This chapter discusses the tasks to implement Oracle Telecommunications Billing Integrator.
This chapter covers the following topics:
Implementing Oracle TBI involves the following:
To set up profile values in TBI, select the TBI administrator responsibility.
Navigation: TBI setup > profile system values.
Notes
Unless otherwise mentioned, use the TBI administrator responsibility to complete the setups mentioned in this chapter.
You must have the TBI Administrator responsibility to access Oracle XML Gateway database and forms. Setting up XML Gateway or TBI involves the following:
To set the profile options, login to Oracle Forms with the System Administrator responsibility.
Navigation: TBI Setup > Profile System Values
For details on the XML gateway profile values to be set, refer Oracle XML Gateway User’s Guide.
Oracle XML Gateway uses the UTL_FILE package to read and write to the server. To use Oracle XML Gateway, create folders to store the XML message process logs and the XSLT style sheets.
Use the utl_file_dir parameter in the $ORACLE_HOME/dbs/init<SID>.ora file to define folders. Each folder is indicated as ''utl_file_dir = directory_name'' in this file. The folder name must be the same as the value defined for the Oracle XML Gateway profile ECX_UTL_LOG_DIR file path (ECX:Log File Path).
For details, refer Oracle XML Gateway User’s Guide.
Define Open Applications Group (OAG) as the XML standard.
Navigation: Oracle XML Gateway Setup > Define XML Standards.
Notes
Standard Code: This is the name or code for the standard body of the XML messages. Enter 'OAG'
Standard Type: Enter 'XML'.
A hub is defined as an integration point within your network.
Navigation: Oracle XML Gateway Setup > Define Hubs.
Notes
Name: Enter ‘XNB_HUB'.
Protocol Type: Select JMS. This value identifies the type of messages that are passed through the hub and provides a method for inbound and outbound agent listeners to filter the messages from a common queue. If this value is not available in the LOV, it must be enabled for the XML Gateway. To enable the values:
Select XML Gateway Setup > Define Lookup Values.
Query for the lookup type ‘COMM_METHOD'.
Locate the lookup value with code 'JMS' and enable it.
Protocol Address: Enter ’WF_JMS_OUT’. This is the outbound queue to process outbound transactions.
Note: Middleware should be configured accordingly, so that it picks up the outbound messages from WF_JMS_OUT and enqueues the inbound messages to WF_JMS_IN.
A hub user represents an application that takes part in the message exchange.
To define middleware as a hub user, enter XNB as the user name and the hub entity code.
To define the billing application as a hub user, enter the name of the billing application as the user name and hub entity code.
The names representing the billing applications setup in the hub must be unique.
Hub entity code values for the various billing applications must be same as the key value from BSR.SENDER.COMPONENT.
Internal transactions are used by the XML Gateway Execution Engine. Internal transactions are associated with the trading partner in the trading partner setup. Each internal transaction is associated with a number of external transactions that participate in the integration.
For more information about defining transactions, see the Oracle XML Gateway User’s Guide.
Navigation: Oracle XML Gateway Setup > Define Transactions.
Notes
Queue: The standard inbound queue used in TBI is APPS.ECX_IN_OAG_IN. The field is disabled for outbound messages. Default queues are defined during installation.
Standard Code: Select 'OAG'.
Transaction Type: This is the product short name for the base Oracle Application. Enter 'XNB', which is the product short code for TBI.
Transaction Subtype: This refers to particular transaction within the application specified by the Transaction Type. The last letter of the code represents the direction of the transaction, that is, ”I” for inbound and ”O” for outbound. The combination of the Transaction Type and the Transaction Subtype identifies an Oracle transaction with which the message is associated.
External Transaction Type: Enter a primary external identifier for the XML message.
External Transaction Subtype: Enter a secondary external identifier for the XML message.
The following internal transactions have associated external transactions in XML Gateway:
Account Outbound Internal Transaction
The following table lists the attributes and values for the account outbound transaction.
Attribute | Value |
---|---|
Party Type | Customer |
Transaction Type | XNB |
Transaction Subtype | AO |
Transaction Description | XNB TCA Account Outbound |
External Transactions for Account Outbound
The following table lists the details of the external transactions for account outbound message.
