SIP Protocol
Protocol format and headers
Contents
SIP Protocol generally
SIP addressing, SIP URIs
SIP responses
SIP methods
SIP message format
Headers
Body
SIP Protocol generally
SIP is a text based
Similar to HTTP
SIP transaction / Call Leg
Client sends a Request
Server replies with one or more Responses
Identified by To, From and Call-ID headers
UDP or TCP is used as a transmission
protocol
SIP Protocol generally
Three way handshake in INVITE
SIP Addressing
SIP URIs are used
sip:user:password@host:port;url-parameters?headers
Several SIP headers use URI format
Request line
From
To
Contact
SIP Addressing (cont.)
SIP URIs, url-parameters
user: used to determine if username is a
telephone number (user=phone)
method: indicates the method to be used
ttl: time to live
maddr: multicast address where request should
be directed
Headers, for example subject=Hey
SIP Addressing (cont.)
tags: cryptographically random number,
added to To and From headers identifies a
call-leg
SIP Responses
1xx Informational
2xx Success
3xx Redirection
4xx Client Error resubmit after
modification
5xx Server error Message OK but cannot be
prosessed in this server
6xx Global Failure
SIP Responses, 1xx
(Informational)
100 Trying
hop-by-hop response
100 Trying is never forwarded
generated by a Proxy server or an User agent
180 Ringing
Indicates that the INVITE has been received by the
called User agent
Ringtone can be conveyd in the message body from
UAS to UAC
SIP Responses, 2xx (Success)
200 OK
Currently only Success-class response defined
in SIP
Indicates acceptance of INVITE (includes
media properties of the called UAS)
SIP Responses, 3xx (Redirection)
300 Multiple Choices
Request is responded with multiple Contact choices,
which should be used in that order in re-request
301 Moved Permanently
Response contains a permanent Contact header of the
called party address can be saved and used later
302 Moved Temporarily
Response contains a temporary Contact header of the
requested party should not be cached unless Expires
header is present
SIP Responses, 3xx (Redirection)
305 Use Proxy
Response includes an address for a proxy, to
which the request should be sent
380 Alternative Service
Indicates the type of service that the called
party would like for example voice mail or
redirect server
SIP Responses, 4xx (Client error)
400 Bad Request
Not understood by the server (missing required
header? or multiple INVITEs for same Call-ID)
401 Unauthorized
Indicates, that the user is required to perform
Authentication
Sent By User Agent or Registrar
SIP Responses, 4xx (Client error)
404 Not Found
SIP URL can not be located by the server
407 Proxy Authentication Required
Indicates, that UAC must authenticate itself to
the proxy
408 Request Timeout
INVITE has not been forwarded before request
has expired (Expires header)
SIP Responses, 4xx (Client error)
480 Temporary unavailable
Called party is not available for some reason
482 Loop Detected
Request has been routed back to the proxy that
previously forwarded the request
483 Too Many Hops
Request has been forwarded the maximum
number of times set by Max-Forwards
SIP Responses,5xx (Server error)
500 Server internal error
501 Not Implemented
503 Service unavailable
Actual message was correct and may be
sent to some other server
SIP Responses,6xx (Global error)
Should not be sent anywhere it fails
everywhere
600 Busy everywhere
606 Not Acceptable
SIP Methods
INVITE
Invite to participate in a session or change parameters
of an existing session
Includes usually message body with media information
of caller
ACK
Acknowledge a received final response (200-699)
May contain message body with media information
Invite (A-B) 200 OK (B-A) ACK (A-B)
BYE
Terminate an established media session
SIP Methods, example1
SIP Methods, example2
SIP Methods (cont.)
REGISTER
register current locations to registrar server,
redirect/proxy requests to current location
remove existing registrations (Expires = 0)
CANCEL
Request to cancel pending request
Also sent by forking proxies after succesful
response to one of the branched requests
SIP Methods, example3
REGISTER sip:feanor.pc.lut.fi SIP/2.0
Via: SIP/2.0/UDP 157.24.25.137:5060
From: athamala <sip:athamala@feanor.pc.lut.fi>
To: athamala <sip:athamala@feanor.pc.lut.fi>
Call-ID: 123456789@aradan
CSeq: 1 REGISTER
Contact: <sip:athamala@157.24.25.137>
Content-Length: 0
UA
SIP/2.0 200 OK
Via: SIP/2.0/UDP feanor.pc.lut.fi:5060
From: athamala <sip:athamala@feanor.pc.lut.fi>
To: athamala <sip:athamala@feanor.pc.lut.fi>
Call-ID: 123456789@aradan
CSeq: 1 REGISTER
Contact: <sip:athamala@157.24.25.137>;expires=3600
Content-Length: 0
UA
REGISTRAR
REGISTRAR
SIP Methods, example4
SIP Methods (cont.)
