SMPP

SMSC Communication Protocol

Nuruddin Ashr
uudashr@gmail.com
About Presenter
Work on mobile messaging company
Author of open source smpp library
http://code.google.com/p/jsmpp

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SMS (Short Message Service)
Send/exchange message between mobile
station (mobile phone)
SMSC (Short Message Service Center)
Route the message to mobile phone or other
entities

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 SMS (Short Message Service)

Message for B Message for B

SMSC

Message for A Message for A

Mobile station A Mobile station B

Message exchange between

mobile stations
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SMS (Short Message Service)

Mobile
Stations

Other Messages Messages

SMSC
Entity
Protocol?

Message exchange between

ESME and mobile stations

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SMSC Protocol
To communicate with SMSC, we need SMSC
Protocol
SMSC Protocol developed by SMSC Vendor

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SMSC Protocol
To communicate with SMSC, we need SMSC
Protocol
SMSC Protocol developed by SMSC Vendor

So it's proprietary :-(

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SMSC Protocol
Logica CMG
EMI (External Machine Interface)
UCP (Universal Computer Protocol)
SMPP (Short Message Peer to Peer) Protocol
Nokia
CIMD (Computer Interface to Message Distribution)
Airwide Solutions
OIS (Open Interface Specification)
SMS2000
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SMSC Protocol

Why use SMPP...?

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SMPP: introduction

The Short Message Peer to Peer (SMPP)

protocol is an open, industry standard protocol
designed to provide a flexible data
communications interface for transfer of short
message data between a Message Center.

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SMPP: history
Now is open protocol SMS Forum
Widely used
SMPP Version
SMPP v3.3 (developed by Aldiscon)
SMPP v4.0 (developed by Logica)
SMPP v3.4 (SMPP Developer Forums Open
Protocol)
SMPP v5.0 (SMS Forum)

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Typical Application
Mobile Commerce
Mobile Banking
E-Mail Gateway
Information Service
Notification/Security Application
Cell Broadcast
Directory Service
Telemetry Application
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Typical Application
SMS Chat
Polling Application
Gaming/Quiz
More explaination:
SMPP Protocol Spesification v3.4 page 12
SMPP Protocol Spesification v5.0 page 19

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Protocol Overview
Mobile
Stations

Other Messages Messages

SMSC
Entity
Protocol?

SME

ESME Messages SMSC Messages

SMPP
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Protocol Overview
Mobile Network
SME

ESME Messages SMSC Messages

SMPP

ESME = External Short Message Entity

SME = Short Message Entity

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Protocol Overview: SMPP

Short Message Peer to Peer (SMPP) protocol

is an open message-transfer protocol that
enables short message entities (SMEs)
outside the mobile network to interface with an
SMSC. Non-mobile entities that submit
messages to, or receive messages from an
SMSC are known as External Short Message
Entities (ESMEs).

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Protocol Overview
TCP/IP or X.25 network connection

Mobile Network
SME

ESME Messages SMSC Messages

SMPP

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Protocol Overview
Based on request and response
The SMPP protocol defines
Set of operations and Protocol Data Units (PDUs)
Data

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Protocol Overview

ESME SMSC

Request

Response

Every SMPP operation consist of a

request and associated response
(but some have exception).
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Protocol Overview
Messages exchange category
Messages sent from the ESME (Transmitter) to the
SMSC
Messages sent from the SMSC to the ESME
(Receiver)
Messages sent from the ESME (Transceiver) to
the SMSC and messages sent from the SMSC to
the ESME (Transceiver)

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Protocol Overview

ESME Transmitter

Transceiver
ESME SMSC

Receiever

ESME

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SMPP Session
Session initiated by ESME
Session states:
OPEN (Network connection established)
BOUND_TX (ESME issuing a bind_transmitter
PDU)
BOUND_RX (ESME issuing a bind_receiver PDU)
BOUND_TRX (ESME issuing a bind_transceiver
PDU)
UNBOUND (only on SMPP v5.0)
CLOSED (Network connection closed)
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SMPP Session: transmitter (TX)
ESME SMSC

Network connection

bind_transmitter

bind_transmitter_resp

Send short messages

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SMPP Session: receiver (RX)
ESME SMSC

Network connection

bind_receiver

bind_receiver_resp

Receive short messages

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SMPP Session: transceiver (TRX)
ESME SMSC

Network connection

bind_transceiver

bind_transceiver_resp

Send and receive short messages

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SMPP Session
Question:
How if SMSC want to send messages
but there is no valid SMPP session?

