IS-41 OVERVIEW

Communication Networks Research Lab.

 Contents

• Introductions
• Basic Intersystem Handoff Functions
• Basic Automatic Roaming Functions
• Authentication Functions
• Call Processing Functions
• Short Message Service Functions
• IS-41/GSM Interworking

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 Introductions

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 Road to IS-41 Revision C
• IS-41 Revision 0 (Feb. 1988)
– First version of a cellular internetworking standard
– Addressed functions
• Basic intersystem handoff
• Basic service qualification
• Basic OA&M (circuit management)
• IS-41 Revision A (Jan. 1991)
– First network reference model appeared
– Addressed functions
• Intersystem handoff
• Enhanced service qualification
• Location management
• Mobile station state management 4
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 Road to IS-41 Revision C (Cont’d)
• IS-41 Revision B (Dec. 1991)
– Changes were made primarily to intersystem handoff
and network routing mechanisms
– Addressed functions
• Path minimization
• Flash feature support after handoff
• Support for TDMA handoff parameters
• Use of SS7 global title translation
• IS-41 Revision C (Feb. 1996)
– 6 times bigger than IS-41 B
– Support intelligent networking concepts
– Addressed functions
• Provide real time transfer of call detail records
• Enhanced network addressing
• Intelligent network trigger points
• More service management controls at the HLR 5
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 IS-41 Protocol Architecture

• Protocol Architecture
– Consist of Application services and Data transfer services
– Based on SS No. 7 structure, rather than OSI model
– Application services can be supported by a number of data
transfer services: Two alternative sets were recommended
• X.25-based protocol set
• SS No. 7 based protocol set
– Application services
• SS No. 7 Transaction Capabilities (TCs)
• IS-41 Mobile Application Part (MAP)
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 IS-41 Protocol Stack

IS-41 Mobile MAP AP functions

Application Part
(MAP) MAP ASE functions

TCAP component OSI application layer

sub-layer
TCAP TCAP transaction
sub-layer

SCCP
X.25 network layer
MTP Level 3
X.25-based
data transfer X.25 data link layer
... MTP Level 2
SS No. 7-based
data transfer
services services
X.25 physical layer MTP Level 1

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Model of IS-41 Application Service
Interface
IS-41 network node A IS-41 network node B

Application Application
processes processes

Application Service
REQUEST CONFIRM Interface (ASI) INDICATION RESPONSE

MAP ASE Invoke MAP ASE

and Return Result and
TCAP ASE TCAP ASE

Data transfer Data transfer

services services

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Basic Intersystem Handoff Functions

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 Intersystem Handoff Functions Specified
in IN-41 C
• Intersystem Handoff
– Handoff between two radio channels that are controlled by
two different MSCs
• Issues Associated with Intersystem Handoff
– Coordinating cell identification between neighboring MSCs
– Coordinating inter-MSC facility identification between
neighboring MSCs
– Supporting MS characteristics after handoff
– Limiting the length of “handoff chain”
• Intersystem Handoff Functions
– Handoff measurement
– Handoff forward
– Handoff back
– Path minimization
– Call release 10
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 Handoff Measurement
• Handoff Measurement Functions
– Identify the need
– Identify the candidates
– Evaluate the candidates
– Select a target
• Example of Handoff Measurement Processes

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 Handoff Forward
• Handoff Forward Functions
– Move the MS from the serving MSC to the target MSC
– Maintain a call path by establishing a circuit between
serving MSC and target MSC
• Example of Handoff Forward Processes

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 Handoff Back
• Handoff Back Functions
– Target MSC is already connected to serving MSC
– Once MS is moved to new channel, unused inter-MSC
circuit is removed
• Example of Handoff Back Processes

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 Path Minimization
• Path Minimization Functions
– Eliminate unnecessary inter-MSC circuits between
anchor MSC and target MSC
• Example of Path Minimization Processes

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 Call Release

• Example of Call Release Processes

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Basic Automatic Roaming Functions

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 Automatic Roaming

• Automatic Roaming
– Allow a subscriber to obtain mobile telecommunications
service outside the home service provider area
– Registration: Triggers for a number of automatic roaming
functions
• Automatic Roaming Functions
– MS service qualification
– MS location management
– MS state management
– HLR and VLR fault recovery
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 MS Service Qualification

