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Signaling Transport
charter-ietf-sigtran-02

Document Charter Signaling Transport WG (sigtran)
Title Signaling Transport
Last updated 2009-03-19
State Approved
WG State Concluded
IESG Responsible AD (None)
Charter edit AD (None)
Send notices to (None)

charter-ietf-sigtran-02

The primary purpose of this working group will be to address the
transport of packet-based PSTN signaling over IP Networks, taking into
account functional and performance requirements of the PSTN signaling.

For interworking with PSTN, IP networks will need to transport
signaling
such as Q.931 or SS7 ISUP messages between IP nodes such as a
Signaling
Gateway and Media Gateway Controller or Media Gateway.

Examples of such transport include:

  • transport of signaling between a Signaling Gateway and Media
    Gateway
    or Media Gateway Controller
  • transport of signaling ("backhaul") from a Media Gateway to a Media
    Gateway Controller
  • transport of TCAP between a Signaling Gateway and other IP nodes

Applications include:

  • Internet dial-up remote access
  • IP telephony interworking with PSTN
  • Other services as identified

Specific goals are:

  1. Architecture and Performance Requirements: The working group will
    produce an informational RFC identifying functionality and
    performance requirements to support signaling over IP. Signaling
    messages have very stringent loss and delay requirements in the
    existing telephone networks that need to be supported.

2- Transport: The working group will produce a standards track
proposal or proposals defining transport of signaling protocols
using SCTP, based on the requirements identified above.

These proposals will identify the method of encapsulation of different
signaling protocols. This will include differentiating between
different protocols being carried, and what components are
transported,
translated or terminated at the SG. Security and resilience must be
addressed.

Note: TCAP is a transaction protocol with different functions and
requirements than call control signaling. This will need to be
taken into account in its mapping to IP networks.

  This work will be done in conjunction with other IETF working
  groups looking at similar issues.  The working group will also 
  ensure that good information conduits exist with groups in other
  standards groups with expertise in the relevant signaling 
  protocols or in the network requirements for the transport of

the
relevant signaling protocols.

The group will make use of existing IETF QoS and security technology
and
will not address creation of new QoS or security functions for IP
networks. Nor will the working group work on defining new call control
or device control protocols.