AAA, BILLING, CHARGING

Transcription

1 University of Athens Communication Networks Laboratory AAA, BILLING, CHARGING in a Multi-Operator / Multi-Service Provider Environment presented by Maria Koutsopoulou

2 Involved Players in Service Provision Content/Service Provider Application domain Service Aggregator Internet Access Internet Service domain Provider Fixed Operator Network domain Mobile Operator User/Subscriber User domain 2

3 Existing and New Innovative Business Models! Current (2G) business model is inflexible and leads to multiple separate bills " From the Mobile Operator " From the Internet Service Provider " From the Content/Service Provider! Probable (3G) business models " Network Operator centric model " Service Aggregator centric model " Content/Service Provider centric model are more flexible, support one-stop Billing but arise a number of requirements, such as: Standard format and attributes of charging records Standard protocols for the transmission of charging information Automatic apportioning of revenues between contributing players interfaces for dynamic provision of charging information interfaces for dynamic introduction of new pricing models 3

4 Requirements imposed by the involved players Users/subcribers perspective:! Transparent Charges (subscribers would like to receive a single itemised bill for using voice and data services offered by network operators and independent application/service providers, One-stop Billing )! Predictable Charges (subscribers require the application of understandable Charging Models, and to be constantly aware of the charges to be levied through the Charging Indication ) Operators perspective:! Generic Charging Architecture enabling various charging models (flat-rate, volume-, time-, QoS-based)! Layer based charging (transport, service and content)! Auditability (the charging system should be able, when requested, to prove the validity of the calculated charges by tracing the origin)! Support of both pre-paid and post-paid charging mechanisms Internet access and content/service providers perspective:! Flexible Models enabling Dynamic application of new pricing policy! Automatic procedure for the sharing of the incoming revenue! On-line provision of information concerning the service profits 4

5 Charging, Accounting and Billing System CAB System CGF Charging Billing USER CCF MD Reconf/tion Accounting Network Operator 5

6 Definition of basic terms! CHARGING The Charging function collects information related to a chargeable event from specific network nodes, which are able to generate such kind of information. As a chargeable event can be considered any activity utilising network resources and related services that the operator charges for. The charging information generated by network nodes is structured in the form of Charging Data Record (CDR) and transferred via standards charging protocols.! BILLING The Billing function processes the records coming from the charging functional entity according to the respective tariffs (stored in the HSS or inside the Billing System) in order to calculate the charge for which the user should be billed. This function is performed by a Billing System that transforms charging records into bills requiring payment.! ACCOUNTING In case of roaming the Accounting function is responsible to calculate the portion that is due to each operator. Additionally, it is reasponsible for sharing the incoming revenue between the players (network operators, application/service providers). 6

7 CAB as an Integrated Discrete Service Mobile operator 0..* 0..* 0..* CAB service User 0..* 7

8 A flexible Framework for Reconfigurable Service Provision VAS VAS VAS APIs Reconfiguration Control/ Service Provision Platform User Profiling Service Discovery Service Deployment Charging Accounting and Billing Module RCSPM Location Manager Service Data Management Reconfiguration Manager Technology independent open interfaces OSA, Parlay, JAIN APIs API extensions for policy-based reconfiguration HSS LCS Messaging... MDs QoS Charging... Network infrastructure MT UTRAN Laptop GERAN WLAN 3G Core Network IP Network 8

9 An integrated Charging, Billing & Accounting Framework U S E R Charging Billing Accounting CAB Service Advanced Service Manager Reconfiguration Manager Roaming Users Manager OSA-like Interface APIs APIs APIs Service Providers Domain MD VAS VAS AAA VAS VAS MD AAA Charging Information Pricing Policies Configuration Messages Bill OSA-like Interface Network Services Network Services Network Service for Reconfigurability Network Services Network Services CAB Gateway Access networks WLAN AP IWU AP UTRAN NODE B RNC Packet-Switched Core network SGSN SGSN CGF GGSN GGSN HSS WLAN AP GIF AP FA AAA LCS Internet Multimedia Subsystem I-CSCF BGCF AS CCF S-CSCF MGCF MRFC P-CSCF MD Reconfiguration Manager Metering Device Metering Device NODE B 9