STD CODE | DIR | EXT. TXN. TYPE | EXT. TXN. SUBTYPE | QUEUE |
---|---|---|---|---|
OAG | OUT | ACCOUNT | SYNC | - |
Internal Transaction for Sales Order Outbound
Attribute | Value |
---|---|
Party Type | Customer |
Transaction Type | XNB |
Transaction Subtype | SOO |
Transaction Description | XNB OM Sales Order Outbound |
External Transactions for Sales Order Outbound
STD CODE | DIR | EXT. TXN. TYPE | EXT. TXN. SUBTYPE | QUEUE |
---|---|---|---|---|
OAG | OUT | SALESORDER | ADD | - |
Internal Transactions for Group Sales Order Outbound
Attribute | Value |
---|---|
Party Type | Customer |
Transaction Type | XNB |
Transaction Subtype | GSOO |
Transaction Description | XNB OM Group Sales Order Outbound |
External Transactions for Group Sales Order Outbound
STD CODE | DIR | EXT. TXN. TYPE | EXT. TXN. SUBTYPE | QUEUE |
---|---|---|---|---|
OAG | OUT | GRP_SALESORDER | ADD | - |
Internal Transacations for Inventory Item Outbound
Attribute | Value |
---|---|
Party Type | Customer |
Transaction Type | XNB |
Transaction Subtype | IO |
Transaction Description | XNB Inventory Item Outbound |
External Transactions for Inventory Item Outbound
STD CODE | DIR | EXT. TXN. TYPE | EXT. TXN. SUBTYPE | QUEUE |
---|---|---|---|---|
OAG | OUT | ITEM | SYNC | - |
Internal Transaction for Confirm BOD Inbound
Attribute | Value |
---|---|
Party Type | Customer |
Transaction Type | XNB |
Transaction Subtype | CBODI |
Transaction Description | XNB Confirm BOD Inbound |
External Transactions for Confirm BOD Inbound
STD CODE | DIR | EXT. TXN. TYPE | EXT. TXN. SUBTYPE | QUEUE |
---|---|---|---|---|
OAG | IN | BOD | CONFIRM | APPS.ECX_IN_OAG_Q |
The following table lists the transactions enabled for TBI. A (XNB, CBODI) transaction must be enabled for each hub user representing a billing application with the correct Source Trading Partner Location Code. All transactions must be set as ENABLED.
TXN TYPE | TXN SUB TYPE | MAP | CONN/HUB | USERNAME | SRCT P LOC CODE | DOC CONF |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
XNB | AO | XNB_TCA_ACCOUNT_OAG72_OUT | XNB_HUB | XNB | XNB | 2 |
XNB | SOO | XNB_OM_SALESORDER_OAG72_OUT | XNB_HUB | XNB | XNB | 2 |
XNB | GSO | XNB_OM_GRPSALESORDER_OAG72_OUT | XNB_HUB | XNB | XNB | 2 (If GSO) |
XNB | IO | XNB_INV_ITEM_OAG72_OUT | XNB_HUB | XNB | XNB | 2 |
XNB | CBODI | XNB_CLN_CBOD_OAG72_IN | - | - | <Hub Entity Code of Billing Applications> | 0 |
A trading partner is an entity which exchanges messages with the XML Gateway. The trading partner has many transactions enabled for each hub user. The transactions enabled for each hub user determines the type of messages generated and the direction of the message. The Protocol Type is populated for outbound messages from the hub protocol type. Protocol Type is not applicable for inbound messages.
For more information about setting up trading partners, see the Oracle XML Gateway User's Guide.
Party and Location for the Hub must be created in TCA. For details, see Oracle Trading Community Architecture User Guide.
Navigation: XML Gateway Setup > Define Trading Partners.
Notes
Company Admin Email: Enter the System Administrator's e-mail ID. The System Administrator will receive notifications regarding warnings and errors
Connection/Hub: Enter 'XNB_HUB'. This is required only for outbound messages.
Destination Trading Partner Location Code: Leave this field blank.
Document Confirmation: Specifies if the trading partner would like to send or receive a confirmation. Select 2 (Always send a confirmation) for outbound messages and select 0 (Never send a confirmation) for inbound messages.
Oracle Collaboration History maintains a history or record of the communication between EBS and the billing applications. Using Collaboration History, you can track all the events and messages exchanged during a collaboration including exceptions and the XML Payloads where available. Setting up Oracle Collaboration History involves the following:
Log into Oracle Forms and navigate to TBI Setup > Profile System Values and set up profile values for Collaboration History.
