This chapter describes how to set up PDC and IMT services, supplementary services, and extended rating attributes (ERAs) in your Oracle Communications Billing and Revenue Management (BRM) system.
For background information about wireless services, see "About Integrating Wireless Services".
For general information about IMT Manager, see "About Using IMT Manager".
For information on adding new IMT and PDC services, see "Adding a new IMT or PDC service".
For information about ERAs and supplementary services, see "About Extended Rating Attributes" and "About Supplementary Services".
Note:
The variable service_name in the following sections refers to IMT or PDC.You use BRM services to manage real-world services in BRM. BRM services are identified by classes and objects, for example, /service/telco/imt and /service/telco/pdc identify IMT and PDC services.
When you create products in Pricing Center, you use provisioning tags to assign different types of services to your products. For more information, see "About Configuring Services, Supplementary Services, and ERAs".
Your price list can include specific deals for one or more BRM PDC and IMT services. For example, you might have a plan that includes just the PDC or IMT telephony service (for example, /service/telco/IMT/telephony) and a plan that includes all BRM PDC or IMT services. You can create different usage and subscription rates for different services.
For more information, see "Setting Up the IMT and PDC Price Lists".
IMT and PDC supplementary services are features such as call forwarding and call blocking. They are not implemented as BRM services. Instead, they are implemented by using product-level provisioning. For example, a price list might include a product associated with the telephony service, with a provisioning tag that implements the call forwarding supplementary service. Supplementary services can be used only with a base service, for example, the base IMT or PDC service.
Value-added services, such as voice mail, are similar to supplementary services. The difference is that value-added services are not part of the wireless network standard.
Note:
Supplementary services and value-added services are handled in the same way by BRM. Therefore, this documentation uses the term supplementary services to include value-added services.Supplementary services are included in products by using provisioning tags. You can create products that add supplementary services to existing accounts, for example, a product that adds call forwarding to an existing telephony service.
After BRM provisions a supplementary service, it is usually activated by the customer using their telephone keypad, for example, the customer can define the number keys to press for call forwarding.
A customer's supplementary services are defined in the service objects owned by the customer's account. For more information, see /service/telco/imt and /service/telco/pdc objects.
You define system-wide supplementary service definitions in /config/telco/imt and /config/telco/pdc objects. For example, supplementary IMT voice telephony services are defined in /config/telco/imt/telephony object. See "About Configuring Services, Supplementary Services, and ERAs".
Extended rating attributes (ERAs) provide discounts and promotions such as friends and family.
There are two types of ERAs:
Account-level ERAs, for example a birthday discount, can be used with any type of service. Since account-level ERAs are not dependent on a service, account-level ERAs do not require any provisioning. If a customer account includes any IMT or PDC services, the account can use any account-level ERA.
Service-level ERAs, for example, a closed user group, can only be used with a service. When a service is purchased, the account also gets all the service-level ERAs for that service. Service-level ERAs might require provisioning. If they do, they are implemented by using product-level provisioning.
ERAs need to be configured with specific data for each customer. For example, to set up a birthday discount, you need to know the customer's birthday. You configure ERAs by using your CSR tool.
Note:
Even when an account is qualified to use ERAs, you do not have to implement them in the account.
Sample ERAs are included in the default pin_telco_tags_pdc_imt and are included in the pipeline pricing data.
BRM does not validate any data entered when configuring ERAs, for example, telephone numbers for the friends and family discount. To create validation rules for these entries, edit the PCM_OP_CUST_POL_PREP_PROFILE policy opcode.
You define ERAs in the pipeline ISC_UsageType module.
A customer's ERA configurations are stored in profile objects.
The /profile/serv_extrating object stores the service-level ERA configuration. These objects are linked to the service objects owned by the customer's account.
The /profile/acct_extrating object stores the account-level ERA configuration. These objects are linked to account objects that own services.
You define system-wide definitions for service level ERAs in /config/telco/service_name objects. For example, supplementary voice telephony services are defined in /config/telco/service_name/telephony. Account-level ERAs are defined in /config/account_era objects.
To configure IMT or PDC services, supplementary services, and ERAs, you define provisioning tags and account ERA definitions in the pin_telco_tags_pdc_imt file. You then run the load_pin_telco_tags utility to load the data into the BRM database. Provisioning tags and account ERA definitions are stored in service-specific /config objects, such as, /config/telco/imt/telephony and /config/account_era.
When you create your products in the BRM price list, you can assign different types of provisioning tags, for example, you can use a provisioning tag for:
A single bearer service, for example, a type of voice service.
One or more supplementary services without a bearer service. A product with this type of provisioning tag is typically included in an add-on plan, because the customer must have the service already before adding the supplementary services.
One or more service-level ERAs. This type of provisioning tag can only be used in an add-on plan.
Combinations of a bearer service, supplementary services, and service-level ERAs.
For example, you might include two different provisioning tags for a wireless telephony service product:
The VoicePremium provisioning tag implements,
A voice bearer service.
The Call Forwarding supplementary service.
The Home Cell Assignment service ERA.
The VoiceFamily provisioning tag implements,
A voice bearer service.
The Caller ID supplementary service.
The friends and family service ERA.
