ABSTRACT: Issue 15 of GR-82, Signaling Transfer Point (STP) Generic Requirements, replaces Issue 14.

This document provides the view of proposed generic requirements and objectives for a typical Common Channel Signaling (CCS) Network Provider utilizing Signaling Transfer Points (STPs) in their CCS network. STPs are packet switches in the CCS network that transfer messages from one signaling link to another at Level 3.

A client company typically uses STPs to connect various Signaling Points (SPs) within its own network and to connect to SPs in other networks. STPs using the Signaling System Number 7 (SS7) protocol, as defined in GR-246, provide efficient transport of messages for trunk signaling and database services in a CCS network. A primary role of the STP in a CCS network is to provide overall network management functions to help ensure the prevention, detection, recovery, and supervision of CCS network failures.

These requirements describe the features and functionalities of STPs by defining their interaction with the SS7 protocol, signaling networks, and operations systems. This document is intended to help provide the basis for the CCS network architecture, procedures to implement SS7 protocols, and descriptions of provisioning, administration, and operational interfaces that can facilitate operation of the client companies CCS networks. Also included are capacity requirements and performance objectives to meet the overall reliability standards in a client company environment.

This document will enable equipment suppliers to implement and upgrade STPs that meet functional and operations requirements of typical local exchange carriers in North America, and that reliably interoperate with other suppliers' SS7 network elements and with the carriers' network operations support systems.

Issue 15 contains modified measurement names, functional descriptions and measurement definitions of several STP system total measurements.

GR-82 replaced TR-NWT-000082.

When using GR-82, you may need to refer to GR-63, GR-246, GR-284, GR-310, GR-478, and GR-815. You may also need to refer to GR-282, GR-376, GR-378, GR-454, TR-TSY-000458, GR-472, GR-474, GR-495, GR-513, TR-TSY-000825, TR-TSY-000827, GR-828, GR-833, GR-839, GR-840, GR-1244, GR-2878, TR-NWT-001112, GR-2963, and/or GR-3021, as well as various industry standards documents.

This GR also includes one or more Issue List Reports (ILRs) that detail open or closed technical issues in the main document. The ILR(s) are automatically sent free of charge to the the GR document purchaser.