Processing Usage Transactions

In Oracle Utilities Customer To Meter, usage transaction information, including bill determinants and other data is requested and “sent” to the billing process.

Usage transactions are sent when they enter the "Sent" state via a number of Enter algorithms on the base package usage transaction business object (D2-UsageTransaction) .

  • The "Send Usage" (D2-SEND-USG) algorithm determines the method used to send the information, based on the Usage Recipient (service provider) defined on the usage transaction's Usage Subscription (in most cases, Customer To Meter).
  • The “Send Usage Response” (X1–SENDUSGRP) algorithm sends a response to the billing process, and transitions the related usage request to its next state.
  • The “Transition Related Usage Request from UT” (X1-TRNUSGREQ) algorithm transitions the related usage requests in the “Awaiting BD” state to its next state (if the usage transaction had been previously stopped at a non-final status (such as Approval In Progress).

Usage transactions can be sent via either online real-time processing or periodically via batch processing.

Online Real-Time Processing

To set up the service provider to support online real-time notification of usage transactions, do the following:

  • Create one or more Outbound Message Types that reference the outbound message business object to be used to send usage transaction information to the billing system. The base package include the following business object for Usage Transaction Outbound Message (X1-UsageTranOutboundMesg).
  • Define a Message Sender that will be used to send the message to the external system.
  • Add the outbound message type to the service provider's External System and reference the Message sender created above.
  • Add a processing method to the service provider as follows:
    • Processing Role: Usage Transaction Notification - Online
    • Processing Method: How To Send US Related Information
    • Status: Active
    • Default Processing Method:
    • Outbound Message Type: the outbound message type created above
    • Override Processing Method: outbound message types for specific usage subscription types if applicable

For a deeper understanding of integrating usage transactions with Oracle Utilities Customer Care and Billing, refer to the Configuring the Bill Determinant Interface in the Interface section.

Batch Processing

Requests from the billing process that have been indicated as "batch requests" (such as those produced by Oracle Utilities Customer Care and Billing batch billing process) accumulate in a "calculation deferred" state to be processed specially by the Usage Transaction Calculate Defer Monitor batch control (D2-UTCD).

Requests from Oracle Utilities Customer to Meter that have been indicated as "batch requests" accumulate in a "calculation deferred" state to be processed specially by the Usage Transaction Calculate Defer Monitor batch control (D2-UTCD).

To set up the service provider to support periodic batch processing of usage transactions, use a periodic monitor batch control. These batch programs should invoke the business objects that will contain the usage transaction information. The base package includes the following business object for this: Usage Transaction Outbound Message (D2-UsageTranOutboundMesg).

Next, setup the following configuration:

  • Add a processing method to the service provider as follows:
    • Processing Role: Usage Transaction Notification - Batch
    • Processing Method: How To Send US Related Information
    • Status: Active
    • Default Processing Method:
    • Batch Control: the batch control created above
    • Override Processing Method: batch controls for specific usage subscription types if applicable

Errors encountered when processing Usage Transactions can be reprocessed with the following batch controls:

  • Reprocessing usage transaction "seeders" in error (D2-UTSED)
  • Reprocessing usage transactions in error (D2-UTID)

If unexpected errors occur that leave usage transactions in an unmonitored state, the Usage Transaction Monitor batch control (D2-UT), or one based on this batch control with parameter values tailored to any specific requirements, can be used to process those usage transactions.

For a deeper functional understanding of Usage Transactions, refer to the About Usage Transactions section.