Chapter 1 Signaling Flows of SMS 1-0

Objectives.... 1-1

1 Signaling Flow Overview..1-2
1.1 Principle of SMS Flow.....
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1.2 Three Kinds of SMS Signaling Flow. 1-5

2 Signaling Flows Analysis... 1-6
2.1 MO Flow.... 1-7
2.2 MT Flow. 1-9
2.3 Set Flag . 1-
2.4 Clear Flag.. 1
2.5 Alert_SC Flow 0

3 Other Application Service Flows..1-
3.1 Alert Notification Service Flow. 1
3.2 SM Interception Flow 1

Summary.. 1-

Question.. 1
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 Chapter 1 Signaling Flows of SMS 1-1

This chapter introduces signaling flows of SMS in GSM network, including the
following contents:

 The principle of sending and receiving SM

 Three kinds of signaling flow

 The service flows related to SMC

Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:

 Know the principle of sending and receiving SM

 Describe three kinds of SMS signaling flow

 Analyze three kinds of SMS signaling flow

 Compare with normal MT flow and abnormal MT flow, and tell the difference.

 Describe setting and clearing the flag in HLR

 List the conditions of Alert_SC

 List the service flows of SMS

The emphases of this chapter:

 MO flow, MT flow and Alert_SC flow

 The signaling transfer among different devices

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 Chapter 1 Signaling Flows of SMS 1-2

This section covers aspects of general introduction of short message signaling flow in
GSM network, including the principle of sending and receiving SM and the basic
concepts about three kinds of signaling flow.

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 Chapter 1 Signaling Flows of SMS 1-3

Each subscriber belongs to an SMSC, When subscriber submits an SM, this

message will be send to SMSC which the subscriber belongs to, no matter where the
subscriber is.

The home SMSC of the sender delivers that short message to receiver, without
forwarding to the SMSC which the receiver belongs to.

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 Chapter 1 Signaling Flows of SMS 1-4

Three kinds of signaling flow of SMS

 MO: SM Mobile Originated. The MO is the process from the MS accessing the
system to the MS receiving the acknowledgement message from the SMC
system.

 MT: SM Mobile Terminated. The MT flow refers to the process that the infoX-
SMC system delivers a short message to an MS.

 Alert_SC: Alert Service Center. When the HLR detects that the failure cause of
SM delivery is eliminated (that is, the MS is switched on, or the memory of the
MS is available, and so on), it sends the Alert_SC command to the SMC system.
On receiving this command, the SMC system attempts to redeliver the SM.

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 Chapter 1 Signaling Flows of SMS 1-5

This section covers aspects of signaling flow analysis, including MO flow, MT flow
and Alert_SC flow. In this section, you will learn how the SMC system ensures that an
SM arrives to receiver in normal situation and abnormal situation.

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 Chapter 1 Signaling Flows of SMS 1-6

Service flow
 1)The MS submits the access request and possible authentication to the VLR
(Access request and possible authentication). This signaling check MS can
access this network or not.
 2)The MS transfers the SM to the MSC (Message Transfer).
 3)The MSC to verify from the VLR that the mobile originated short message
transfer does not violate supplementary services invoked or restrictions
imposed using thenetwork feature Operator Determined Barring.
 4)The MSC forwards the SM to the SMS-IWMSC (ForwardShortMessage).
Subscriber sets the SMC address which he belongs to in his handset,
According to that address, MSC sends SMs to the correct SMS-IWMSC.
 5)The SMS-IWMSC transfers the SM to the SMC system (Message transfer).
 6)The SMC system sends an acknowledgement (success or error) back to the
SMS-IWMSC.
 7)The SMS-IWMSC sends the acknowledgement back to the MSC.
 8)The MSC sends the acknowledgement back to the MS.

 Note
 SMS-IWMSC: Short Message Service Interworking MSC, responsible for processing
SMs submitted by the MS.

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 Chapter 1 Signaling Flows of SMS 1-7

Service description

 The SMC system finds the HLR of the destination MS according to the destination
MSISDN, and sends a message to the HLR to query the address of the MSC
where the destination MS is currently located.

 After getting the address, the SMC system sends an SM to the MSC where the
destination MS resides. The MSC forwards this SM to the destination MS, which
then sends the acknowledgement message to the SMC system after receiving the
SM.

