The LOD/H Technical Journal, Issue #4: File 01 of 10

Finally Released: May 20, 1990



The LOD/H Technical Journal, Issue #4: File 04 of 10





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            $             Central Office Operations            $

            $            Western Electric 1ESS,1AESS,          $

            $         The end office network environment       $

            $                                                  $

            $            Written by Agent Steal 1989           $

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            $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$





     Topics covered in this article will be:



        Call tracing

        RCMAC

        Input/output messages

        SCC and SCCS

        COSMOS and LMOS

        BLV, (REMOB) and "No test trunks"

        Recent change messages

        Equal Access



    Did I get your attention? Good, everyone should read this. With the time,

effort, and balls it has taken me compile this knowledge it is certainly worth

your time. I hope you appreciate me taking the time to write this.



    I should point out that the information in this article is correct to the

best of my knowledge. I'm sure there are going to be people that disagree

with me on some of it, particularly the references to tracing. However, I

have been involved in telecommunications and computers for 12+ years.



    I'm basing this article around the 1AESS since it is the most common

switch in use today.





     ** OUTSIDE PLANT **



    This is the wiring between your telephone and the central office. That is

another topic in itself. If you are interested read Phucked Agent 04's article

on The Outside Loop Distribution Plant (OLDP) in the LOD/H Technical Journal,

Issue #1. The article explains those green boxes you see on street corners,

aerial cables, manholes etc. So where that article stops, this one starts.





     ** CABLE VAULT **



     All of the cables from other offices and from subscribers enter the

central office underground. They enter into a room called the cable vault.

This is a room generally in the basement located at one end or another of the

building. The width of the room varies but runs the entire length of the

building. Outside cables appear through holes in the wall. The cables then run

up through holes in the ceiling to the frame room.



     Understand that each of these cables consist of an average of 3600 pairs

of wires. That's 3600 telephone lines. The amount of cables obviously depends

on the size of the office. All cables (e.g. interoffice, local lines, fiber

optic, coaxial) enter through the cable vault.





     ** FRAME ROOM **



     The frame is where the cable separates into individual pairs and attach

to connectors. The frame runs the length of the building, from floor to

ceiling. There are two sides to the frame, the horizontal side and the


vertical side. The vertical side is where the outside wiring attaches and the

protector fuses reside. The horizontal side is where the connectors to the

switching system reside. Multi-conductor cables run from the connectors to

actual switching equipment. So what we have is a large frame called the Main

Distribution Frame (MDF) running the entire length of the building. From floor

to ceiling it is 5 feet thick. The MDF consists of two sides, the VDF and the

HDF. Cables from outside connect on one side and cables from the switching

equipment connect to the other side and jumper wires connect the two. This way

any piece of equipment can be connected to any incoming "cable pair". These

jumper wires are simply 2 conductor twisted pair, running between the VDF and

the HDF.



     What does all this mean? Well if you had access to COSMOS you would see

information regarding cable and pair and "OE" (Office Equipment). With this

information you could find your line on the frame and on the switch. The VDF

side is clearly marked by cable and pair at the top of the frame, however the

HDF side is a little more complicated and varies in format from frame to frame

and from switch to switch. Since I am writing this article around the 1AESS,

I will describe the OE format used for that switch.



    OE  ABB-CDD-EFF



   Where..



      A = Control Group (when more than one switch exists in that C.O.)

      B = LN  Line Link Network

      C = LS  Line Switching Frame

      D = CONC or CONCentrator

      E = Switch (individual, not the big one)

      F = Level



    There is one more frame designation called LOC or LOCation. This gives the

location of the connector block on the HDF side. Very simply, looking at the

frame:





H  ---------------------------------------------------------------------



G  ---------------------------------------------------------------------



F  ---------------------------------------------------------------------



E  ---------------------------------------------------------------------



D  ---------------------------------------------------------------------



C  ---------------------------------------------------------------------



B  ---------------------------------------------------------------------



A  ---------------------------------------------------------------------



   123456789 etc.



    Please note that what you are looking at here represents the HDF side of

the MDF, being up to 100 feet long, and 20 feet high. Each "-" represents a

connector block containing connections for 4 x 24 (which is 96) pairs.



    So far I've covered how the wires get from you to the switching

equipment. Now we get to the switching system itself.





    ** SWITCHING SYSTEMS **



    Writing an article that covers them all would be lengthy indeed. So I am

only going to list the major ones and a brief description of each.



