Engineering Encyclopedia

Saudi Aramco DeskTop Standards

Network Considerations

Note: The source of the technical material in this volume is the Professional
Engineering Development Program (PEDP) of Engineering Services.
Warning: The material contained in this document was developed for Saudi
Aramco and is intended for the exclusive use of Saudi Aramcos
employees. Any material contained in this document which is not
already in the public domain may not be copied, reproduced, sold, given,
or disclosed to third parties, or otherwise used in whole, or in part,
without the written permission of the Vice President, Engineering
Services, Saudi Aramco.

Chapter : Communications
File Reference: CTE10106

For additional information on this subject, contact

J.S. Phillips on 873-0228

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Communications
Network Considerations

CONTENTS

PAGES

Network Plans .................................................................................................1

Calculate Community Of Interest ..................................................................18

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NETWORK PLANS
Except for the discussion on signaling, prior modules have focussed on very local aspects of
telephone service: station, loop, and switching. This module discusses the planning and
construction necessary to interconnect these local devices and systems into an inter-area
network.

Support Services
Network

Trunking Plan
Routing Plan
Numbering Plan
Synchronization
Plan
Service Plan
Emergency
Restoration Plan

Telephone
Set
Telephone
Switch

Loop

FIGURE 1

Six plans are discussed in this module:

Plan

Plan Description

Trunking Plan

Interconnection arrangements between switches. Trunking plans depend on the

amount of traffic and the cost of facilities between the two points.

Routing Plan

Actual path(s) taken by calls traveling between two locations within a network. Paths
depend on traffic volume, economics, and government directives.

Numbering
Plan

Numbers assigned to switches or groups of users within a switch. Number

assignments affect routing, switch translation, and general network administration.

Synchronization
Plan

Timing arrangements for digital switches and transmission facilities. Synchronization

involves very accurate master clocks and a hierarchy of control if those clocks fail.

Service Plan

Network access privileges. Services are controlled by charging plans or by limiting

access.

Emergency
Methods used during crises to provide emergency telephone service. Alternate or
Restoration Plan reduced telephone services are provided.

FIGURE 2

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Trunking Plan
The efficient interconnection of telephone switches depends on the amount of traffic between
the switches and the cost of providing the circuits between them.
Fully-Meshed and Demand-Meshed Networks
An example of a fully meshed network is shown in Figure 3. Each of the eight switches in the
network is connected to all other switches. Such an arrangement is unnecessarily complex in
real telephone networks. In many cases there is very little traffic between some switches,
resulting in long idle periods on interconnecting trunks if such were provided. In these cases it
is more economical to combine that small amount of calling traffic with other traffic and send
it through an intermediate switch. This process is called tandeming the traffic and the
intermediate switch is called a tandem switch.
The result of this simplifying process is the demand-meshed network shown in Figure 4.
Economic criteria (e.g., cost/call, calls/trunk) have been applied to each of the traffic paths in
the fully meshed network to determine which of the paths are economical. A call that must be
tandemed (e.g., a call from switch 4 to switch 8) must pass through a minimum of three
switches and two trunks to reach its destination (e.g., 4-2-8 or 4-3-8). The economic decision
to tandem or not to tandem must include the cost of switching as well as the cost of using two
trunks instead of one. These calculations will be covered in the next module on traffic
engineering.
1

Fully-Meshed Network

Demand-Meshed Network

FIGURE 3

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FIGURE 4

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Saudi Aramco Trunking Plan

The Saudi Aramco trunking plan for both the internal and external (MOPTT) switches is
shown in Figures 5 and 6. Each of the central offices in the Saudi Aramco network functions
as a tandem switch for a group of smaller switches, usually PABXs. Saudi Aramco traffic
completing within the Saudi Aramco network is referred to as on-net traffic, whereas the calls
terminating in the Saudi Telecom public network is referred to as off-net traffic. In the
trunking arrangements with Saudi Telecom, Saudi Aramco avoids toll diversion, the use of a
private network to bypass toll (long-distance) charges on off-net calls.
A detailed drawing for the Saudi Aramco trunking plan is given in Drawing DA-478462.
Routing Plan
The routing plan for a network is a series of rules defining how calls are completed across the
network. In a fully-meshed network, the routing plan is simple: each call has a direct path to
its destination switch. In the case of a demand meshed network, routing becomes a very
important issue. Let us examine the demand-meshed network once again. For a call from
switch 4 to switch 8, a number of paths are possible: 4-2-8; 4-3-8; 4-3-2-8; etc. A routing plan
would consider the economics of each route and select the route that would yield the lowest
capital cost on a per-call basis.