10 Charging al Model PS CS IMS Service Domain WLAN HSS { { SGSN GGSN MSC GMSC { S-CSCF P-CSCF MMS Relay/ Server MDC MD AAA Server I-CSCF BGCF MRFC AS { CGF Bearer Charging { CCF Session Charging SCCF CPCF Event Charging C H A R G I N G G A T E W A Y LCS { MD AAA Server 0

11 Existing OSA charging API Class Diagram IpInterfac e (from csapi) IpChargingSession IpAppChargingSession creditamountreq() creditunitreq() debitamountreq() debitunitreq() directcreditamountr... directcreditunitreq() directdebitamountre... directdebitunitreq() extendlifetimereq() getamountleft() getlifetimeleft() getunitleft() ratereq() release() reserveamountreq() reserveunitreq() 0..n IpChargingManager <<uses>> creditamounterr() creditamountres() credituniterr() creditunitres() debitamounterr() debitamountres() debituniterr() debitunitres() directcreditamounterr() directcreditamountr... directcredituniterr() directcreditunitres() directdebitamounterr() directdebitamountre... directdebituniterr() directdebitunitres() extendlifetimeerr() extendlifetimeres() 0..n rateerr() rateres() reserveamounterr() reserveamountres() reserveuniterr() reserveunitres() sessionended() <<uses>> IpAppChargingManager createchargingsession() createsplitchargingsession() sessionaborted()

12 Reconfiguration Manager s Class Diagram IpInterface (from csapi) IpMDReconfigurationSession IpAppMDReconfigurationSession monitorflowreq() cancelflowmonitoring() monitorflowerr() monitorflowres() modifyflowmonitoringreq() directcollectmeteringdatareq() applymeteringpolicyreq directapplymeteringpolicyreq() cancelmeteringpolicy() release() 0..n <<uses>> cancelflowmonitoringack() modifyflowmonitoringerr() modifyflowmonitoringres() directcollectmeteringdataerr() directcollectmeteringdatares() applymeteringpolicyerr() applymeteringpolicyres() directapplymeteringpolicyerr() directapplymeteringpolicyres() 0..n cancelmeteringpolicyack() IpMDReconfigurationManager createreconfigurationsession() sessionended() <<uses>> IpAppMDReconfigurationManager sessionaborted() 2

13 Advanced Service Manager s Class Diagram IpInterface (from csapi) IpAdvancedChargingServiceSession currentrevenuereq() directcollectflowinforeq() applypricingpolicyreq directapplypricingpolicyreq() cancelpricingpolicy() activatelocationbasedchargingreq() cancellocationbasedcharging() addchargingrecordreq() release() 0..n IpAdvancedChargingServiceManager createadvancedservicesession() <<uses>> IpAppAdvancedChargingServiceSession currentrevenueerr() currentrevenueres() directcollectflowinfoerr() directcollectflowinfores() applypricingpolicyerr() applypricingpolicyres() directapplypricingpolicyerr() directapplypricingpolicyres() cancelpricingpolicyack() activatelocationbasedchargingerr() activatelocationbasedchargingres() cancellocationbasedchargingack() <<uses>> addchargingrecorderr() addchargingrecordres() sessionended() 0..n IpAppAdvancedChargingServiceManager sessionaborted() 3

14 Advantages of the introduced platform. It enables the sophisticated and reconfigurable support of charging, accounting and billing procedures as a discrete service. 2. It sets a common charging, accounting and billing platform in a multi-operator, multi-service provider environment. 3. It enables the automatic apportioning of revenues among the involved players. 4. It supports one-stop billing for the end users. 5. It enables the separation of charging events based on transport, service and content usage information. 6. It provides a set of open Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) for the support of charging related reconfiguration actions (e.g., pricing policies updates). 7. It enables the deployment of advanced charging services (on-line charging indication, current balance of user billing, on-line provision of information concerning the service profits) offered through open APIs. 8. It takes advantage of existing network components and their functionality (e.g., CGF, CCF). 9. It is inline with the latest recommendations of the standardization groups. 4

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