    - Step by Step

      Strowger 1889

      First automatic, required no operators for local calls

      No custom calling or touch tone

      Manufactured by many different companies in different versions

      Hard wire routing instructions, could not choose an alternate route if

      programed route was busy

      Each dial pulse tripped a "stepper" type relay to find its path



    - No.1 Crossbar 1930

    - No.5 Crossbar 1947 (faster, more capacity)

      Western Electric


      First ability to find idle trunks for call routing

      No custom calling, or equal access

      Utilized 10x20 cross point relay switches

      Hard wired common control logic for program control

      Also copied by other manufactures



    - No.4 Crossbar

      Used as a toll switch for AT&T's long lines network

      4 wire tandem switching

      Not usually used for local loop switching



    - No.1ESS  1966

    - No.1AESS 1973

      Western Electric

      Described in detail later



    - No.1EAX

      GTE Automatic Electric

      GTE's version of the 1AESS

      Slower and louder



    - No.2ESS  1967

    - No.2BESS 1974

      Western Electric

      Analog switching under digital control

      Very similar to the No.1ESS and No.1AESS

      Downsized for smaller applications



    _ No.3ESS

      Western Electric

      Analog switching under digital control

      Even smaller version of No.1AESS

      Rural applications for up to 4500 lines



    - No.2EAX

      GTE Automatic Electric

      Smaller version of 1EAX

      Analog switch under digital control



    - No.4ESS

      Western Electric

      Toll switch, 4 wire tandem

      Digital switching

      Uses the 1AESS processor



    - No.3EAX

      Gee is there a pattern here? No GTE

      Digital Toll switch

      4 wire tandem switching



    - No.5ESS

      AT&T Network Systems

      Full scale computerized digital switching

      ISDN compatibility

      Utilizes time sharing technology

      Toll or end office



    - DMS 100 Digital Matrix Switch

      Northern Telecom

      Similar to 5ESS

      Runs slower

      Considerably less expensive



    - DMS 200

      Toll and Access Tandem

      Optional operator services



    - DMS 250

      Toll switch designed for common carriers



    - DMS 300

      Toll switch for international gateways



    - No.5EAX

      GTE Automatic Electric

      Same as above



    How much does a switch cost? A fully equipped 5ESS for a 40,000

subscriber end office can cost well over 3 million dollars. Now you know why

your phone bill is so much. Well...maybe you parents bill.





    ** The 1ESS and 1AESS **



    This was the first switch of it's type put into widespread use by Bell.

Primarily an analog switch under digital control, the switch is no longer

being manufactured. The 1ESS has been replaced by the 5ESS and other full

scale digital switches, however, it is still by far the most common switch

used in today's Class 5 end offices.



    The #1 and 1A use a crosspoint matrix similar to the X-bar.  The primary

switch used in the matrix is the ferreed (remreed in the 1A).  It is a two

state magnetic alloy switch.  It is basically a magnetic switch that does not

require voltage to stay in it's present position. A voltage is only required

to change the state of the switch.



   The No. 1 utilized a computer style, common control and memory.  Memory

used by the #1 changed with technology, but most have been upgraded to RAM.

Line scanners monitor the status of customer lines, crosspoint switches,

and all internal, outgoing, and incoming trunks, reporting their status to

the central control.  The central control then either calls upon program or

call store memories to chose which crosspoints to activate for processing the

call.  The crosspoint matrices are controlled via central pulse distributors

which in turn are controlled by the central control via data buses.  All of

the scanner's AMA tape controllers, pulse distro, x-point matrix, etc., listen

to data buses for their address and command or report their information on

the buses. The buses are merely cables connecting the different units to the

central control.



   The 1E was quickly replaced by the 1A due to advances in technology. So

1A's are more common, also many of the 1E's have been upgraded to a 1A.

This meant changing the ferreed to the remreed relay, adding additional

peripheral component controllers (to free up central controller load) and

implementation of the 1A processor.  The 1A processor replaced older style

electronics with integrated circuits.  Both switches operate similarly.

The primary differences were speed and capacity.  The #1ESS could process

110,000 calls per hour and serve 128,000 lines.



    Most of the major common control elements are either fully or partially

duplicated to ensure reliability. Systems run simultaneously and are checked

against each other for errors. When a problem occurs the system will double

check, reroute, or switch over to auxiliary to continue system operation.

Alarms are also reported to the maintenance console and are in turn printed

out on a printer near the control console.



    Operation of the switch is done through the Master Control Center (MCC)

panel and/or a terminal. Remote operation is also done through input/output

channels. These channels have different functions and therefore receive

different types of output messages and have different abilities as for what

type of commands they are allowed to issue. Here is a list of the commonly

used TTY channels.



   Maintenance     - Primary channel for testing, enable, disable etc.

   Recent Change   - Changes in class of service, calling features etc.