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Tanajib Community PABX

Tanajib
DCO
(Future)

Tanajib Plant RSU

Tanajib Marine RSU

Tanajib
Clinic
(Future)

Safaniya PABX
RT Terminal PABX
RT ITC PABX

Ras Tanura
Fetex 150
DCO

Abu Ali PABX

SCECO Ghazlan
Berri DCO

Ras Tanura
Clinic

Ju'aymah DCO
Clinic/ISD
Subnetwork
(Future)

Turaif PABX
Badanah PABX
Rafha PABX
Qaysumah PABX

Dhahran
No. 2 EAX

IPSA IPS-3
IPSA IPS-4

Dhahran
Clinic

SCECO Headquarters
Dammam Powerplant
Transformer Yard
Dhahran
Fetex 150
DCO

Qurayyah PABX
Pager Terminal

840 PABX
(Ind. Sec,
TOPS,
School,
Steineke)

LIP Training PABX

Yanbu NGL PABX
Yanbu Crude PABX
E/W MC-1
E/W MC-2
Abqaiq
Fetex 150
DCO

E/W MC-3
IPSA IPS-5
IPSA IPS-6

Abqaiq
Clinic

IPSA IPS-7
IPSA IPS-8
Uthmaniyah
Shedgum
Shedgum Powerplant
Faras Powerplant

SCECO

Udhailliyah
C1 EAX
(present)
DCO
(Future)

Al Hasa
Clinic

Mubarraz Svc Ctr

FIGURE 5

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Tanajib
Fetex
150
(Future)

Ras
Tanura
Fetex
150
DCO

Kafji
Future

MFC
MFC
MFC
MFC
MFC

Dhahran
No.2
EAX

Rahima PRX

MFC

Doha PRX

Hi-Usage - PCM MFC

MFC

Khobar AXE

DP

DP

Civil Aviation
SXS

MFC - microwave
MFC - PCM cable
Operator Calls - PCM cable
Eastern Province Overflow Final - PCM
NSD/ISD - microwave
MFC - PCM
Local - PCM

Dhahran
EOB
Fetex
DCO

Abqaiq
EOB
Fetex
DCO

MFC

MFC
MFC
MFC
MFC
Dammam
Local
Tandem

MFC - PCM
PCM

Dammam
Secondary
DSX
Toll
Office
MFC

MFC

MFC
High Usage
MFC

Al-Hasa
PABX
Udhailiyah
DCO
(future)

Future

MFC

Madinat
PRX

Mahasin
PRX

Reference:
Saudi Aramco
Drawing No..
D-478462

Al Hasa
Local Tandem
AXE

Future

FIGURE 6

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Alternate Routing
Another aspect of a routing plan is the definition of alternate routes within the network. In the
example shown in Figure 7, suppose the primary route from switch 4 to switch 8 is through
switch 2 (4-2-8). If all circuits on route 2-4 are busy, it is possible to alternate route the call
through switch 3. Care must be taken to avoid an alternate routing strategy that would result
in circular routing, i.e., routing rules that would result in traffic leaving a switch and returning
to the same switch before arriving at its destination.
Ju'aymah 1
Ras Tanajib
2 Ras Tanura

Safaniya

Demand-Meshed Network

2-4
Alternate
Route
is
2-3-4

3 Dhahran

4 Abqajq

Shedgum
Udhailiyah 5

FIGURE 7

One-Way Versus Two-Way Trunking

The previous examples of fully-meshed and demand-meshed networks showed all trunk
groups as two-way, that is, each trunk could be accessed (seized) from either end. This
arrangement allows greater efficiency in the network, but can result in a problem if a circuit is
simultaneously seized from each end. A simultaneous seizure of this type is called glare in the
network, and usually results in two lost calls and customer complaints. Some software
adjustments can be made to reduce the likelihood of glare, such as ordered- (1-2-3-4-5-etc.)
and reverse-ordered (-10-9-8-7-etc.) trunk access from opposite ends of the trunk group. In
most cases, the decision to implement one-way versus two-way trunk groups is a matter of
efficiency versus the possibility of glare.

