TELECOM Digest OnLine - Sorted: Re: SS7 F-Links and A-Link Emulation to Decommission Switch

Re: SS7 F-Links and A-Link Emulation to Decommission Switch

Bob Colby (rcolby@withheld)
Wed, 16 Feb 2005 11:37:17 -0600

[ Pat, please suppress email address, thanks ]

Brett, you left out some important details, but let's try to work
through the problem regardless ...

First, F-links (Fully Associated links) are nothing special. They
work the same as other links, they just don't go through STPs, they
connect directly between two COs. It should be a relatively simple
experiment to define a trunk group between your two COs, and include
some channels for F-links in the same span. You will need to update
your MTP routing tables on both sides to point to the new F-links as
the path to get to the other CO's point code. Once this is complete,
calls between the two COs should use the new trunk group, AND should
be routing messages over the new F-links, not up the A-links. You
would need to do this in any case if the old CO is going to be around
for a while.

What you left out is who owns (or cares for) the STP(s) that your two
COs talk to over their A-links. This is what governs whether you will
be able to remove the old CO's A-links or not. In order for the rest
of the world to connect to your old CO via the new CO's A-links and
the new F-link, the STP that connects you to the network needs to
change its MTP routing tables so that it routes ALL messages (new CO
and old CO) over the new CO's A-links. The new CO then would forward
messages for the old CO across the newly defined F-link.

So, the controlling factor is not at your end, but at the STP end.
Depending on how long it would take to get the routing changes done,
some of your other alternatives may be faster.

Bob Colby

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