   Administrative  - Traffic information and control

   Supplementary   - Traffic information supplied to automatic network control

   SCC Maint.      - Switching Control Center interface

   Plant Serv.Cent.- Reports testing information to test facilities



    At the end of this article you will find a list of the most frequently

seen Maintenance channel output messages and a brief description of their

meaning. You will also find a list of frequently used input messages.



    There are other channels as well as back ups but the only ones to be

concerned with are Recent Change and SCC maint. These are the two channels

you will most likely want to get access to. The Maintenance channel doesn't

leave the C.O. and is used by switch engineers as the primary way of


controlling the switch. During off hours and weekends the control of the

switch is transferred to the SCC.



    The SCC is a centrally located bureau that has up to 16 switches

reporting to it via their SCC maint. channel. The SCC has a mini computer

running SCCS that watches the output of all these switches for trouble

conditions that require immediate attention. The SCC personnel then have the

ability to input messages to that particular switch to try and correct the

problem. If necessary, someone will be dispatched to the C.O. to correct the

problem. I should also mention that the SCC mini, SCCS has dialups and access

to SCCS means access to all the switches connected to it. The level of access

however, may be dependent upon the privileges of the account you are using.



    The Recent Change channels also connect to a centrally located bureau

referred to as the RCMAC. These bureaus are responsible for activating lines,

changing class of service etc. RCMAC has been automated to a large degree by

computer systems that log into COSMOS and look for pending orders. COSMOS is

basically an order placement and record keeping system for central office

equipment, but you should know that already, right? So this system, called

Work Manager running MIZAR logs into COSMOS, pulls orders requiring recent

change work, then in one batch several times a day, transmits the orders to

the appropriate switch via it's Recent Change Channel.



    Testing of the switch is done by many different methods. Bell Labs has

developed a number of systems, many accomplishing the same functions. I will

only attempt to cover the ones I know fairly well.



    The primary testing system is the trunk test panels located at the switch

itself. There are three and they all pretty much do the same thing, which is

to test trunk and line paths through the switch.



         Trunk and Line Test Panel

         Supplementary Trunk Test Panel

         Manual Trunk Test Panel



     MLT (Mechanized Loop Testing) is another popular one. This system is

often available through the LMOS data base and can give very specific

measurements of line levels and losses. The "TV Mask" is also popular giving

the user the ability to monitor lines via a call back number.



    DAMT (Direct Access Mechanized Testing) is used by line repairmen to put

tone on numbers to help them find lines. This was previously done by Frame

personnel, so DAMT automated that task. DAMT can also monitor lines, but

unfortunately, the audio is scrambled in a manor that allows one only to tell

what type of signal is present on the line, or whether it is busy or not.



    All of these testing systems have one thing in common: they access the

line through a "No Test Trunk". This is a switch which can drop in on a

specific path or line and connect it to the testing device. It depends on

the device connected to the trunk, but there is usually a noticeable "click"

heard on the tested line when the No Test Trunk drops in. Also the testing

devices I have mentioned here will seize the line, busying it out. This will

present problems when trying to monitor calls, as you would need to drop in

during the call. The No Test Trunk is also the method in which operator

consoles perform verifications and interrupts.





    ** INTEROFFICE SIGNALLING **



    Calls coming into and leaving the switch are routed via trunks. The

switches select which trunk will route the call most effectively and then

retransmits the dialed number to the distant switch. There are several

different ways this is done. The two most common are Loop Signaling and CCIS,

Common Channel Interoffice Signaling. The predecessor to both of these is the

famous and almost extinct "SF Signaling". This utilized the presence of

2600hz to indicate trunks in use. If one winks 2600Hz down one of these

trunks, the distant switch would think you hung up. Remove the 2600, and you

have control of the trunk and you could then MF a number. This worked great

for years. Assuming you had dialed a toll free number to begin with, there

was no billing generated at all. The 1AESS does have a program called SIGI

that looks for any 2600 winks after the original connection of a toll call.

It then proceeds to record on AMA and output any MF digits received. For more

information on AMA see Phantom Phreaker's article entitled, Understanding

Automatic Message Accounting in the LOD/H TJ Issue #3. However due to many

long distant carriers using signaling that can generate these messages it is

often overlooked and "SIG IRR" output messages are quite common.



    Loop signaling still uses MF to transmit the called number to distant

switches, however, the polarity of the voltage on the trunk is reversed to

indicate trunk use.



    CCIS sometimes referred to CCS#6 uses a separate data link sending

packets of data containing information regarding outgoing calls. The distant

switch monitors the information and connects the correct trunk to the correct

path. This is a faster and more efficient way of call processing and is being

implemented everywhere. The protocol that AT&T uses is CCS7 and is currently

being accepted as the industry standard. CCS6 and CCS7 are somewhat similar.



