1. Diameter Signaling Router Policy and Charging Application Feature Activation Guide
  2. PCA Feature Activation Overview
  3. Definition of Activation for the PCA Feature

2.1 Definition of Activation for the PCA Feature

The precise meaning of activation varies from feature to feature. This section briefly defines what activation means with respect to the PCA feature.

The main components of a PCA system include the PCA (DSR) application, the binding database (hosted by the Session Binding Repository, i.e., SBR), and finally the ComAgent which provides a interface and means to enable the PCA MPs and the SBR MPs communicating to each other via reliable ComAgent routing services. Subscriber data concerning binding and session information is populated in the SBR-B and SBR-S respectively by the Policy Diameter Routing Agent (Policy DRA).

PDRA/PCA DSR application requires configuration of SBR-Binding as well as SBR-Session servers and ComAgent connections to these SBR servers.

All software required to run GLA is available by default as part of a DSR release installation or upgrade. GLA cannot be activated until after PCA is activated. The process of activating the feature simply makes proper use of software elements and file system files already present to change the behavior of the DSR NE.

Before PCA feature activation, there are no PCA menu items visible on the SOAM GUI and NOAM GUI and there is no PCA-related processing taking place on the DA-MP(s).

After feature activation, all selectable PCA menu items are present on the SOAM GUI and NOAM GUI, allowing full PCA configuration and provisioning. Specifically, for PCA application, the top-level PCA folder is visible on the Main Menu, and a new entry is added to the Diameter - >Maintenance -> Applications table, showing PCA and its state. Activation of PCA does not affect DSR signaling behavior except for process restarts necessary during the activation.

After activation:

DSR setup is ready to act as PCA application subject to the PCA configuration.

WARNING:

Upon PCA feature activation, it is not automatically enabled. Activation simply means the mechanism for configuring PCA behavior is in place. But the DA-MP(s) acts on PCA provisioning information only after PCA has been enabled (via the Diameter -> Maintenance -> Applications screen). PCA should not be enabled until after the appropriate provisioning data has been entered. PCA provisioning is beyond the scope of this document, refer [2] for PCA configuration. Furthermore, for proper operation of PCA, Communication Agent and PCA application assumes the Remote servers IP addresses corresponding to the ComAgent HA service (for Binding Resource) are routable/reachable. However, these networking setup/concerns are beyond the scope of the activation procedure. After PCA activation, please refer [2] for PCA configuration.