You might also create products like these:
A product that implements a voice bearer service
An add-on product that implements Call Forwarding and the Home Cell Assignment ERA
An add-on product that implements Caller ID and the friends and family ERA
Important:
You cannot directly change the status of supplementary services. Instead, you change their status by changing the status of the products that they were purchased with. For example, to inactivate a Call Forwarding supplementary service, you inactivate its product. However, when you do so, you inactivate all other products, supplementary services, and service-level ERAs that were purchased with that product. Therefore, you should create products that allow you to manage services after the products are purchased.You specify ERA definitions and provisioning tags by editing the pin_telco_tags_pdc_imt file.
The default set of ERAs is defined in the pipeline ISC_UsageType module. For a list of default ERAs, see "Default Service-Level ERAs".
To create custom ERAs:
Define how the pipeline validates them by customizing the ISC_UsageType iScript.
Add the names and descriptions to the era_descr.locale file.
Add the names to the pin_telco_tags_pdc_imt file, and load the file by using the load_pin_telco_tags utility. See "Loading Prerated Events" in BRM Configuring Pipeline Rating and Discounting.
Use this syntax for an account-level ERA in the pin_telco_tags_pdc_imt file:
account_era "ERA code" "ERA name ID" "ERA description ID"
Example:
account_era "SPECIAL_DAY" "2" "3"
where:
account_era specifies that this is an account ERA definition.
SPECIAL_DAY is the ERA code. ERA codes are defined in the pipeline ISC_UsageType module.
2 is the ERA name ID. This ID is defined in the era_descr.locale localizable strings file.
3 is the ERA description ID. This ID is defined in the localizable strings file.
Provisioning tags are used for implementing bearer services, supplementary services, and service-level ERAs. This example shows a provisioning tag for a voice product that includes two supplementary services and a service-level ERA:
provisioning_tag "/config/telco/IMT/voice" "Voice" "VoicePremium" "Premium Voice Service" "n" service_era "HOME_REGION" 14 15 "y"
Table 31-1 describes the provisioning tag syntax:
Table 31-1 Provisioning Tag Syntax
| Tag Element | Description |
|---|---|
|
provisioning_tag |
Specifies the type of data (provisioning tag or account ERA). This entry includes the following values:
|
|
service_era |
Lists the service ERAs that are sold with the product, and specifies if provisioning is required, for example: service_era "HOME_REGION" 14 15 "y" See "Default Service-Level ERAs". The values in this line are:
If the provisioning tag does not include a service-level ERA, leave this line out. |
To load provisioning tags, you run the load_pin_telco_tags utility to load the contents of the pin_telco_tags_pdc_imt file into the BRM database.
Note:
You cannot create provisioning tags and ERAs for individual brands. All provisioning tags and ERAs can be used by any brand.For background information, see "About Supplementary Services".
Important:
The load_pin_telco_tags utility requires a configuration file. See "Creating Configuration Files for BRM Utilities" in BRM System Administrator's Guide.Edit the pin_telco_tags_pdc_imt file in BRM_Home/sys/data/config. The pin_telco_tags_pdc_imt file includes examples and instructions.
Caution:
By default, the load_pin_telco_tags utility overwrites the existing provisioning tags. If you are updating provisioning tags, you can use the -x option in the load_pin_telco_tags command to not delete tags that are not defined in the current pin_telco_tags_pdc_imt file.Save the pin_telco_tags_pdc_imt file.
Run the load_pin_telco_tags utility:
load_pin_telco_tags pin_telco_tags_pdc_imt
For the complete command syntax, see load_pin_telco_tags.
Restart the Connection Manager (CM). See "Starting and Stopping the BRM System" in BRM System Administrator's Guide.
Restart Pricing Center.
To verify that the pin_telco_tags_pdc_imt file was loaded, you can display the /config objects by using Object Browser, or use the robj command with the testnap utility. For example, to verify the provisioning tags for the telephony service, look at the /config/telco/service_name/telephony object.
See "Reading an Object and Writing Its Contents to a File" in BRM Developer's Guide.
Table 31-2 summarizes the default service-level ERAs:
Table 31-2 Default Service-Level ERAs
| Function | Name | Pipeline Name |
|---|---|---|
|
Create a closed user group, for example, a group of all mobile numbers in a company. |
Closed user group ERA |
CLOSEDUSERGROUP |
|
Specify a discount account for calculating volume discounts across multiple accounts. |
Hierarchical discount account ERA |
DISCOUNTACCOUNT |
|
Provide cross-product volume discounts, as defined in the pipeline. |
Pipeline discount model ERA |
DISCOUNTMODEL |
|
Provide discounts to calls made to specific numbers, for example, friends and family. |
Friends and family ERA |
FRIENDS_FAMILY |
|
Define the home cells for a customer and allow discounts while calling from this area. |
Home cell assignment ERA |
HOME_CELL |
|
Provide discounts to calls made to specific numbers or regions, such as all numbers in a country or area code. |
Home region code ERA |
HOME_REGION |
|
Use a pipeline rate plan. |
Pipeline service-level rate plan ERA |
RATEPLAN |
|
Assign a Quality of Service to a service. |
Service level agreement ERA |
SERVICELEVEL |