Configuring PCRF Pooling

Use this task to configure PCRF Pooling.

In order to configure PCRF Pooling, the following steps should be carried out in the order specified. Read through all of the steps prior to beginning configuration.
Note: This procedure assumes that the network is already configured as used in DSR 4.1.5.
  1. Configure all Access Point Names.

    After upgrade to DSR 5.1 and prior to enabling the PCRF Pooling capability, all APNs used in the network must be configured.

    To ensure that all APNs are configured, perform the following from the NOAM:
    1. Use the alarm history at Alarms & Events > View History with filter setting as follows:
      1. Scope set to the NOAM Network Element
      2. Display Filter set to Event ID=22730
      3. Collection Interval set to N Days, where N is long enough to cover the period after the upgrade, or something shorter if required.
    2. I f the Event History shows any instances of alarm 22730, check the Additional Info portion of the alarm to determine if the configuration problem is related to missing or unconfigured APNs. If this is the case, either configure the unconfigured APN, or determine why the policy client is not sending an APN in the request.
    3. Repeat item 2 in this step for each instance of alarm 22730.

  2. Configure DSR routing for each PCRF Pool.

    This step pre-configures all of the DSR routing necessary to route new binding requests to PCRF Pools. This configuration will not be used until further configuration is completed later in this procedure.

    The routing configuration controls which PCRFs are in a given pool. Policy DRA application software selects a PCRF Pool name, but the DSR routing configuration at each site determines which PCRFs are part of the PCRF Pool.

    For each Policy DRA node in the network, perform the following steps using that site's SOAM.
    1. Determine a set of PCRF Peer Nodes that will be grouped into a PCRF Pool.
    2. At each site's SOAM, for the PCRF Peer Nodes from item 1,create a Route Group containing those PCRFs.
    3. For the Route Group in item 2 in this step, create a Route List that uses that Route Group.
    4. For the Route List in item 3 in this step, create a Peer Route Table.
    5. For the Peer Route Table created in item 4 in this step, create a peer routing table rule that will choose the Route List created in item 3.
    6. Repeat items 1 through 5 in this step for each required PCRF Pool.

    At this point, DSR routing is configured to route to the PCRF Pools, but the Policy DRA application is not yet aware of the PRT tables, and will not use them.
    Note: It is possible that not every pool will be used at every site. If this is the case, you do not need to create routing for that pool.

  3. Configure PCRF Pools.

    This step creates PCRF Pools. These pools will not be used yet because no APNs are mapped to these pools.
    Note: Preform this step at the NOAM.
    1. At Policy DRA -> Configuration -> PCRF Pools, insert a PCRF Pool using a descriptive name.
    2. Repeat item 1 in this step for each PCRF Pool.

  4. Configure PCRF Pool to PRT Mappings.

    This step maps the PCRF Pools created in step 3 above to the PRT tables created in step 2, items 4 and 5. Even though PCRF Pools are now mapped to the DSR routing configuration, none of this configuration will be used until one APN (at a minimum) is changed to use one of the new PCRF Pools.

    For each Policy DRA node in the network, perform the following using that site's SOAM.
    1. Use Policy DRA -> Configuration -> PCRF Pool to PRT Mapping to map a PCRF Pool to the PRT table created for that pool in Step 2, items 4 and 5.
    2. Repeat item 1 in this step for each PCRF Pool that indicates a Peer Route Table of "Not Selected" until all PCRF Pools are mapped to the appropriate PRT table.
    Note: It is possible that not every pool will be used at every site. If this is the case, the PCRF Pool can be left-mapped to the "Not Selected" PRT. For these entries, a warning is issues at the NOAM when an APN is mapped to the PCRF Pool that is not mapped to a PRT. If you are sure that no signaling will be received for any of the APNs mapped to that PCRF Pool at that site, then you can confirm the operation; thus, overriding the warning.

  5. Configure the Error Codes for a Missing or Unconfigured APN

    This step allows configuration of the Diameter Response Code to use if a request is rejected after PCRF Pooling is enabled because the request contains no APN, or contains an APN that is not configured in the Policy DRA. This step is not required if the default result code of 3002 is appropriate for this error condition.

    Perform this step at the SOAM for each site in the network.
    1. Use Policy DRA -> Configuration -> Error Codes.
    2. Select the row for Missing or Unconfigured APN and click Edit.
    3. Configure the Diameter Result Code to be used for each interface. Leave Vendor ID blank if the Result Code is IANA defined.

  6. Enable PCRF Pooling

    This step enables the PCRF Pooling capability. No routing changes should occur yet because all APNs are still mapped to the Default PCRF Pool.

    Perform this step at the NOAM.
    1. At Policy DRA -> Configuration -> Network-Wide Options, check Enable PCRF Pooling.
      Note: PCRF Pooling can be enabled only after every server at every site in the network has been upgraded to DSR 5.1 and the upgrade has been accepted for all servers. If these conditions are not met, PCRF Pooling cannot be enabled.

  7. Edit APNs to Begin Using the New PCRF Pools

    This step will begin to use the PCRF Pooling functionality by mapping APNs to the newly created PCRF Pools.

    Perform this step at the NOAM.
    • Use Policy DRA -> Configuration -> Access Point Names to edit an APN and change its PCRF Pool from the Default PCRF Pool to the desired PCRF Pool.
    • Commit the change. This causes the system to verify that the PCRF Pool is mapped to a PRT table at every site. If the PCRF Pool is not mapped to a PRT at any site, or if the NOAM cannot communicate with one or more SOAMs, a warning is displayed in a confirmation dialog indicating which case applies.
      1. If the NOAM cannot communicate with all SOAMs, investigate and resolve the communications issue before proceeding.
      2. If the PCRF Pool is not mapped to a PRT table at one or more sites, verify that the mapping was intentionally omitted. The mapping should be omitted only if no signaling will occur at the site or sites that do not have the PCRF Pool mapped to a PRT using any of the APNs that are mapped to the PCRF Pool.
    • After the mapping from APN to PCRF Pool (other than Default) is committed, verify that new bindings are routed correctly to the PCRFs in the new PCRF Pool, according to the APN. Note that any existing bindings that match the IMSI, or IMSI and APN will be honored until those bindings are terminated by a CCR-T for the last session for the binding.
    • Repeat items 1 through 3 for each APN until all are mapped to the required PCRF Pool.

    After this step is complete, Policy DRA is fully functioning using PCRF Pooling to route new binding requests.

Parent topic: PDRA PCRF Pooling Upgrade