Rf accounting Web service provides
an IMS™ Application Server application
with a Diameter messaging interface to enable the application to send
accounting messages to Charging Collection Function (CCF).
The CCF builds a Charging Data Record (CDR) which is sent to and consumed
by the billing system.
The
IMS Application Server communicates
with the accounting server through
Rf accounting Web service using
either a session or event offline charging method as shown here:
- Session charging - Charging for a session that takes place over
a period of time.
- Start: Starts an accounting session.
- Interim: Periodically updates the accounting session.
- Stop: Stops the accounting session.
- Event charging - Accounting transaction for a single operation.
The choice of using session charging versus event charging will
depend on the applications using this interface. The actual accounting
functionality is based on other network elements, such as billing,
and is not part of the Rf accounting Web service.
The Rf interface defines several external Web service methods used
for offline accounting messages, start session, interim session, stop
session and event charging.
Application overview
The following is a
brief overview of the system components and how they play in a Diameter
transaction:
- IMS Application Server Application: The IMS Application Server
Application uses WSDL and/or helper classes to prepare a Web service
request to be sent to one of the Diameter Enabler Web service applications.
If
the Diameter Enabler Web
service supports notifications, the IMS Application Server application
must use the WSDL and/or helper classes to implement the "server"
Web service that receives notifications. The URL of the "server" Web
service is provided to the Diameter Enabler when
invoking subscription requests.
- Diameter Enabler:
The Diameter Enabler is
capable of receiving Web service requests and converting them into
Diameter request packets. The Diameter Enabler receives
the Web service request, validates its contents, converts it to a
Diameter request packet, and routes it to the correct Diameter Server.
The Diameter Server responds with a Diameter response packet, which
is returned as a Web service response object to the IMS Application
Server application that performed the request.
The Diameter Enabler is
also capable of receiving notification requests from a Diameter server. The Diameter Enabler validates
the contents of the Diameter request packet and responds to the peer
with a Diameter answer packet. If the IMS Application Server Application
has created a subscription to receive the notifications, the Diameter Enabler opens
an outbound Web service request to a Web service endpoint provided
in the subscription data.
- Diameter Server: The Diameter Server is a Diameter peer that exchanges
Diameter messages with the Diameter Enabler.
The Diameter Server is capable of sending and receiving Diameter request
and answer packets.
Application deployment
Rf accounting Web service is
deployed in a WebSphere® Application Server environment.
Prior to installing Rf accounting Web service,
you must install Diameter Enabler base.
Any application with the appropriate access and security may invoke
these functions while the supported transport is SOAP over HTTP.
The Rf accounting Web service are
stateless and support multiple simultaneous calls.