Hierarchy Developer's Guide for Oracle Self-Service E-Billing > Hierarchy Manager Concepts >

Elements of Hierarchy Manager

The basic elements of a hierarchy include:

• Hierarchy. A system organized in the shape of a pyramid, with each row of objects called nodes, linked to objects directly beneath it. A hierarchy contains a root directory at the top of the pyramid and subdirectories below it.
• Hierarchy Nodes. A representation of linked business objects and are organized into parent-child relationships in the hierarchy.
• Element or Business Object. A generic term for elements represented within hierarchy structures. Business objects include items such as folderbusiness objects and object types. Each type of object will have different properties and actions associated with it. To be linked into a hierarchy, you must implement certain interfaces in the business object, for example:
  • Billing Account. An account from the billing system that generates an invoice or statements.
  • Service Agreement (Contract). Could be the leaf node of the hierarchy, or a node that has a parent node. A credit card, MTN, or a Mobile Subscriber Integrated Services Digital Network-Number (MSISDN) are examples of a service agreement or contract.