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Numbering Plan
In today's world it is possible for one station to directly dial over 98% of the other telephones
in the world without operator intervention. This requires each of these hundreds of millions of
telephones to have a unique number. As shown in Figure 8, coordination of telephone
numbering is divided among many organizations and agencies, including the ITU, Ministries,
Telephone Operating Companies and in some cases, such as Saudi Aramco, individual
companies.
Number Element

Digits

Responsible Agency

Example

Country Code

2 or 3

ITU/CCITT

966-

Area Code

1 to 3

MOPTT

-3-

Exchange (NNX)

2 or 3

MOPTT

-875-

Station Number

Saudi Aramco

-6290

9 to 13

FIGURE 8

The full telephone number of a station is composed of four parts and may involve up to 13
digits. The numbering plan for a telephone network is closely associated with the routing and
trunking plan of the network, as well as the engineering of the telephone switch. The type of
signaling, i.e., link-to-link or end-to-end (see previous module), is influenced by the number
of digits that must be transmitted; and any change in exchange codes must be reflected in the
routing tables of all switches with a "need to know" in order to complete the call. Within
Saudi Arabia, each area code is divided into Local Calling Areas (LCAs) corresponding to
areas of the same leading NXX (#xx exchange prefix) numbers. In general, there is no toll
charge associated with calls between switches within the same LCA boundary.
Dialing Plan
It is frequently necessary to implement local dialing arrangements to access local or longdistance networks or services, including vertical features on the serving switch. Dialing plans
may even vary from switch to switch in a network, depending on the capabilities of the switch
to provide translations such as digit addition, digit deletion, and digit absorbing. To the
greatest extent possible, however, an effort is always made to standardize dialing plans. This
avoids confusion and allows users to complete calls with a minimum of training,
inconvenience, and assistance.

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Country
Codes

KSA Area
Codes

1
United States

-1
Dilam
Diriyah
Kharj
Riyadh

44
United
Kingdom

-2
Hawiyah
Jeddah
Makkah
Taif

92
Pakistan
961
Lebanon

-3
962
Jordan

-4
Arar
Duba
Madinah
Rafah
Tabuk
Turayf
Yanbu

963
Syria
964
Iraq
965
Kuwait

-5

966
Saudi Arabia

-6
Baqa
Buraydah
Ghat
Hail
Zilfi

967
Yemen North
Oman
968

-7
Abhah
Jizan
Khamis
Mushait

969
Yemen South
971
United Arab
Emirates

Eastern Province
LCAs

Saudi Aramco
Assigned NNXs

Saudi Aramco
Switch Codes *

LCA (1)
King Khalid
City
LCA (2)
Khafji
Safaniya
Tanajib
Nariyah

378 - Tanajib
378 - Tanajib

LCA (3)
Jubail
LCA (4)
Khursaniyah
Abu Ali
Berri
Ghazlan
Juaymah
Ras Tanura
Rahimah
Dammam
Al-Khobar
Dhahran

67x - Ras Tanura

87x - Dhahran

LCA (5)
Abqaiq
Madinat
Abqaiq

572 - Abqaiq
574 - Abqaiq

LCA (6)
Shedgum
Faras
Mubarraz
Hofuf
Uthmaniyah
Udhailiyah
Khurais

577 - Shedgum
577 - Udhailiyah

378-0 to 378-8 Saf

378-3 to 378-4 Tan
378-5 to 378-6 Tan
378-9 Tan Marine

673-0 to 673-9 RT
678-1 RT Terminal
678-2 Abu Ali
678-3 RT
678-7 Berri
678-9 Ju'aymah
873- Dh EOB
874- Dh EOB
875- Dh EOB
876- Dh EOB
877- Dh No.2 Misc
878- Dh No.2 EAX

572- Abqaiq
574- Abqaiq Misc

577-1 Shedgum
577-2 Al Hasa
577-4 Shedgum
577-5 Uthmaniyah
577-7 to 577-8 Udh

* Not all switches

represented in this
list.

