node identification across networks.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the addressing space by introducing network-specific context to point codes. Instead of treating point codes as globally unique identifiers, the system segments them into network-local identifiers. The signalling gateway maintains separate translation contexts for each network, allowing the same point code value to exist in multiple networks without conflict, as each network's point codes are processed in isolation through dedicated translation paths.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a signalling endpoint needs to communicate with network entities in multiple SS7 networks, then network connectivity is improved, but addressing complexity increases due to potential point code duplicates
Solution Approach 1:
The signalling gateway acts as a mediator that abstracts away the complexity of multi-network addressing. The gateway maintains translation tables that map external point codes from different networks to internal unique identifiers. When a signalling endpoint needs to communicate with entities in multiple networks, it only needs to interact with the gateway using simplified addressing, while the gateway handles the complex translation and routing to the appropriate networks, reducing addressing complexity at the endpoint.
Solution Approach 2:
The signalling gateway provides universal functionality by serving as a single point of contact for communications with multiple SS7 networks. Instead of requiring the signalling endpoint to implement separate addressing logic for each network, the gateway offers a unified interface that handles translations across all connected networks. This multi-functional approach allows the endpoint to communicate with any network entity through a consistent mechanism, simplifying the overall system architecture.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a communication arrangement for distinguishing between network entities having the same address by translating between the same addresses and surrogate addresses using an intermediary network entity.