Notes
The profile values for Collaboration History are:
CLN: Enable_History_Tracking
CLN: Debug Level
CLN: Debug Log Directory
Lookup values are used to integrate XML Gateway with the Supply Chain Trading Connector to enable Collaboration History Tracking. Use the applications Developer responsibility to define the lookup values
Navigation: Application : Lookups > Application Object Library
Notes
The following table lists the lookup values.
Lookup Type | Lookup Code | Description | Enabled? |
---|---|---|---|
CLN_APPLICATION_ID | 881 | Oracle Telecommunications Billing Integrator | Y |
CLN_COLLABORATION_TYPE | XNB_ITEM | TBI Item | Y |
CLN_COLLABORATION_TYPE | XNB_ACCOUNT | TBI Account | Y |
CLN_COLLABORATION_TYPE | XNB_SALESORDER | TBI Sales Order | Y |
CLN_COLLABORATION_DOC_TYPE | XNB_SYNC_ITEM | TBI Sync Item | Y |
CLN_COLLABORATION_DOC_TYPE | XNB_SYNC_ACCOUNT | TBI Sync Account | Y |
CLN_COLLABORATION_DOC_TYPE | XNB_ADD_SALESORDER | TBI Add Sales Order | Y |
Note: After updating the lookup values, bounce the Apache server on the environment only if the values are not reflected in the Collaboration Setup UI.
A Collaboration Event represents a system component acting on information in a message or XML Payload.
Navigation: Workflow Administrator : Collaboration Monitor : SetUp > Collaboration Event Definition
Notes
Application: Select the Oracle Application that owns the collaboration.
Document Type: Select the Document Message Payload identified for the event.
The final collaboration event must be set up in Collaboration History to record the final status of the overall collaboration. The final event is generally the occurrence of an inbound or outbound message in the XML Gateway. After the collaboration is created or updated from the business flow, the collaboration can be tracked using the Collaboration History function.
Navigation: Workflow Administrator : Collaboration Monitor : SetUp > Collaboration Final Event Definition
The following Agent Listeners must be running for TBI to function:
Workflow Deferred Agent Listener
Workflow Deferred Notification Agent Listener
Workflow Error Agent Listener
Workflow Inbound Notifications Agent Listener
Workflow Inbound JMS Agent Listener
Navigation: Workflow Administrator : Oracle Applications Manager > Workflow Manager. Click the Agent listeners icon.
The Bill Summary UI is integrated with Oracle Contact Center and can be accessed from Oracle Contact Center through a special menu. Oracle TBI uses the OA Framework for Bill Summary UI.
Setting up Bill Summary UI involves the following:
The following table lists the profile values for Bill Summary UI.
Profile Option | Value |
---|---|
XNB: Bill Image Source | Specifies the source of the image displayed on the bill. The values are:
|
XNB: Bill Image Location | Specifies the location of the bill image in the file system. ‘XNB: Bill Image Source' must be set to ‘File System'. The path specified must be a relative path accessible to the application web server. The path specified is appended to the $OA_HTML path of the web server to retrieve the bill image. |
XNB: Bill Image Format | Specifies the format of the bill image. This value is used as the file extension for the image name, which is same as the bill number. For example: gif, jpeg. |
To access Bill Summary UI from Oracle Contact Center, select a responsibility that has access to Oracle Contact Center. Use the System Administrator responsibility.
Navigation: Security : Responsibility > Define
Steps
Query for ‘Menu' to identify the root level menu attached to the responsibility.
Navigate to Application > Menu. Query for the menu identified in the previous step.
Add the seeded function XNB_OA_ACCT_BILL_DETAILS to the menu with the following values:
Function: XNB_OA_BILL_DETAILS
Description: XNB Account Bill Details OA Page
To enable the Bill Summary UI, add the seeded function XNB_OA_ACCT_BILL_DETAILS to the menu with the following values:
Function: XNB_OA_ACCT_BILL_SUMMARY
Description: XNB Account Bill Summary OA Page
TBI allows personalization in Oracle Contact Center to invoke the Bill Summary UI. You can do this from the Contact Center form
Navigation: Help > Diagnostic > Custom Code > Personalize.
Create a Function. Name the function 'Bill Summary Function' or as appropriate.
Select the 'Enabled' check box to enable the function.
Select the Condition tab and enter the following details.
In the Trigger Event field, enter 'WHEN-NEW-FORM-INSTANCE.’
In the Processing Mode field, enter 'Not in Enter-Query Mode'.
Select the Actions tab and enter the following details.