Service flow

 1)The SMC system submits the message transfer request to the

 2)The SMS-GMSC queries from the HLR about the routing information for sending
(SendRoutingInfo_For_ShortMessage). Actually this route information is the GT
code of MSC where the called number located.

 3)The SMS-GMSC forwards the SM to the MSC (Forward_ShortMessage).

 Note
 SMS-GMSC: Short Message Service Gateway MSC, responsible for processing
delivered SMs.

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 Chapter 1 Signaling Flows of SMS 1-8

 4)The MSC queries from the VLR about the routing information for sending
(SendInfoFor_MT_SMS), and from the HLR gets back the international mobile
subscriber identity (IMSI) of the subscriber and the number of the MSC where
the current subscriber is located.

 5)The MSC transfers the SM to the MS (Message transfer).

 6)The MS sends the acknowledgement message to the MSC.

 8)The MSC sends back the delivery report to the SMS-GMSC.

The MT signaling flow is quite complicated. What is mentioned above is a normal

message delivery flow, and the flow of abnormal message delivery is described below.

 If the subscriber is out of the service area or the memory of the subscriber's MS
is full of SMs, the GMSC sets Mobile Not Reachable Flag (MNRF) or Memory
Capacity Exceeded Flag (MCEF) in the HLR, with Delivery Status Report as the
signaling name.

 If the MNRF or the MCEF in the HLR is already set when the GMSC gets a
route from the HLR, the HLR sends the Inform SC signaling to the GMSC in
addition to the routing information (if the HLR is of the Phase 1 version, this
process is unnecessary), notifying it that the subscriber is unavailable. Now if
the SM to be delivered is of ordinary priority, the GMSC does not attempt to
deliver it any longer. If it is of high priority, the GMSC attempts to deliver it again.
If the delivery fails, it ends. If the delivery succeeds, the MNRF or the MCEF in
the HLR is cleared and the information of successful delivery is returned to the
SMC system. If there are more SMs of the subscriber to be delivered, the
session with the MSC is maintained and these SMs are delivered continuously
until they are all delivered or errors occur.

 When an SM is delivered successfully, the SMC system detects whether it is an

MO one and whether the status report is required. If it is an MO SM, the SMC
system sends a status report SM to the subscriber who submits the SM.

 the 7th flow sets and clears flag, how to set and clear will explain in following
slides.

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 Chapter 1 Signaling Flows of SMS 1-9

In MT flow, The SMC system finds the HLR of the destination MS according to the
destination MSISDN, and sends a message to the HLR to query the address of the
MSC where the destination MS is currently located.

After getting the address, the SMC system sends an SM to the MSC where the
destination MS resides. at this time MS switch off. So the MSC will get an error
acknowledgement form MS.

MSC will send this error acknowledgement to USAU,USAU will set MNRF in HLR, the
signaling of setting flag is delivery report. this signaling not only set flag, but also
record the SMC address in HLR.

When the HLR detects that the failure cause of SM delivery is eliminated, it sends the
Alert_SC command to the SMC system. On receiving this command, the SMC system
attempts to redeliver the SM.

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 Chapter 1 Signaling Flows of SMS 1-10

If the MNRF or the MCEF in the HLR is already set when the GMSC gets a route from
the HLR, the HLR sends the Inform SC signaling to the GMSC in addition to the
routing information (if the HLR is of the Phase 1 version, this process is unnecessary),
notifying it that the subscriber is unavailable.

If it is of high priority, the GMSC attempts to deliver it again. If the delivery fails, it
ends. If the delivery succeeds, the MNRF or the MCEF in the HLR is cleared and the
information of successful delivery is returned to the SMC system.

the signaling of clearing flag is delivery report. If there are more SMs of the subscriber
to be delivered, the session with the MSC is maintained and these SMs are delivered
continuously until they are all delivered or errors occur.

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 Chapter 1 Signaling Flows of SMS 1-11

Service description

 After an MS is switched on, it requests for access from MSC through BTS and
BSC. If it is the first time that the MS is switched on in the area controlled by
this MSC, there is no related information of this MS in the MSC.

 The MSC finds the HLR of this MS according to the MSISDN and sends a
message to this HLR to query the relevant information of the MS.

