ABSTRACT: Issue 3 of GR-3021, Generic Requirements for CCS Nodes Supporting M2PA IP-Based Virtual High-Speed Signaling Links (IPVHSLs), replaces Issue 2.

This GR document provides the Telcordia view of proposed generic requirements for Internet-Protocol (IP) based Virtual High-Speed Signaling Links (IPVHSLs) to be implemented at Signaling System Number 7 (SS7) Common Channel Signaling (CCS) network nodes. The IPVHSLs defined in this document shall use the signaling protocol stack defined by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) Signaling Transport (SIGTRAN) working group for the SS7 Message Transfer Part (MTP) Layer 2 Peer-to-Peer User Adaptation Layer (M2PA) over the Stream Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP) and an IP-based data network for encapsulated SS7 message transport. This architecture is intended to facilitate the replacement of conventional, port-dedicated signaling links between CCS nodes in the Telcordia clients' CCS networks with IPVHSLs. These virtual links will provide additional capacity at higher data rates and a more efficient and more flexible utilization of the underlying bandwidth in the interoffice transport facilities network and at the CCS nodes' network interfaces. The generic requirements provided in this document cover the SS7 protocol and message handling functions and operations capabilities applicable to those CCS nodes that implement IPVHSLs. Issue 3 of this document incorporates clarifications, revisions, and corrections to the generic criteria published in Issue 2, and reflects revised draft industry standards and revisions to related Telcordia GRs.

Among the more significant revisions are the following: (1) Relaxation of prior requirements and the addition of explanatory text concerning performance monitoring during the M2PA link proving process as part of the link alignment procedures, and during in-service link operation; (2) Removal of objectives concerning support for IP Security Encapsulation Payload (ESP) procedures at the CCS node; (3) Updates reflecting the IANA's standardization of the registered SCTP user service access port number (a.k.a., "well-known" port number ) for the M2PA protocol at 3565 and of the SCTP-carried payload protocol identifier for the M2PA at 5; (4) Clarifications regarding the use of provisioned IP addresses and SCTP user port number information in SCTP association establishment for M2PA IPVHSLs; (5) Corresponding revisions and refinements concerning operations data and operations functional requirements supporting these procedures, and (6) Alignment of described operations data, including translations, measurements, and alarms, with corresponding operations interface requirements for STPs as specified in Issue 2 of GR-310-CORE.

When using GR-3021, you may need to refer to GR-82, GR-246, GR-606, GR-1241, GR-63, GR-282, GR-376, GR-454, GR-495, GR-513, TR-740, TR-TSY-000825, GR-839, GR-840, IETF RFC 1573, and/or IETF RFC 2960.