1. System Administrator's Guide
  2. Basic BRM System Administration
  3. Connecting BRM Components

13 Connecting BRM Components

Learn how to configure Oracle Communications Billing and Revenue Management (BRM) components to communicate with each other by using parameters in pin.conf configuration files.

Topics in this document:

About Connecting BRM Components

To allow BRM components to communicate with each other, you use entries in configuration or properties files. The basic connection entries in the files identify the host names and port numbers of each component.

These connection entries are set when you install BRM and when you install each client application. You can change them if you change your configuration. Depending on how you install BRM, you might have to change some entries to connect BRM components.

Figure 13-1 shows how entries in configuration files link components.

Figure 13-1 BRM Component Connections

Description of Figure 13-1 follows
Description of "Figure 13-1 BRM Component Connections"

In Figure 13-1, the client application is a utility that uses a configuration file entry to point to the CM. (A Java client has a similar entry in its properties file.) The following sample entry includes the CM host name, CM_System, and port number, 11960: 

cm_ports    ip    CM_System    11960

The CM configuration file has corresponding entries:

  • The cm_name entry identifies the host name as CM_System

    - cm    cm_name    CM_System

  • The cm_ports entry identifies the port number as 11960: 

    - cm    cm_ports    11960    pin

The CM configuration file includes an entry that points to the DM. This entry includes the DM host name and port number:

- cm    dm_pointer    0.0.0.1    ip    DM_System    11950

The DM configuration file includes corresponding information:

  • The dm_name entry identifies the host name as DM_System. This entry is optional: if you remove or disable it, BRM uses gethostname to find the IP address of the DM computer: 

    - dm dm_name DM_System

  • The dm_port entry identifies the port number as 11950: 

    - dm dm_port 11950

The DM configuration file specifies the database number, which is in 0.0.n.n / 0 format: 

- dm dm_db_no 0.0.0.1 / 0

Queue Manager (QM) components (for example, LDAP Manager) use the same types of configuration entries, but they have different names. For example, instead of dm_max_fe, the entry is named qm_max_fe.

The QM configuration files include the following entry:

  • The qm_port entry identifies the host address and the port number: 

    - qm_process qm_port host_name port [tag_number]

    where:

    • qm_process is the system process such as dm_ldap, dm_email, dm_fusa, dm_vertex, cm_proxy, and dm_invoice.

    • host_name is the host name or the IP address where the system process is deployed.

    • port is the port number.

    • tag_number is a sequential number that identifies the host_name and port pair. You use this parameter when configuring multiple qm_port entries.

There are additional entries in configuration files, but these entries are the most basic. For more information on connection entries in configuration files, see the comments in the configuration files.

Guidelines for Database and Port-Number Entries

The configuration and properties files specify identifying numbers for databases and DMs. The default numbers, listed in Table 13-1, are systematic to make numbers relatively easy to maintain and extend.

The DM numbers are in the form A.B.C.D. Make the number assignments meaningful as follows:

  • Use A to separate divisions of your company (use 0 if you have none).

  • Use B to distinguish different BRM installations (use 0 if you have only one).

  • Use C to indicate the type of DM. For example:

    • 0 for data

    • 1 for transaction processing of credit or debit card

    • 2 for email

    • 3 for taxation

      Note:

      Start numbering your custom DMs at 100, such as 0.0.100.1.

  • Use D to indicate the instance of a particular DM division, installation, or type.

    Table 13-1 Database and Port Number Entries

    Program Database Number Port Number

    Oracle DM (dm_oracle)

    0.0.0.1

    12950

    Second Oracle DM for a multischema system (dm_oracle)

    0.0.0.2

    12951

    Each additional dm_oracle for multischema systems

    0.0.0.n

    12950 + (n – 1)

    Paymentech data manager for credit card, dm_fusa

    0.0.1.1

    12810

    Paymentech data manager for direct debit, dm_fusa

    0.0.1.2

    12810

    Each additional dm_fusa

    0.0.1.n (n > 2)

    12813+

    Email notification manager: dm_email

    0.0.2.1

    12821

    Each additional dm_email

    0.0.2.n

    12820 + n

    Activity Log Data Manager of a BRM satellite: dm_opstore

    0.0.4.1

    12841

    Each additional dm_opstore

    0.0.4.n

    12840 + n

    LDAP: dm_ldap

    0.0.5.1

    12851

    Each additional dm_ldap

    0.0.5.n

    12850 + n

    Wireless Provisioning DM, dm_prov_telco

    0.0.10.2

    10970

    Connection Manager (CM) or Connection Manager Master Process (CMMP)

    NA

    11960

    Each additional CM or CMMP

    NA

    11960 + n

    Credit-card or online-processing batch simulators (answer_b)

    NA

    5678

    Credit-card or online-processing online simulators (answer_s)

    NA

    5679

Setting Data Manager Attributes

In the CM configuration file, you can set DM attributes (dm_attributes) for each DM to which you connect.

