Signaling System No. 7 (SS7/C7): Protocol, Architecture, and Applications

Rating:
Summary: Clearly written, easy to understand and very comprehensive !
Review: A very clear and comprehensive explanation of SS7 signalling and its role in networks today. The book covers a very broad range of topics including Intelligent Networks (IN), MAP, SS7 monitoring/ testing the SIGTRAN protocol and Next Generation Networks. I would recommend this book to anyone looking both to understand these protocols for the first time and to people looking to broaden their knowledge on existing and emerging signalling technologies. A very clear, concise and easy to read book with an exceptional level of detail!!

Rating:
Summary: Excellent comprehensive reference on SS7
Review: As a developer, this book is great to have sitting on my desk. I've referred to it several times already.

What I particularly like are the examples of the flows which make things very clear.

I was also pleased to discover that SIGTRAN and the various User Adaptation layers are covered as there is not much written on this technology yet and that seems to be where things are headed these days.

The explanation of MAP is also excellent. Many good diagrams to give an understanding of how things work in the wireless network.

Overall, an excellent and comprehensive reference on SS7.

Rating:
Summary: This is the book I've been looking for!
Review: How great it is to find a book that covers the depth and breadth of SS7! Having worked with the SS7 protocol for the past 10 years, I am pleasantly surprised by this latest book by Lee Dryburgh and Jeff Hewett. Their book provides me one stop shopping, where in the past I have had to accumulate several technical resources to find the same information. Topics encompass telecom history, network terminology, interactions between PSTN and SS7 networks, SS7 protocols, SS7 testing requirements, application of TCAP protocols across an SS7 network, Next Generation protocols, and MORE!
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This text is written in a manner that is easily understood by those new to the topic of SS7, and as such can be used as a training resource. Anyone who buys this book will keep it as a referral document for a long time to come.

I highly recommend Signaling System No. 7 (SS7/C7) Protocol, Architecture, and Services.


Rating:
Summary: Excellent Book - But Full of Typos
Review: I agree with all the positive comments on this book. It's really great. But there are *many* typos on the book. Sometimes, the typos can make it more difficult to understand the matter. Like when calling and called are interchanged. But I recommend the purchase of this book.

Rating:
Summary: Probably the most comprehensive and up to date!
Review: I am a researcher at Vienna University of Technology with the focus on signalling in IP networks. The current projects deal with PSTN/IP telephony convergence, so I needed a good understanding of SS7.

This book was easier to understand than the other popular book on SS7 (which I also own), contained better explanations, more practical details, and covered European network implementations in addition to US networks.

It seems very comprehensive as I was not forced to look up some other literature since all relevant topics are already covered.
The book has a very understandable introductions to SS7 AND full details of the protocol stack (MTP, ISUP, SCCP, TCAP) as well as its interaction with Intelligent Network services, GSM cellular networks like and IP.

There is even a chapter dedicated to SigTran, specifying the way how SS7 messages can be transported over IP networks.

It seems that the authors also have a clear understanding of IP networks which is very beneficial for the book, since it helps bridge over the two worlds.

I am glad to have a copy of this book in my library. It's probably the most comprehensive, best written and most up to date SS7 book available.


Rating:
Summary: Comprehesive, updated, good quick reference guide
Review: The book provides comprehensive coverage on the topic of SS7, including less discussed topic such as SS7 security as well as new areas of SS7 over IP. I find it quite readable due to the frequent use of examples to explain the concepts, and figures to illustrate how things work. The authors also tried to cover both ITU-T and ANSI variants of SS7. While that gives the reader a wider perspective of the subject, it can sometimes be confusing, especially to one who is new to the area. Another point I like about the book is its appendix; it makes a good quick reference guide.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent book!
Review: This book is very easy to read and to understand and probably the best single resource for gaining a solid understanding of SS7.

It not only covers protocols found in the traditional SS7 stack (MTP, SCCP, TCAP, etc), but also details protocols found in SS7 over IP (SigTran - SUA, M3UA, etc). There is even a section on service-oriented protocols, including GSM MAP.

I highly recommend it to anyone who works in SS7 - I don't know any other book that comes close!