Use outbind operation

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SMPP Session

The purpose of the outbind

operation is to allow the SMSC
signal an ESME to originate a
bind_receiver request to the SMSC.

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SMPP Session: using outbind
ESME SMSC

Network connection

outbind

bind_receiver

bind_receiver_resp

Receive short messages

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SMPP PDU: overview
SMPP PDU
PDU Header (Mandatory) PDU Body (Optional)
command length command id command status sequence number PDU Body
4 octets Length = (Command Length value 4) octets

Protocol Data Units

Set of bytes
8 bit = 1 byte = 1 octet
PDU Header always mandatory
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SMPP PDU: command length
SMPP PDU
PDU Header (Mandatory) PDU Body (Optional)
command length command id command status sequence number PDU Body
4 octets Length = (Command Length value 4) octets

Represent whole bytes length of the SMPP

command

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SMPP PDU: command id
SMPP PDU
PDU Header (Mandatory) PDU Body (Optional)
command length command id command status sequence number PDU Body
4 octets Length = (Command Length value 4) octets

Unique command identifier

bind_transmitter, bind_transmitter_resp
submit_sm, submit_sm_resp
Request 0x00000001 having response
0x80000001 Short Message Peer-to-Peer 31
SMPP PDU: command status
SMPP PDU
PDU Header (Mandatory) PDU Body (Optional)
command length command id command status sequence number PDU Body
4 octets Length = (Command Length value 4) octets

Indicate success or failure of SMPP request

Command status on request PDU always zero
Non-zero command status can be happen on
response PDU
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SMPP PDU: sequence number
SMPP PDU
PDU Header (Mandatory) PDU Body (Optional)
command length command id command status sequence number PDU Body
4 octets Length = (Command Length value 4) octets

Sequence number is an incremental number

Increase monotonically for each submitted
SMPP request PDU
Having range 0x00000001 - 0x7FFFFFFF
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SMPP PDU: deeper
command_length
command_id
Header
command_status
sequence_number
Mandatory Parameters
Body
Optional Parameters

Header is mandatory
Some PDU has no body
Some PDU has no optional parameters
Optional parameters are OPTIONAL
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 SMPP PDU: optional parameter

Parameter Name Size Type Description

Tag 2 Integer Uniquely identify parameter
Length 2 Integer Indicates length of the value
Value variable variable Contains the actual data

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 Typical Session Sequence: TX

Synchronous

Asynchronous

Response - request
pair indicated by
same sequence
number

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Typical Session Sequence: RX

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Typical Session Sequence: TRX

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Error Handling
Response should be receive in a specified
interval time (transaction time)
Response have a non-zero command_status
If an error found on PDU Header,
generick_nack PDU should be send

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SMPP Timers
Session initiation timer
Session timer (enquire link timer)
Inactivity timer
Transaction timer (response timer)

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Data Type
Integer
Value with defined number of octets
C-Octet String
Series of ASCII characters
Terminated with NULL character
C-Octet String (Decimal)
Same as C-Octet String
But numeric characters only (0 - 9)

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Data Type
C-Octet String (Hex)
Same as C-Octet String
But hexadecimal characters only (0 - F)

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SMPP Operations
See the SMPP Specification :-P

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References
Short Message Peer to Peer Protocol
Spesification v3.4
Short Message Peer to Peer Protocol
Spesification v5.0
http://www.developershome.com/sms/howToRe
ceiveSMSUsingPC4.asp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Short_message_pee
r-to-peer_protocol

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