Connecting a Data Manager to the BRM Database

Use the following DM pin.conf file entries in Table 13-2 to connect a DM to the BRM database. These entries are used by multiple DMs, such as the Oracle DM.

Table 13-2 DM pin.conf File Entries

Entry Description

sm_database

Specifies the database alias name. For example, for Oracle Database this is the SQL*NET alias defined in the tnsnames.ora file. This entry was configured when BRM was installed, so you do not have to change it.

Note: If you have multiple database hosts, such as an Oracle Parallel Server configuration, include a separate sm_database configuration entry for each host.

sm_id

Specifies the database user name that the DM uses to log in to the BRM database. This entry was configured when BRM was installed, but you can change it.

Connecting BRM Utilities

Some BRM utilities, such as load_tax_supplier, require you to create a configuration file to tell the utility how to connect to the BRM system. The configuration file must be in the same directory as the utility executable file.

To create a configuration file for a utility:

  1. Copy the sample configuration file in BRM_home/source/apps/sample.

    Use this file, which contains all of the configuration entries needed for connecting to BRM, as a template for any utility configuration file.

  2. Edit the configuration entries to reflect your BRM environment. Follow the guidelines in the configuration file.

  3. Save the file as pin.conf in the directory with the utility executable file.

Table 13-3 shows the common utility pin.conf entries:

Table 13-3 Common Utility pin.conf Entries

Entry Description

cm_ports

Specifies a pointer to the CM or CMMP.

Use a separate entry for each CM or CMMP.

Each entry includes three values:

  • protocol: ip

  • host_name: the name or IP address of the computer running the CM or CMMP

  • port: the port number of the CM or CMMP on this computer

The port number should match a corresponding cm_ports entry with the same port number in the CM or CMMP configuration file. The default, 11960, is a commonly specified port for the CM or CMMP.

See "About Connecting BRM Components".

login_name

Specifies the login name to use when connecting to the CM.

login_pw

Specifies the password to use when connecting to the CM.

login_type

Specifies if the application requires a login name and password to connect to BRM.

userid

Specifies the database number and service type for the BRM database.

The CM uses the database number to identify the BRM database and to connect to the correct DM. For connections that do not require a login name and password, the CM also passes the service type to the database.

The database number, in the form 0.0.0.n, is the number assigned to your BRM database when the system is installed. The default is 0.0.0.1.

In addition, the pin.conf entries in Table 13-4 are used by multithreaded application (MTA) utilities:

Table 13-4 MTA Utilities pin.conf Entries

Entry Description

children

Specifies the number of worker threads spawned to perform the specified work. The default is 5.

Important: This entry is mandatory.

For more information, see the following sections:

fetch_size

Specifies the number of records received from the database in a batch and cached in system memory for processing. The default is 5000.

Important: This entry is mandatory.

See the following sections:

hotlist

Specifies the name for the hotlist file. This parameter is available for backward compatibility.

logfile

Specifies the file name used to log errors.

Important: This entry is mandatory.

See "Changing the Name or Location of a Log File".

loglevel

Error reporting level.

  • 0: no logging

  • 1: (Default) log error messages only

  • 2: log error messages and warnings

  • 3: log error, warning, and debugging messages

See "Setting the Reporting Level for Logging Messages".

loop_forever

Specifies whether the application goes into an infinite loop:

  • 0 specifies to not go into an infinite loop.

  • 1 specifies to go into an infinite loop.

The default is 0.

max_errs

Specifies the maximum number of errors allowed in the application. The application stops when the number of errors exceeds this number. The default is 1.

max_time

Specifies the maximum time, measured from application start time, for job processing before the application exits. The default is 0, for infinite time.

monitor

Specifies the file used by the pin_mta_monitor utility. The default is monitor.

Important: The file specified is for system use only and should not be deleted or modified.

multi_db

A flag that determines whether the application works with a BRM multischema system. The default is 0.

For information, see "Using Multithreaded Applications with Multiple Database Schemas" in BRM Developer's Guide.

per_batch

Specifies the number of objects processed by each worker thread in batch mode. The default is 500.

Important: This entry is mandatory.

per_step

Specifies the number of objects returned by each search step. The default is 1000.

Important: This entry is mandatory.

See "Setting the Batch Size for Invoice Utilities (per_step)".

pin_virtual_time

Enables pin_virtual_time to advance BRM time.

See "pin_virtual_time" in BRM Developer's Guide.

respawn_threads

Re-spawns worker threads if they exit due to an error. Threads are re-spawned if necessary after every search cycle. The default is 0, for no re-spawning.

retry_mta_srch

The number of retry attempts for main search execution in case of search error. The default is 0, for no retry.

return_worker_error

Specifies whether to return an error code when any thread encounters an error:

  • 0 specifies to not return an error code.

  • 1 specifies to return an error code.

The default is 0.

sleep_interval

Specifies the sleep interval time in seconds. The default is 60.