973
Bahrain
974
Qatar
Coordinated by ITU

Administered by Saudi MOPTT

Administered by Saudi Aramco

FIGURE 9

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Synchronization Plan
To a growing extent, the telephone network is becoming an integrated digital network
involving digital switches, digital links, and even digital (common channel) signaling. The
method of digitizing voice is standardized, so that interfacing between switches and
transmission systems (digital fiber optics, microwave) is simple and efficient.
PCM Hierarchy
There are two main formats used for digitizing voice, one (T-1) developed in the United
States, and the other (CCITT) developed for European use. Both systems involve 8-bit
sampling at 8 kHz intervals, with pulse-code modulation (PCM) of a carrier signal. This
introductory course does not have time to detail the operation of PCM systems; however, the
European PCM hierarchy, as used by Saudi Aramco, is illustrated in Figure 10.

8.448
mb/s
120 ch

139.264
mb/s
1920 ch

34.368
mb/s
480 ch
34.368
mb/s
34.368
mb/s
34.368
mb/s

1 64
2 kb/s
3
4
5
6
7

2.048
mb/s
30 ch
2.048
mb/s
2.048
mb/s
2.048
mb/s

28
29
30

8.448
mb/s
8.448
mb/s

2.048
mb/s

8.448
mb/s

FIGURE 10

Saudi Aramco Wideband Network

The Saudi Aramco wideband network, comprised of fiber optics and microwave systems, are
a combination of digital and analog systems. The systems north and south of the wideband
hub, Dhahran, are shown in Figures 11 and 12. This wideband network is used for voice
trunking as well as other voice and data services not directly associated with the telephone
network.

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FIGURE 11

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FIGURE 12

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Digital Trunking
It is possible, in the digital exchanges utilized by Saudi Aramco, to interface two ways with
digital transmission systems: at the 64 kb/s (vf) level, or at the 2.048 mb/s with blocks of 30
trunks. The advantage of the former is that small trunk groups are efficiently served.
However, each trunk working on the switch must be terminated individually, requiring much
more interface equipment on the switch. The latter alternative provides 30 trunks with only
one switch/transmission interface, greatly decreasing the cost of trunking.
Synchronization Clocks
This strong interaction between switching and transmission requires a common clocking
arrangement, so that the digital pulses, including digital signaling links, are coordinated
properly. A fault in synchronization results in "slips" timing mismatches and a loss of
information. This slip may not affect voice quality much, but can be a serious problem in
signaling and other data communications.
There are several methods for synchronizing a complex digital network. The most common
method, and the one used by Saudi Aramco, is a master-slave arrangement as shown in Figure
13. The method is based on the principle of designating one clock as the master clock and
locking (slaving) all other clocks to it. The master clock for the Saudi Aramco network has
been installed in the Dhahran EOB digital central office and is based on an atomic (Cesium)
standard with a lifetime stability of one part in 1012. Three clocks are installed together and
outputs are constantly analyzed on a two-out-of-three comparison algorithm. A caution alarm
is generated when the frequency difference is over 1 x 1011, and a frequency alarm when the
frequency difference is over 1 x 109. Other clocks (crystal oscillators) are installed in each of
the other digital central offices, and provide backup synchronization with an accuracy of three
parts in 107 . Clocking signals from the Dhahran EOB are imposed on the digital microwave
and fiber optics facilities, which in turn synchronize the other digital telephone switches. If
these digital links (or the Dhahran clocks) were lost, the telephone switches would provide
local synchrony until the master clocks could be reconnected.