    Interoffice trunks are multiplexed together onto one pair. The standard

is 24 channels per pair. This is called T-1 in it's analog format and D-1

in its digital format. This is often referred to as carrier or CXR. The terms

frame error and phase jitter are part of this technology which is often a

world in itself. This type of transmission is effective for only a few miles

on twisted pair. It is often common to see interoffice repeaters in manholes

or special huts. Repeaters can also be found within C.O.s, amplifying trunks

between offices. This equipment is usually handled by the "carrier" room,

often located on another floor. Carrier also handles special circuits, private

lines, and foreign exchange circuits.



     After a call reaches a Toll Switch, the transmit and receive paths of

the calling and called party are separated and transmitted on separate

channels. This allows better transmission results and allows more calls to

be placed on any given trunk. This is referred to as 4 wire switching. This

also explains why during a call, one person can hear crosstalk and the other

cannot. Crosstalk will bleed over from other channels onto the multiplexed

T-Carrier transmission lines used between switches.





    ** CALL TRACING



     So with the Loop Signaling standard format there is no information being

transmitted regarding the calling number between switches. This therefore

causes the call tracing routine to be at least a two step process. This is

assuming that you are trying to trace an anticipated call, not one in

progress. When call trace "CLID" is placed on a number, a message is output

every time someone calls that number. The message shows up on most of the ESS

output channels and gives information regarding the time and the number of the

incoming trunk group. If the call came from within that office, then the

calling number is printed in the message. Once the trunk group is known, it

can usually be determined what C.O. the calls are coming from. This is also

assuming that the calls are coming from within that Bell company and not

through a long distance carrier (IEC). So if Bell knows what C.O. the calls

are coming from, they simply put the called number on the C.I. list of that

C.O. Anytime anyone in that C.O. calls the number in question another message

is generated showing all the pertinent information.




    Now if this were a real time trace it would only require the assistance

of the SCC and a few commands sent to the appropriate switches (i.e.

NET-LINE). This would give them the path and trunk group numbers of the call

in progress. Naturally the more things the call is going through, the more

people that will need to be involved in the trace. There seems to be a common

misconception about the ability to trace a call through some of the larger

packet networks i.e. Telenet and TYMNET. Well I can assure you, they can

track a call through their network in seconds (assuming multiple systems

and/or network gateways are not used) and then all that is needed is the

cooperation of the Bell companies. Call tracing in itself it not that

difficult these days. What is difficult is getting the different organizations

together to cooperate. You have to be doing something relatively serious to

warrant tracing in most cases, however, not always. So if tracing is a

concern, I would recommend using as many different companies at one time as

you think is necessary, especially US Sprint, since they can't even bill

people on time much less trace a call. But...it is not recommended to call

Sprint direct, more on that in the Equal Access section.





    ** EQUAL ACCESS



    The first thing you need to understand is that every IEC Inter Exchange

Carrier (long distance company) needs to have an agreement with every LEC

Local Exchange Carrier (your local phone company) that they want to have

access to and from. They have to pay the LEC for the type of service they

receive and the amount of trunks, and trunk use. The cost is high and the

market is a zoo. The LECs have the following options:



     - Feature Group A -



    This was the first access form offered to the IECs by the LECs. Basically

whenever you access an IEC by dialing a regular 7 digit number (POTS line)

this is FGA. The IECs' equipment would answer the line and interpret your

digits and route your call over their own network. Then they would pick up an

outgoing telephone line in the city you were calling and dial your number

locally. Basically a dial in, dial out situation similar to Telenet's

PC pursuit service.



     - Feature Group B -



     FGB is 950-xxxx. This is a very different setup from FGA. When you dial

950, your local switch routes the call to the closest Access Tandem (AT) (Toll

Switch) in your area. There the IECs have direct trunks connected between the

AT and their equipment. These trunks usually use a form of multiplexing like

T-1 carrier with wink start (2600Hz). On the incoming side, calls coming in

from the IEC are basically connected the same way. The IEC MFs into the AT

and the AT then connects the calls. There are many different ways FGB is

technically setup, but this is the most common.



     Tracing on 950 calls has been an area of controversy and I would like to

clear it up. The answer is yes, it is possible. But like I mentioned earlier,

it would take considerable manpower which equals expensive to do this. It

also really depends on how the IEC interface is set up. Many IECs have

trunks going directly to Class 5 end offices. So, if you are using a small

IEC, and they figure out what C.O. you are calling from, it