 After the HLR sends the relevant information to the MSC, the MSC receives
the login request if it deems the subscriber valid. During this process, the HLR
records the address of the MSC where the MS currently locates.

 After the MS is switched on, the HLR sends the ALERT_SC message to
prompt the SMC system to send the stored SM to the MS. This is the
ALERT_SC process.

Service flow:

 When the MS is switched on, or the memory is released due to such

operations as deleting SMs when the memory is used up, the MS reports to
the VLR that the SM function is available (RP_MS_TO_NETWORK_SMS_A).

 The VLR notifies the HLR that the MS is now ready to receive SMs
(RegForSM).

 The HLR sends an alert message to the GMSC (ALERT_SC).

 The gateway notifies the SM background, and then the SMC system sends
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the SM to the subscriber.
 Chapter 1 Signaling Flows of SMS 1-12

This section covers aspects of other application flow refer to SMS, including Alert
Notification service flow and SM Interception flow.

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 Chapter 1 Signaling Flows of SMS 1-13

This service flow can inform SP resend message to subscriber.

The flow is described as follows:

 1)The SP submits a Data_SM message to the SMC system. The Data_SM

message requires the setting of the delivery pending flag when it fails to be
delivered.

 2)After receiving the message submitted by the SP, the SMC system delivers
the SM to the MS.

 3)With a failed delivery, the network sends a response message to the SMC
system indicating the failure.

 4)The SMC system sets delivery pending flag according to SPs requirement
and returns a response to the SP (Data_SM_Resp, with the dpf_result field
indicates whether the deferment setting succeeds.)

 5)When the MS is switched on, or the memory is released due to such

operations as deleting SMs when the memory is used up, the MS reports to the
VLR that the SM function is available.

 6)The VLR notifies the HLR that the MS is now ready to receive SMs.

 7)The HLR sends the Alert_SC message to the SMC system.

 8)The SMC system finds that the delivery pending flag of the former Data_SM
sent to the subscriber is successfully set and sends Alert_Notification to notify
the SP that the SM function of the MS is available.
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 Chapter 1 Signaling Flows of SMS 1-14

This flow can intercept an invalid SM or a junk SM.

The flow is described as follows:

 1)The remote SMC sends an MT SM to a local subscriber or a subscriber

roaming to the local place. The SM is forwarded to the local HSTP. The SM
contains the content of the SM, the address of the source SMC, and the IMSI
and LMSI of the destination MS.

 2)The HSTP finds that the SM uses the MSC-ID addressing, so it forwards the
SM to the SPS for processing.

 3)The SPS judges the SM is an MT SM and then forwards it to the local SMC
directly.

 4)The local SMC checks the SM through the monitor system. If the local SMC
finds that the SM is an invalid SM or a junk SM, it returns the error to the
remote SMC.

 5)If the local SMC finds that the SM is valid, it forwards the SM to the
destination MSC through the LSTP. The destination MSC then delivers the SM
to the destination MS.

 6)After the destination MSC delivers the SM, it returns the delivery result to the
local SMC through the LSTP.

 7)The local SMC forwards the delivery result to the remote SMC.

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 Chapter 1 Signaling Flows of SMS 1-15

Signaling Flow Overview

 This section covers aspects of general introduction of short message signaling

flow in GSM network. including the principle of sending and receiving SM and
the basic concepts about the three kinds of signaling flow.

Signaling Flow Analysis

 This section covers aspects of signaling flow analysis, including MO flow,MT

flow and Alert_SC flow. In this section, you will learn the SMC system how to
ensure a SM arrive to receiver in normal situation and abnormal situation.

Other Application Service Flow

 This section covers aspects of other application flow refer to SMS, including
Alert Notification service flow and SM Interception flow.

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 Chapter 1 Signaling Flows of SMS 1-16

Three kinds of signaling flow of SMS: MO flow, MT flow and AlertSC flow.

In MT Flow ,the signaling SendRoutingInfo_For_ShortMessage queries from the HLR

about the routing information for sending.

In MT flow, The SMC system finds the HLR of the destination MS according to the
destination MSISDN, and sends a message to the HLR to query the address of the
MSC where the destination MS is currently located.

if the subscriber is unavailable, the GMSC attempts to deliver it again on condition

that this subscriber with a high priority.

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