Message Transfer Part
| SS7 protocols by OSI layer | |
| Application | TCAP, CAP, ISUP, ... |
|---|---|
| Network | MTP Level 3 + SCCP |
| Data link | MTP Level 2 |
| Physical | MTP Level 1 |
The Message Transfer Part (MTP) is part of the Signaling System 7 (SS7) used for communication in Public Switched Telephone Networks. MTP is responsible for reliable, unduplicated and in-sequence transport of SS7 messages between communication partners.
MTP is formally defined primarily in ITU-T recommendations Q.701, Q.702, Q.703, Q.704 and Q.705. Tests for the MTP are specified in the ITU-T recommendations Q.781 for MTP2 and in Q.782 for MTP3. These tests are used to validate the correct implementation of the MTP protocol.
Different countries use different variants of the MTP protocols. In North America, the formal standard followed is ANSI T1.111. In Europe, national MTP protocols are based on ETSI EN 300-008-1.
The SS7 stack can be separated into four functional levels: Level 1 through Level 3 comprise the MTP, and Level 4 the MTP user. MTP Level 3 is sometimes abbreviated MTP3; MTP Level 2, MTP2. MTP and SCCP are together referred to as the Network Service Part (NSP).
There is no one-to-one mapping of MTP Levels 1 through 3 onto the OSI model. Instead, MTP provides the functionality of layers 1, 2 and part of layer 3 in the OSI model. The part of layer 3 of the OSI model that MTP does not provide, is provided by SCCP or other Level 4 parts (MTP users).
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