INFO
used to send call signalling information to
another user agent
it doesnt change anything
for example in SIP<->PSTN to transfer DTMF
signals
OPTIONS
Query server or user agent about its capabilities
SIP Methods (cont.)
SUBSCRIBE
To query presence information of other user
NOTIFY
To inform other users about state of presentity
MESSAGE
To send instant message body
SIP Methods (cont.)
PRACK
To acknowledge informational (1xx) messages
Not very widely used
COMET
Allows UAS to indicate, that QOS
preconditions have been met
REFER
To initiate a third-party call control
SIP Message format
1.a) Request URL in Request (contains next
hop in the path)
INVITE user@host.com SIP/2.0
1.b) Status line in responses
SIP/2.0 200 OK or similar
2) Headers (From, To, Via, ...)
3) Empty line
4) Message body
SIP Message, request example
INVITE sip:jarsku@feanor.pc.lut.fi SIP/2.0
Via: SIP/2.0/UDP 157.24.25.137:5060
From: Arto <sip:athamala@feanor.pc.lut.fi>
To: Jari <sip:jarsku@feanor.pc.lut.fi>
Call-ID: 123456789@aradan
CSeq: 1 INVITE
Contact: <sip:athamala@157.24.25.137>
Content-Type: application/sdp
Content-Length: 147
v=0
o=athamala 2890844526 2890844526 IN IP4 aradan.pc.lut.fi
s=Session SDP
c=IN IP4 157.24.25.137
t=0 0
m=audio 49172 RTP/AVP 0
a=rtpmap:0 PCMU/8000
SIP Message, response example
SIP/2.0 200 OK
Via: SIP/2.0/UDP 157.24.25.137:5060
From: Arto <sip:athamala@feanor.pc.lut.fi>
To: Jari <sip:jarsku@feanor.pc.lut.fi>;tag=314152
Call-ID: 123456789@aradan
CSeq: 1 INVITE
Contact: <sip:jarsku@157.24.25.139>
Content-Type: application/sdp
Content-Length: 149
v=0
o=jarsku 2890844527 2890844527 IN IP4 haldir.pc.lut.fi
s=Session SDP
c=IN IP4 157.24.25.139
t=0 0
m=audio 3456 RTP/AVP 0
a=rtpmap:0 PCMU/8000
SIP Message format, headers
From
Contains the initiator of the request (SIP URI),
required in all SIP messages
To
Contains the recipient of the request (SIP URI),
required in all SIP messages
SIP Message format, headers
Call-ID
Unique identification code for Call, mandatory
in all SIP requests and responses
Call-ID: 2345kjh23kjh3@feanor.pc.lut.fi
CSeq
Sequence number for requests, UAS decide if
the request is a retransmission (same CSeq) or
new request
Cseq: 1 INVITE
SIP Message format, headers
Contact
URL, which identifies the requested resource or the
request originator, mandatory in INVITE and 200
OK responses to invitations.
Contact: Arto Hamalainen
<sip:athamala@feanor.pc.lut.fi>
Via
To store addresses of all the proxies which handle the
request, helps in loop detection and routing, required
Via: SIP/2.0/UDP feanor.pc.lut.fi:5060
SIP Message format, via processing
SIP Message format, headers
WWW-Authenticate / Proxy-Authenticate
in 401 Unauthorized or 407 Proxy
authentication required
Authorization / Proxy Authorization
in reply to 401 or 407, includes user credentials
Content-Length
Content-Type (for example application/sdp)
SIP Message format, headers
Record-Route
Record Route header is used by proxies to force
that future requests in the same call will be
forwarded through this route
Route
In future requests Record-route is copied as a
Route header which forces request to go
through the proxy which inserted Record-route
in the previous request
SIP Message format, body
Some SIP messages have also message
body. It can be for example
SDP/XML media description
Instant message data (in MESSAGE)
Body type and length explained in ContentType and Content-Length headers
SIP Message format, body (SDP)
...
Content-Type: application/sdp
Content-Length: 147
v=0
o=athamala 2890844526 2890844526 IN IP4 here.com
s=Session SDP
c=IN IP4 100.101.102.103
t=0 0
m=audio 49172 RTP/AVP 0
a=rtpmap:0 PCMU/8000
SIP Protocol format
SIP is text-based signalling protocol
Client sends Requests Server responds
with a Response
Request methods: INVITE, REGISTER,
CANCEL, BYE, INFO, OPTIONS, ACK
Response codes: 1xx-6xx
SIP Protocol format
Headers: From, To, Via, Call-ID, CSeq,
Contact, ...
Payload usually SDP Description, can be
something else (XML, ...)