From the Type list, select Menu.
From the Menu Entry list, select 'SpecialXX'. XX represents the number that is not used by any other entry.
In the Menu Label field, enter Bill Summary.
To separate menu items with a line, enable Render Line Before Menu.
Create another function. Name the function 'OA Bill Summary Page' or as appropriate.
Select the 'Enabled' check box to enable the function.
Select the Conditions Tab and enter the following details.
Select the Trigger event. It must be same as the one specified in the Menu, SpecialXX.
From the Type list, select Builtin.
For Builtin Type, select Launch a Function.
In the Function Code field, enter XNB_OA_ACCT_BILL_SUMMARY.
In the Parameters field, enter ='AccountNumber='||:CUSTOMER_HEADER_BLK.CUST_ACCOUNT_NUMBER
To access the Bill Summary UI, select an account from Oracle Contact Center. From the Tool or More Tools menu, select the menu that you had set up in the previous procedure. The Bill summary UI appears.
Data must be uploaded at required intervals to the XNB_BILL_SUMMARIES table for billing details to be displayed accurately in the Bill Summary. Load the data at the end of every billing cycle. To upload the data, call the bill summary APIs. Refer Bill Summary Bulk Insert APIs for details.
Oracle TBI works in conjunction with the following Order Management Workflow processes:
XNBFLOWS.ACCOUNT_PROCESS: Publishes new account information.
The XNBFLOWS.SALES_ORDER_PROCESS: Publishes the sales order (line) information.
XNBFLOWS.GROUP_SALESORDER_PUBLISH: Publishes the Group Sales Order information.
When an order is created for a new account (an account that has not been published to the billing system) in Order Management, the Order Management header flow uses the Business Event System to trigger the TBI account publish process. The TBI account publish process generates the XML and loads it into the AQ. You must create the workflow function for publishing accounts. The figure below shows the workflow process for publishing account information.
Workflow Process for Publishing Account Information
Navigation: In WorkFlow Builder, open the OM Order Header (OEOH) workflow.
Notes
Enter the following parameters:
Internal Name: XNB_ACCOUNT_PUBLISH
Display Name: XNB Account Publish
Function Name: xnb_cmn_pvt.publish_account_info
When an order is created in Oracle Order Management, the Order Management order line flow uses the Business Event System to trigger the TBI sales order publish process. Each Sales Order line is an individual XML message because each order line corresponds to an item ordered by a customer. The figure below gives the workflow process for publishing sales order information.
Workflow Process for Publishing Sales Order Information
Integrating Workflow Process for Publishing Sales Order Information involves the following:
Note: GSO and Sales Order Line are mutually exclusive.
The profile option to set the sales order line is XNB: Account Republish. The values are:
NEVER: Account information in the sales order line is published only if that account was never published. This is the default value.
ALWAYS: Account information in the sales order line is published till all the billing applications (in case of multiple Billing Applications) send a confirmation BOD with status SUCCESS to the Oracle E-Business Suite.
ONERROR: Account information in the sales order line is published only if a failure confirmation BOD with status ERROR was sent by at least one of the billing applications and that billing application has not sent a confirmation BOD with status SUCCESS in the past.
Create the workflow function for publishing sales order information.
Navigation: In WorkFlow Builder, open the OM Order Line (OEOL) workflow.
Notes
Internal Name: XNB_SALESORDER_PUBLISH
Display Name: XNB Sales Order Publish
Function Name: xnb_cmn_pvt.publish_salesorder_info
Create the workflow function for publishing group sales order information. The figure below shows the workflow process for publishing Group Sales Order Information.
Workflow Process for Publishing Group Sales Order Information
Navigation: In Workflow Builder, open the OM Order Header (OEOH) workflow.
Notes
Enter the following parameters for the new function:
Internal Name: XNB_GRP_SALESORDER_PUBLISH
Display Name: XNB Group Sales Order Publish
Function Name: xnb_cmn_pvt.publish_grpsalesorder_info
You must have the System Administrator responsibility and the Telecommunications Billing Integrator Administrator responsibility to setup and run the concurrent program for Oracle TBI.
Setting up and running the item publish concurrent program involves:
Defining Item Batch Export Profile Values.
Submitting the Item Publish Request.
The following table lists the profile values for Item Batch Export Profile.
