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The following sections describe the framework for managing service providers and applications:
Managing partner relationships is key to the successful convergence of third-party application services and telecom network operations. WebLogic Network Gatekeeper provides a partner administration model to help operators handle the needs and demands of their partners in a flexible and powerful way:
The service provider and application registration are performed either internally through the WebLogic Network Gatekeeper Management Console or through external management systems integrated with WebLogic Network Gatekeeper using the Network Gatekeeper Partner Relationship Management Interfaces.
The WebLogic Network Gatekeeper administration model allows operators to manage application service provider access at increasingly granular levels of control. An application service provider registers with WebLogic Network Gatekeeper and is given a service provider account. To support tiering, service provider accounts are associated together into account groups. These groups are then associated with their own Network Gatekeeper Service Level Agreements.
Within a service provider account are individual application accounts, registered on their respective service provider accounts. As in the case of service provider accounts, these application accounts are grouped together into account groups, each of which is associated with its own SLA.
Network Gatekeeper SLAs on the service provider and application level regulate, for example, the type of service capability made available and the maximum bandwidth use allowed. They may also specify access to charging capabilities and revenue sharing schemas. See Figure 6-1 for more information.
| Note: | Using the Platform Development Studio, integrators can extend this model to include subscribers as well. For more information, see the Platform Development Studio - Developer’s Guide, a separate document in this set. |
In addition to Network Gatekeeper SLAs, WebLogic Network Gatekeeper supports two types of traffic SLAs, contracts designed to protect the underlying telecom network. Service provider traffic SLAs regulate the relationship between a service provider group and the network nodes to which it has access. See Figure 6-2 for more information.
In Figure 6-2 above, service providers in service provider group 1 are allowed to access all network nodes, since their service provider traffic SLA (valid for all service providers within the group) contains node contracts for all nodes.
Service providers in service provider group 2 are only allowed to access network node 1 and 3, because their service provider traffic SLA only contains node contracts for node 1 and 3.
The second type of traffic SLA, the total traffic SLA, regulates the relationship between the Network Gatekeeper itself and the underlying nodes.
The WebLogic Network Gatekeeper Partner Relationship Management Interfaces provide support for the automation of the traditionally work intensive tasks related to service provider and application administration, including supporting on-boarding workflows, using request/approve. Most of the work of registration can be shifted to the service provider, as the operator's role changes from that of entering registration data to that of approving registration data. Large numbers of service provider and application accounts can be managed without increasing administration overhead. Service providers are also provided with a defined and structured channel to communicate desired account changes and to retrieve usage statistics for the accounts.
For a detailed description of the Partner Relationship Management Interfaces, see the document Integration Guidelines for Partner Relationship Management for WebLogic Network Gatekeeper.
As a part of an integration project, the Partner Relationship Management Interfaces can also be integrated with back end systems and network nodes, such as SMSCs, MMSCs, and pre-paid systems for creating and updating accounts.
For an application to use Audio Call-based services, announcements must be recorded and installed in the network. For more information on these areas, see the System Administrator’s Guide.
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