Mobile application part design principles

This paper describes the principles which have been followed to specify the Mobile Application Part (MAP) protocol which is intended to support the pan-European digital cellular mobile system (GSM system). This was the first non-call related protocol to be standardized. The first part of the paper describes which services are requested from the various layers of CCITT Signaling System N7 and how they are used. In the second part the choices made for the design of this specific application protocol are explained. The interworking issues are then highlighted and finally, the evolution of such a protocol to support other services is dealt with.