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Synchronization Clocks
Atomic
Reference
Clocks
1 x 10-12

Dhahran
EOB
DCO

Master Synchronization
Through PCM System

Ras
Tanura
DCO

Slave Synchronization
Through PCM System

Crystal
Oscillator
1 x 10-7
Tanajib
DCO
(future)

Berri
DCO

Ju'aymah
DCO

Abqaiq
DCO

PTT
Dammam

Crystal
Oscillator
1 x 10-7
Udh
DCO
(future)

FIGURE 13

Service Plan
The service plan for a telephone network outlines all regular and special telephone services
provided by the telephone agency, their access privileges and arrangements, and any charging
rates to be applied. At Saudi Aramco, the telephone service plan is outlined in the following
General Instructions:

GI 1602.001
GI 1602.002
GI 1602.003

Residential Telephone Service

Business Telephone Service Inside Aramco
Business Telephone Service Outside Aramco

Telephone service is provided in six levels of service, as indicated in Figure 14. Each level
requires a specified level of authorization, as outlined in the applicable GI. Long-distance
charges for residential telephones are paid through direct payroll deduction, or by local
collection at call cabin stations. There is no departmental charge-back for long-distance
business calls; however, a summary of departmental calls is developed and sent to department
managers for their review and verification.

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Level No. 1:
Aramco local service only.
Level No. 2:
Level No. 1 plus MOPTT LCA access.
Level No. 3:
Level No. 2 plus MOPTT Eastern Province access.
Level No. 4:
Level 3 plus MOPTT national subscriber dialing.
Level No. 5:
Level 4 plus international subscriber dialing.
Level No. 6:
Level 5 plus leased international voice circuit access.

FIGURE 14

The overall service plan for voice services, as outlined in GI 1602, also covers some special
voice services that are directly and indirectly associated with the telephone network.
FX and OPX
Most telephone service is provided through the local serving exchange, i.e., a Dhahran user is
connected to a Dhahran switch, Abqaiq to Abqaiq, etc. In some cases, however, it is desirable
to provide telephone service from a distant switch rather than from the local switch. This
service is referred to as foreign exchange (FX) service. FX service requires special circuit
equipment to provide supervision and alerting (ringing) over long-haul facilities such as
microwave and fiber optics. A similar service involves off-premises extensions (OPX), in
which an extension from a main station is located at a distant location. FX and OPX services
are illustrated in Figure 15.
FX and OPX allow a user to bypass the local switch and receive a "dial tone" from a distant
switch. This is desirable if there are unique features in the distant switch that are required, or
if there is a necessity for continued service in the case of a local switching failure.

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Ras Tanura DCO

(673-xxxx)

Ras Tanura DCO

(673-xxxx)

875-1234
Foreign
Exchange
(FX) from
Dhahran

Off Premises
Extension
(OPX) to
875-1234

Dhahran DCO
(875-xxxx)

Dhahran DCO
(875-xxxx)
Main Station
875-1234

FIGURE 15

Conference Bridges
On many occasions, e.g., management reporting and emergency coordination, it is necessary
to simultaneously interconnect many users in a shared conversation arrangement. This is
accomplished by special equipment known as a conference bridge. A conference bridge
(Figure 16) can be designed to accommodate a variable number of users, and provides the
important functions of simultaneous interconnection and volume control. Conference bridges
are accessed by dialing a single specified number, with the switch providing connection paths
up to the capacity of the bridge.

Dhahran DCO
(875-xxxx)

Conference
Bridge
875-1234

FIGURE 16

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Mobile Telephone
Mobile telephone was originally a operator-assisted service. It is now integrated with
telephone switching and is known as Improved Mobile Telephone Service (IMTS). [The
Saudi Telecom public network mobile telephone service is called Advanced Mobile
Telephone Service (AMTS).] The Saudi Aramco mobile telephone networks are shown in
Figure 17.
VHF
4 Channel
Duplex
Zuluf
GOSP 2
North VHF Frequencies
Xmit Receive
Ch 1
Ch 2 152.27 157.53
Ch 3 152.30 157.56
Ch 4 152.33 157.59
152.36 157.62
South VHF Frequencies
Xmit Receive
Ch 1 152.39 157.65
Ch 2 152.42 157.68
Ch 3 152.45 157.71
Ch 4 152.48 157.74

UHF
8 Channel
Duplex

Safaniya

Safaniya

Abu
Hadriyah

Abu
Hadriyah
Berri

Ju'aymah
Terminal

Ju'aymah
Terminal

Dhahran

Abqaiq
No.2 EAX
(to be DCO)
Telephone
Switch
574-92xx
574-93xx

Abqaiq

Abqaiq

UHF IMTS Freqencies

Receive
Xmit
Ch 1 456.35 461.35
Ch 2 456.40 461.41
Ch 3 456.50 461.50
Ch 4 456.55 461.55
Ch 5 456.65 461.65
Ch 6 456.70 461.70
Ch 7 456.80 461.80
Ch 8 456.85 461.85
Note: All frequencies are
for base stations. Tx/Rx
reversed for mobile units.

