LAN/WAN Considerations

The operational characteristics of the LAN/WAN need to be quantified. General rules for the LAN/WAN environment devoted to SS7-over-IP traffic follow.

• Keep the number of nodes per LAN subnet as low as possible.

  The number of nodes attached to a LAN segment is a major influence in overall LAN performance. As the number of nodes increases on a LAN segment, the performance will tend to decrease due to contention for the LAN resource. For optimal performance, this number should be kept as low as possible.

• Be aware of all the node and traffic types on the LAN.
• Dedicate sufficient bandwidth to your IP Signaling traffic.

  From the SS7-over-IP perspective, there are two types of nodes: SS7-over-IP-related nodes (which are IP-equipped nodes involved in the overall signaling solution, such as the EAGLE, IP Service Control Points, Media Gateway Controllers and Media Gateways, and any management platforms doing work directly related to the SS7-over-IP solution) and non-SS7-over-IP nodes. Non-SS7-over-IP nodes are any other devices that could be on the LAN using LAN bandwidth, such as file servers or other hosts not directly involved in the signaling solution. If non-SS7-over-IP nodes are deployed on the same LAN as SS7-over-IP nodes, then the nodes share the LAN resources.

• Restrict, or severely limit, the number of non-SS7-over-IP nodes.

  If non-SS7-over-IP nodes are on the network, their LAN throughput needs to be well understood, and the worst-case traffic from these sources needs to be considered. Normally it is easier to monitor (baseline) and predict network behavior when the nodes are similar. This is an important factor that will influence network performance.

• Plan for and allocate LAN capacity to handle worst-case scenarios.

  Consider all traffic sources and compute worst-case numbers to estimate LAN throughput, including failure scenarios that may switch traffic from one LAN to another. The evaluation of throughput should always be based on the worst-case traffic for each device.

• Monitor LAN performance and make adjustments as necessary.

  Once the network is implemented, the LAN throughput and utilization should be monitored for a period of time sufficient to fully understand the traffic on that LAN. Measure the LAN utilization over time and ensure that it is always at an acceptable limit (<= 35 percent of maximum LAN throughput).

• Once the network is implemented, the RTT should be checked.

  Confirm that the RTT is appropriate to achieve the maximum desired throughput, and that the RTT is acceptable from the viewpoint of the applications that are originating the traffic.

IP network planning must be executed carefully to realize the benefits of SS7-over-IP deployments. Oracle can assist with characterizing your LAN/WAN QoS parameters and engineering an SS7-over-IP solution. Contact your Oracle Sales Representative for more information related to this Professional Service.