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author | Harald Welte <laforge@gnumonks.org> | 2018-08-06 22:18:33 +0200 |
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committer | Harald Welte <laforge@gnumonks.org> | 2018-08-07 18:04:12 +0000 |
commit | 128c2db0f6709e2743d2e56e5c8c30c6647020e9 (patch) | |
tree | a828ab380db90344e0614d3b1164394ee16b9668 /OsmoHLR/chapters | |
parent | 0c1dad4a5bdb7528f066502b801bb6e31b190a58 (diff) |
hlr: Add chapter on USSD configuration
Change-Id: Ie5196ece9f340303bcb4868e3333a9698e28c3d0
Diffstat (limited to 'OsmoHLR/chapters')
-rw-r--r-- | OsmoHLR/chapters/ussd.adoc | 78 |
1 files changed, 78 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/OsmoHLR/chapters/ussd.adoc b/OsmoHLR/chapters/ussd.adoc new file mode 100644 index 0000000..be463ac --- /dev/null +++ b/OsmoHLR/chapters/ussd.adoc @@ -0,0 +1,78 @@ +[[ussd]] +== Unstructured Supplementary Services Data (USSD) + +The _Unstructured Supplementary Services Data (USSD)_ is one service within +2G/3G networks next to other services such as circuit-switched voice, packet-switched +data and SMS (Short Message Service). + +It is on an abstract level quite similar to SMS in that USSD can be used to send +textual messages. However, there are the following differences: + +* USSD is between the MS (phone) and an USSD application on the network, while + SMS is primarily between two subscribers identified by their MSISDN +* USSD is faster, as it doesn't suffer from the complicated three-layer CP/RP/TP + protocol stack of SMS with it's acknowledgement of the acknowledged acknowledgement. +* USSD is session-oriented, i.e. a dialogue/session between subscriber and application + can persist for the transfer of more than one message. The dedicated radio channel + on the RAN remains established throughout that dialogue. + +=== USSD in Osmocom + +Until August 2018, OsmoMSC contained some minimalistic internal USSD +handling with no +ability to attach/extend it with external USSD applications. + +From August 2018 onwards, OsmoMSC doesn't contain any internal USSD +handlers/applications anymore. Instead, all USSD is transported to/from +OsmoHLR via the GSUP protocol. + +OsmoHLR contains some intenal USSD handlers and can route USSD messages +to any number of external USSD entities (EUSEs). The EUSE also use GSUP +to communicate USSD from/to OsmoHLR. + +Each EUSE is identified by its name. The name consists of a single-word +string preceding a currently fixed ("-00-00-00-00-00-00") suffix. +There is no authentication between EUSE and OsmoHLR: Any client program +able to connect to the GSUP port of OsmoHLR can register as any EUSE +(name). + +NOTE:: We plan to remove the requirement for this suffix as soon as we +are done resolving all more important issues. + +=== USSD Configuration + +USSD configuration in OsmoHLR happens within the `hlr` VTY node. + +`euse foobar-00-00-00-00-00-00` defines an EUSE with the given name `foobar` + +`ussd route prefix *123 external foobar-00-00-00-00-00-00` installs a +prefix route to the named EUSE. All USSD short codes starting with *123 will be +routed to the named EUSE. + +`ussd route prefix *#100# internal own-msisdn` installs a prefix route +to the named internal USSD handler. There above command will restore +the old behavior, in which *#100# will return a text message containing +the subscribers own phone number. There is one other handler called +`own-imsi` which will return the IMSI instead of the MSISDN. + +`ussd default-route external foobar-00-00-00-00-00-00` installs a +default route to the named EUSE. This means that all USSD codes for +which no more specific route exists will be routed to the named EUSE. + +=== Example EUSE program + +We have provided an example EUSE developed in C language using existing +Osmocom libraries for GSUP protocol handling and USSD encoding/decoding. +It will register as `foobar` EUSE to OsmoHLR on localhost. You can run +it on a different machine by specifying e.g. `osmo-euse-demo 1.2.3.4 5678` +to make it connect to OsmoHLR on IP address 1.2.3.4 and GSUP/TCP port +5678. + +The idea is that you can use this as a template to develop your own USSD +applications, or any gateways to other protocols or interfaces. + +You can find it in `osmo-hlr/src/osmo-euse-demo.c` or online by +following the link to http://git.osmocom.org/osmo-hlr/tree/src/osmo-euse-demo.c + +This demonstration program will echo back any USSD message sent/routed +to it, quoted like _You sent "..."_. |