Dhahran
No.2 EAX
Telephone
Switch
877-04xx
877-05xx
877-45xx
877-46xx

Shedgum

Udhailiyah

Udhailiyah

Haradh
GOSP 1

Haradh
GOSP 1

FIGURE 17

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In IMTS, a mobile radio transmitting and receiving terminal is connected to a telephone

switch, and each individual mobile radio is assigned a specific number allocated to that
terminal. Radio carrier and radio signaling replace the normal loop and loop alerting of landbased telephone service. The number of channels in a network determine how many
simulaneous calls can be carried over the network. The radio channel must be repeatered
(amplified and retransmitted) at various points to provide coverage over the Saudi Aramco
operating area. Each idle mobile radio scans the channels for a transmitted code
corresponding to its listed number. As shown in Figure 16, Saudi Aramco operates two
mobile radio networks, one operating at VHF and another at UHF frequencies. A maximum
of eight simultaneous calls can be provided on each of these two networks.
Paging
Paging is a simplified form of radio alerting in which a telephone call to a paging telephone
number results in an alerting signal transmitted via radio to a small, mobile radio receiver
carried by the user. Some models of paging allow the transmission of a short message, or a
number to which a return call is requested.
Emergency Restoration Plan
Emergency restoration plans are still undergoing development within Saudi Aramco, but four
specific strategies are clearly indicated or in place:

The provision of dual routing for switches at all major industrial and administrative
centers
Duplicated "essential" service through separate switches, where possible
Parallel networking, as in the proposed Clinic/Industrial Security sub-networking
Stand-by restoration switching

In addition to emergency restoration, all switches have load control by which, under heavy
traffic overloads, non-essential calls are denied network access, or access is made "hard to
reach" through a high-blocking arrangement, in which only a small percentage of nonessential calls are allowed to complete.

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CALCULATE COMMUNITY OF INTEREST

A term frequently encountered in trunking plans is community of interest. Community of
interest is a method of calculating the relative intensity of calling between two switching
centers within a particular network. For two switches, A and B, the community of interest
between A and B is denoted by the letter K and is defined by the equation:
Originating traffic A to B
Originating traffic at B
= KAB

Total originating traffic at A

Total network originating traffic
If all callers in the network tended to call all others equally (K=1), then the proportion of Acalls from A to B would be equal to the proportion of all network calls originating at B. To
illustrate this [K=1] further, if switch B originates 10 percent of all traffic, then 10 percent of
the traffic originating at switch A should terminate at switch B. But if only five percent of A's
traffic goes to B, then K= 0.05/0.10 = 0.5. Community of interest calculations are usually
performed when new switches are added to the network. All switch-to-switch community of
interest values are calculated, and the values are averaged for the area to be served by the new
switch. This procedure is only approximate, and may introduce some bias in traffic to/from
the new switch.

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In-Class Example Calculation for Community of Interest

Calculate originating traffic for a new switch composed of 20% B and 40% C. In calculating
the Community of Interest for the new switch, use the traffic-weighted average for the values
calculated to/from B and C.

Originating traffic from A to:

Originating traffic from B to:
Originating traffic from C to:
Total

to A:
800
50
100
950

to B:
110
500
90
700

to C:
70
80
700
850

Total
980
630
890
2500

to A:

to B:

to C:

to A:

to B:

to New:

to C:

to A:

to B:

to New:

to C:

Comm. of interest from A to:

Comm. of interest from B to:
Comm. of interest from C to:

Comm. of interest from A to:

Comm. of interest from B to:
Comm. of interest from New to:
Comm. of interest from C to:
Originating traffic from A to:
Originating traffic from B to:
Originating traffic from New to:
Originating traffic from C to:
FIGURE 18

Saudi Aramco DeskTop Standards

19