Profile Option | Value |
---|---|
XNB: Items Batch Message Type | The values are:
|
XNB: Items Batch File Location | Name of the folder in which TBI generates the Inventory Items Batch file (XML or CSV). The file is generated by the Item Batch Export Concurrent Request. This is required if the XNB: Items Batch Message Type profile value is set to CSV Batch File or XML Batch File. |
The following table lists the seeded values for Item Batch Export concurrent program.
Name | Value |
---|---|
Program | Telecom Billing Integrator Items Publish |
Short Name | XNB_ITEMS_PUBLISH |
Application | Telecommunications Billing Integrator |
Executable | XNB_ITEMS_PUBLISH |
Update the billing application each time an item is added or updated in the inventory. You can do this in two ways:
Use the batch mode which supports CSVs and XML files.
Publish the details in a real time asynchronous mode using Item Publish Flow ‘XNBFLOWS.ITEM_PROCESS'. TBI uses the workflow process to publish the item/product information.
For both options, use the Item Batch Export concurrent program. Select the items that need to be published based on the parameters of the concurrent program which initiate the item publish flow. Only the items that are invoiceable (INVOICEABLE_ITEM_FLAG = N) by the external billing applications are published.
Select the TBI Administrator responsibility to submit an item publish request.
Navigation: Requests > Submit Request.
Notes
Request Name: Select 'Telecommunications Billing Integrator Items Publish'.
Billing Application: Name of the hub entity code of the billing application.
From Date: Publishes all items updated between the from date and the current date.
Inventory Organization: Inventory organization of the items to be published/exported.
Inventory Category Set: Inventory category set of the items to be published/exported.
Inventory Category: Inventory category of the items to be published/exported.
TBI allows you to subscribe to a set of TCA events. When the subscribed event occurs, TBI verifies if the account updated in TCA is relevant to the billing system. If so, TBI publishes the account XML message to the billing system. The qualifier within the XML message is marked with a "U" next to the updated information.
Navigation: TBI Setup > Subscribe to Events > Account Update Events.
The following table lists the supported events.
Sl. No | Event Name | Event Display Name | Description |
---|---|---|---|
1 | oracle.apps.ar.hz.CustAcctSiteUse.create | CustomerAccount Site Usage Create | Triggered when a new customer account site usage is created. |
2 | oracle.apps.ar.hz.CustAcctSiteUse.update | CustomerAccount Site Usage Update | Triggered when a customer account site usage is updated. |
3 | oracle.apps.ar.hz.CustAcctRelate.create | Related Accounts Create | Triggered when a new customer account relation is created. |
4 | oracle.apps.ar.hz.CustAcctRelate.update | Related Accounts Update | Triggered when a customer account relation is updated. |
5 | oracle.apps.ar.hz.CustProfileAmt.create | Customer Profile Amounts Create | Triggered when a new customer profile amount is created. |
6 | oracle.apps.ar.hz.CustProfileAmt.update | Customer Profile Amounts Update | Triggered when a customer profile amount is updated. |
7 | oracle.apps.ar.hz.CustAccount.update | Customer Account Update | Triggered when a customer account information is updated. |
8 | oracle.apps.ar.hz.Person.update | Person Update | Triggered when Party Details of type Person is updated. |
9 | oracle.apps.ar.hz.Organization.update | Organization Update | Triggered when Party Details of type Organization is updated. |
10 | oracle.apps.ar.hz.CustomerProfile.update | Customer Profile Update | Triggered when Customer Profile details are updated. |
11 | oracle.apps.ar.hz.ContactPoint.update | Contact Points Update | Triggered when Contact Point details are updated. |
Oracle TBI uses generic XML gateway compatible Advance Queues (AQ) for all outgoing and incoming messages. They are:
WF_JMS_IN: This inbound queue is used for all inbound messages that are sent to TBI. Once the billing application receives the message, it sends a Confirmation Business Object Document (CBOD) with appropriate status to the Middleware, which queues it onto the WF_JMS_IN. The Workflow Agent configured on the WF_JMS_IN queue picks up the message and calls the workflow handlers to process the message.
WF_JMS_OUT: This is the JMS Outbound queue that processes outbound transactions. The Account XML message generated in JMS Format is published to the JMS Outbound queue (WF_JMS_OUT). The Collaboration history is updated to reflect the account message publish status.
Note: If Oracle Applications Interconnect (OAI 9.0.4) is used as the middleware, refer Appendix A for details on configuring OAI 9.0.4. If a non-OAI middleware is used, refer to the respective documentation for the configuration details.