Usage Detail Records (Udrs); Charging Methods And Interfaces; Prepaid Credit Control; Postpaid - Cisco ASR 5000 Series Administration Manual

Enhanced Charging Service Overview

Usage Detail Records (UDRs)

Usage Detail Records (UDRs) contain accounting information based on usage of service by a specific mobile
subscriber. UDRs are generated based on the content-id for the subscriber, which is part of charging action. The fields
required as part of usage data records are configurable and stored in the System Configuration Task (SCT).
UDRs are generated on any trigger of time threshold, volume threshold, handoffs, and call termination. If any of the
events occur then the UDR subsystem generates UDRs for each content ID and sends to the CDR module for storage.
UDR format
The UDRs are generated in Comma Separated Values (CSV) format as defined in the traffic analysis rules.

Charging Methods and Interfaces

Prepaid Credit Control

Prepaid billing operates on a per content-type basis. Individual content-types are marked for prepaid treatment. A match
on a traffic analysis rule that has a prepaid-type content triggers prepaid charging management.
In prepaid charging, ECS performs the metering function. Credits are deducted in real time from an account balance or
quota. A fixed quota is reserved from the account balance and given to the system by a prepaid rating and charging
server, which interfaces with an external billing system platform. The system deducts volume from the quota according
to the traffic analysis rules. When the subscriber's quota gets to the threshold level specified by the prepaid rating and
charging server, system sends a new access request message to the server and server updates the subscriber's quota. The
charging server is also updated at the end of the call.
ECS supports the following credit control applications for prepaid charging:
 RADIUS Credit Control Application—RADIUS is used as the interface between ECS and the prepaid
charging server. The RADIUS Prepaid feature of ECS is separate to the system-level Prepaid Billing Support
and that is covered under a different license key.
 Diameter Credit Control Application—The Diameter Credit Control Application (DCCA) is used to
implement real-time credit control for a variety of services, such as networks access, messaging services, and
download services.
In addition to being a general solution for real-time cost and credit control, DCCA includes the following features:
 Real-time Rate Service Information—DCCA can verify when end subscribers' accounts are exhausted or
expired; or deny additional chargeable events.
 Support for Multiple Services—DCCA supports the usage of multiple services within one subscriber session.
Multiple service support includes:
 The ability to identify and process the service or group of services that are subject to different cost
 Independent credit control of multiple services in a single credit control sub-session.

Postpaid

In a postpaid environment, the subscribers pay after use of the service. AAA/RADIUS server is responsible for
authorizing network nodes to grant access to the user, and the CDR system generates G-CDRs/eG-CDRs/EDRs/UDRs
for billing information on pre-defined intervals of volume or per time.
structures.
Cisco ASR 5x00 Enhanced Charging Services Administration Guide ▄
Accounting and Charging Interfaces ▀
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