1 Feature Activation Overview
This section lists the required materials and information needed to execute the feature activation. In addition, through provide estimates of the time required to execute the procedure. These tables can be used to estimate the total time necessary to complete the feature activation. The timing values shown are estimates only - use these tables to plan the timing of the activation, not to execute the procedure.
Note:
If FABR is installed in the system that is being recovered, perform the following steps on all the active applications:- Activate FABR on the standby NOAM using the recovered standby NOAM server.
- Activate FABR on the active SOAM using the recovered active SOAM server to reactivate FABR.
Definition of Activation for the FABR Feature
The precise meaning of activation varies from feature to feature. This section briefly defines what activation means with respect to the FABR feature.
The main components of a FABR system include the FABR (DSR) application, the subscriber database (hosted by the DP/SDS system that supports one or more DPs), and finally the ComAgent which provides reliable connectivity and load sharing of multiple DP servers from FABR application.
ComAgent is a component, which is also used by other features to enable connectivity to servers required by such features. Hence, ComAgent, as a component, is not unique to FABR. However, certain aspects of this component are used by FABR to provide connectivity to the DP servers. Configuration or provisioning of these aspects of ComAgent is beyond the scope of this document. However, the activation procedure initializes the ComAgent component in such a way that it becomes possible to further configure or provision this component for use by FABR.
The configuration and setup of the DP and SDS is beyond the scope of this document, the configuration and setup of FABR (DSR) application and ComAgent (on DSR) post activation is beyond the scope of this document.
All software required to run FABR is available by default as part of a DSR release installation or upgrade (This includes the ComAgent libraries and GUI or OAM code required to configure communication with the subscriber database). The process of activating the feature simply makes proper use of software elements and system files that are already present, to change the behavior of the DSR NE.
Before FABR feature activation, there are no FABR menu items visible on the SOAM GUI, and there is no FABR-related processing taking place on the DA-MP(s).
All ComAgent related menu items are present on the NOAM GUI, allowing full ComAgent configuration and provisioning. The ComAgent managed objects are under the Communication Agent folder on the GUI menu. For the ComAgent, this means that the top level Communication Agent folder is visible on the Main Menu, which is the ComAgent configuration screens (Remote servers, Connection Groups, and Routed Services), and the ComAgent Maintenance screens (Connection Status, Routed Services Status, HA Services Status) are visible.
After feature activation, all selectable FABR menu items are present on the SOAM GUI, allowing full FABR configuration and provisioning. Specifically, for FABR application, the top-level FABR folder is visible on the main menu, and a new entry is added to the Diameter->Maintenance->Applications table, showing FABR and its state. After successful feature activation, a Connection Group named DpSvcGroup is added, to the Connection Groups screen, a Routed Service named DpService is added to the Routed Services screen and is mapped to use the DpSvcGroup Connection Group at default priority 10.
After activation:
Note:
Once the FABR feature is activated, it is not automatically enabled. Activation simply means the mechanism for provisioning FABR behavior is in place. But the DA-MP(s) acts on FABR provisioning information only after FABR has been enabled (through the Diameter -> Maintenance -> Applications screen). FABR should not be enabled until after the appropriate provisioning data has been entered. FABR provisioning is beyond the scope of this document. Furthermore, for proper operation of FABR, Communication Agent, and FABR applications assume the Remote server IP addresses are routable or reachable. However, these networking setup and concerns are beyond the scope of the activation procedure.