• MS Service Qualification Functions

– Establish roaming MS’s financial accountability and
service capabilities in a serving system
• MS Service Qualification Process Include
– Serving system service qualification process
• Obtain service qualification information for each visiting MS
• Either by initiating a request to HLR or by receiving a directive
from HLR
– HLR service qualification process
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 MS Location Management

• MS Location Management Functions

– MS location update/cancellation
• Example of MS Location Management Processes

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 MS State Management

• MS State Management Functions

– Coordinate the call delivery availability state of an MS
between serving system and HLR
– State: active/inactive
– MS may be deemed inactive because
• MS is not registered
• MS is out of radio contact
• MS is intentionally inaccessible
• MS State Management Processes Include
– Serving system MS state management process
– HLR MS state management process
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 HLR and VLR Fault Recovery

• HLR and VLR Fault Recovery Processes

UNRELDIR: Unreliable RoamerDataDirective BULKDEREG: BultDeregistration

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 Authentication Functions

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 Authentication
• Authentication
– A set of functions used to prevent fraudulent access to
cellular networks by illegally programmed with
counterfeit mobile identification number (MIN) and
electronic serial number (ESN) information
– Based on A-Key and SSD
• Authentication Functions
– SSD sharing
– Global challenge
– Unique challenge
– SSD update
– Call history count update
– Authentication reporting
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 SSD Sharing

• SSD Sharing Functions

– Process by which the authentication center and the
serving system manage the sharing of authentication
responsibilities for a visiting MS
– Give the serving system significant local control over
the authentication of a visiting MS
• Supported Tasks
– Notifying the AC of the serving system’s capabilities
for SSD sharing
– “Turning on” and “Turning off” SSD sharing
– AC retrieval of shared COUNT information
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 Global Challenge
• Global Challenge Functions
– Serving system presents a numeric authentication challenge
to all MSs that are using a particular radio control channel
• Basic Global Challenge Authentication Process

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 Unique Challenge
• Unique Challenge Functions
– Serving system presents a numeric authentication challenge
to MS and verifies that the numeric authentication response
provided by the MS is correct
• Basic Unique Challenge Authentication Process

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 SSD Update and Call History Count
Update
• SSD Update
– SSD in MS is changed to new value under direction of AC
– Only AC may initiate this operation
– A unique challenge is executed immediately after SSD
update to confirm that target MS has successfully changed
its SSD
• Call History Count Update
– Authentication controller (VLR if SSD is shared, AC if not)
directs MS to update its stored COUNT value
– COUNT: 6 bit parameter intended to provide additional
security in case A-Key or SSD is compromised
– COUNT is maintained by both MS and authentication
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 Call Processing Functions

Communication Networks Research Lab.

 Call Processing
• Call Processing Functions
– Call origination services
• Basic call origination
• Subscriber personal identification number (PIN) access (SPINA)
• Subscriber PIN intercept (SPINI)
• Calling number identification restriction (CNIR)
• Message waiting notification (MWN)
• Voice message retrieval (VMR)
• Call transfer (CT)
• Three-way calling (3WC)
• Conference calling (CC)
• Priority access and channel assignment (PACA)
• Preferred language (PL)
• Voice privacy (VP) 29
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 Call Processing (Cont’d)
– Call termination services
• Call delivery (I.e., basic call termination)
• Call forwarding-unconditional (CFU)
• Call forwarding-default (CFD)
• Call forwarding-no answer (CFNA)
• Call forwarding-busy (CFB)
• Call waiting (CW)
• Do not disturb (DND)
• Calling number identification presentation (CNIP)
• Selective call acceptance (SCA)
• Password call acceptance (PCA)
• Mobile access hunting (MAH)
• Flexible alerting (FA) 30
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 Call Processing (Cont’d)

– Feature control services

• Basic single-step feature control
• Feature control with call routing
• Per-call feature control
• Multistep feature control
• Remote feature control

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 Call Processing Example:
Conference Calling

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 Call Processing Example:
Call Forwarding-Unconditional (CFU)

