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CDRator's billing functionality is aimed at generating designed to generate Invoice Detail Lines out of based on CDR information received from the network.
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| Step | Name | Description |
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| 1 | LOADING | CDR information is loaded into the database as billing records. The loading process applies CDRator’s customer 's validation logic to the CDR files to e.g. discard duplicate information or files which don't correspond to do not comply with the expected format. |
| 2 | MEDIATION | Billing records have the same structure of CDRs, but with two additional fields are added by CDRator:
Mediation is the process that determines these two fields from the information available in the billing record. Rating The rating code and rating key are human-readable values that have a great impact in on the subsequent phases of the billing process. |
| 3.1 | RATING (standard prices) | The telecommunications market often offers nearly always monthly packages which grant a limited amount of traffic (talk time, messages and data) for at a fixed monthly fee. Nonetheless, every single minute of talk time, every message and every kbyte of GPRS has a basic price.
The first stage of the rating phase is always to determine determines the price of the billing record as per in terms of basic prices. |
| 3.2 | RATING (campaigns) | After the billing record is priced rated according to the basic prices, the process searches for exceptions. If a valid campaign/bundle is found, the process continues, and it is up to now the campaign/bundle's own logic to determine determines the actual price of the billing record. |
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If errors occur during the process above, the billing record is moved into an error queue for manual investigation and handling. Therefore, knowledge of the rating and billing process is key for the investigation and resolution of rating errors.
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| Warning |
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Knowledge of CDRator Product Configuration is a prerequisite of for understanding this documentpage. |
Rating (Standard Prices)
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Several steps of the process will use compare information on of the billing record against with that of the product configuration.
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| Field(s) | Description |
|---|---|
| Subscriber's information | Allow to identify Allows identification of the subscriber responsible for the usage. The fields depend on the network 's specification, but normally one can expect the presence of ICC, IMSI or the A-Number to be there. |
| Event Date | Date and time when the event began. |
| B-Number | The number Number receiving the phone call, message. This applies only to certain types of usage. |
| Duration | The duration Duration of the phone call or the amount of data. This applies only to certain types of usage and some network networks may define two separate fields: one for phone calls and one for data sessions. |
| Event Type | Network's defined fields that specify exactly the type of usage; , e.g. national call to a fixedline number, premium SMS, roaming call, etc. |
| Cost Price | The price Price of the usage as determined by the network. |
| Rating code, rating key | Determined by mediation |
2: Rate Plan
This step is aimed at finding looks for the subscriber and his/her rate plan. SubscriberThe subscriber's info available in the billing record is used in tables like:
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| Field(s) | Description |
|---|---|
subscription_id | Matched against Compared to subscription.id. |
from_date, to_date | Matched against Compared to the event date on the billing record. The configuration that is valid when the event began is the only one considered. |
rate_plan_id | This points to the rate plan that will be used by the following steps. |
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For investigation purposes, operators can use IMSI/ICC information of the billing record to find the subscribers vie subscriber via the advanced search. The rate plan is displayed in the subscription details. |
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Once the rate plan is known, its tele rates configuration is matched against compared with the billing record's rating code. The rate plan's tele rates configuration is where every possible rating code is assigned to a number plan. This assignment is valid on a specified range of dates; again , the billing record's event date is used to find the number plan attached to a rating code.
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The tele rates configuration of a rate plan can be analyzed by selecting the rate plan in the Product Configuration GUI and clicking the Edit button. This will open up the Edit Rate Plan popup. Select the rating code on the table on the left (Tele Rates frame, Service Code column). The associated number plan is displayed on the right (Number Plans frame). The columns From Date and To Date specify whether the link between a rating code and a number plan has restrictions on time. |
Example
In the The screenshot below , shows the tele rates configuration of the Fixedline rate plan Fixedline. The rating code NATIONAL CALL is linked to the number plan Mobile National without date restrictions.
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The number plan's B-Number method is executed. This method uses some fields of the billing record to construct a string that is then used to find a plan element via Best Match.
There is a A long list of possible methods is provided by the Rator Platform; besides, customers can also require request the development of custom methods.
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For investigation purposes it is important to know the logic of the B-Number method. Click on the number plan on the Product Configuration GUI and then the Edit button. This will open the Edit Number Plan pop-up GUI where operators can see which method the operator can check the method that is configured for the number plan and read its description. |
The most common B-Number Methods are getRatingKey and getBNumber: , and they will return the billing record's rating key and B-Number, respectively.
Example
In the screenshot below, the b-number method for of the number plan Mobile National is getRatingKey. This means that the billing record's rating key in the will be used to find the plan element.
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Dot as Plan Element Name
Not always does the plan element found by the best match algorithm is the one that points point to the charges. The plan elements tree can be used to group several elements under one parent, which points to the charges that are valid for all its children.
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If a plan element is named by using a dot ''.'' then that plan element is defined as the holder of the charges on behalf of its sub-elements. |
In the example below the charges are defined by the element Group 1. The children of Group 1 do not point to the charges.
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The process loads the relevant rate day attached to the plan element. The billing record's event date is used against compared with the start and end dates configured in the rate day itself.
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In the screenshot below, the rate day assigned to then the MOBILE plan element is N-SINGLE and it has an open start and end date.
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Day charges are used to specify the charge depending on the day of the week (Monday to Sunday). Most of the timesIn most cases, a rate day has one single day charged charge which includes all the days of the week. Billing The billing record's event date is used again to find the relevant day charge.
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A rate day in which charges are separate between weekdays and weekends is displayed below.
If the usage date is on a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday, the Weekdays-day charge is considered by rating; , otherwise it's Weekendsthe Weekends-charge is used.
8: Time Charge
Time charges are used to specify the charge depending on the hour of the day (00:00 to 24:000). Most of the timesIn most cases, charges are valid for the entire day: , 00:00 to 24:00. The time in the billing record's event date is used to find the relevant time charge.
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Time charges are displayed in the Edit Rate Day pop-up GUI once the day charge is selected. |
Example
Day The Weekends-day charge Weekends divides the day in three periods, each with its specific chargescharge.
9: Charges
Each time charge can define the initial charge, the recurrent charge or both of them.
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Initial and recurrent charges are displayed in the Time Charge frame of the Edit Rate Day pop-up GUI. Alternatively, select one time charge and then click the Edit button on the right. This will open the Edit Time Charge pop-up GUI which configures the charge items that define the charges. |
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