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 Short Message Service Functions

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 Short Message Service (SMS)
• Short Message Transport Mechanism
– Support a variety of teleservice applications
– Make use of commonly implemented transport protocols
– Incorporate a flexible addressing scheme
– Easily interwork with other PSDN
– Be compatible with e-mail services, paging services, and
other commonly used messaging services
• SMS Functions
– Short message entity (SME) service qualification
– SME location management
– SME state management
– Short message processing 35
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 Category of SMS

• SMS Bearer Service: Basic Transaction Mechanism

• SMS Teleservice: Complete Application Capability
• Layered Protocol Model
SME Message Center SME
SMS short messages SMS short messages SMS
teleservices teleservices teleservices
application application application

IS-41 SMS MAP SMD-PP IS-41 SMS MAP SMD-PP IS-41 SMS MAP
bearer service bearer service bearer service
SS7 TCAP SS7 TCAP SS7 TCAP
transport transport
S.25, IP or SS7 S.25, IP or SS7 S.25, IP or SS7
data link layer data link layer data link layer
physical layer physical layer physical layer
transmission transmission
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 SME Service Qualification and
Location Management
• SME Service Qualification
– Establish an SME’s financial accountability and service
capabilities in a serving system
– MS-based SME service qualification process
• If MS is qualified, SME is also qualified

• SME Location Management

– SME location update
– SME location cancellation
– MS-based SME location management process

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 SME State Management

• SME State Management Functions

– Process by which short message transmission availability
state of an MS-based SME is maintained in HLR
• HLR Consider MS-Based SME Unavailable Because
– MS is not “registered”
– MS is registered on an SMS-incapable system
– SME is not authorized for SMS service on the current
serving system
– Host MS is out of radio contact
– Host MS is intentionally inaccessible
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 Short Message Processing: Basic
Message Origination and Termination

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 IS-41/GSM Interworking

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 Introduction to Interworking

• Two Separate Areas of System Interworking

– Radio technology interworking
• Capability of an MS to interoperate between GSM radio
technology and IS-41 based radio technology to access either
GSM based or IS-41 based network to receive service
• Reasonable solution: Dual-mode MS
– Network interworking
• Offer primary service need (seamless automatic roaming) for
IS-41/GSM subscriber
• Best solution: Single MAP protocol supporting many network
access protocol Practically impossible
• Need the interworking of the application-layer MAP protocols
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 Interworking Between GSM and IS-41
• Definition of Interworking
– MAP interworking between GSM and IS-41
• Basic Assumptions Between GSM and IS-41 Networks
– Interworking implies successful communication
– Interworking provides a degree of seamlessness to
subscribers capable of transiting
– It is not feasible to provide an interworking solution enabling
full complexity
– Transmission facilities are compatible
– Signaling protocols providing transport are compatible
– Dual mode GSM/IS-41 based MS are used
– The subscriber has a single subscription allowing access to
both networks
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 Interworking Solutions
• Methods to Provide Interworking
– Protocol conversion: Translation of messages and parameters
– Database mapping: Translation and management of
information element
– Transaction management: Completion of queries between
two networks
• Interworking Solution
– Interworking functions (IWF): A logical functional entity
that performs appropriate protocol conversion, database
mapping, and transaction management to support mobility
management, call origination, and call delivery functions
IS-41 IWF GSM
network network
element element
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 Implementation of IWF:
Dual-Mode HLR
– Intrude the least on both network
– Very expensive implementation

IS-41 GSM
network IS-41 GSM network
HLR HLR
MSC/ IWF MSC/
VLR VLR

trunks
signaling link
PSTN

GSM Subscriber IS-41 Subscriber

(Dual mode MS) (Dual Model MS)
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 Implementation of IWF:
IWF As a Single Separate Network Element
– Require no change to existing IS-41 and GSM networks
– Can reside external or internal to either of networks
– IWR appears as HLR to serving network and as VLR to
home network

IS-41 GSM
Network HLR HLR Network
IWF
MSC/ MSC/
VLR VLR

PSTN

GSM Subscriber IS-41 Subscriber

(Dual mode MS) (Dual Model MS)

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