Cisco Systems OL-3351-01 User Manual

Overview

Note You enable BAF output with the NODEPARMS tag ID. For more information, see the “NODEPARMS

CHA PTER

5

Configuring BAMS for BAF Output

This chapter describes how to configure the Cisco Billing and Measurements Server (BAMS) for
Bellcore AMA (Automatic Message Accounting) Format (BAF) records. BAMS provides a mediation
interface for Cisco Media Gateway Controller (MGC) systems. The purpose of BAMS is to provide
enhanced data collection and processing functions, which correspond to those found in a traditional
Class 4 tandem switch. BAMS does not include presentation graphics or database query functions;
rather, it is designed to produce output billing and measurement feeds for downstream systems that can
provide these functions.

Tag ID” section on page 4-9.

BAMS must be correctly configured with the following information:

• Billing design information

–

Billing zones

–

Zone relationships

–

Call types

–

Calling exceptions

–

Call type and structure code mapping for output records

• NPA-NXX LATA information

–

Zone assignment

–

LATA assignment

–

Toll-free prefix assignment

• Trunk group information

–

SigPathID to trunk group number

–

BearChanID to trunk group member

–

Trunk group connections

• International routing information

–

Country codes

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Generating BAF Records

Note Before configuring BAMS to generate billing and measurements, you should familiarize yourself with

Chapters 3 to 9 of this guide.

Note BAMS performs only limited data validation on the information provisioned into its tables. It is

important that you enter data carefully and understand the algorithms and their implementation.

BAMS values entered through the MML command-line interface are case sensitive; the verbs and
keywords are not.

Generating BAF Records

The following section explains how BAF records are generated from Cisco MGC switch data.

Chapter 5 Configuring BAMS for BAF Output

Interworking of BAMS Configuration Tables

The first step in using BAMS is understanding the billing area that must be covered. Are there special
cases for billing within the area? Are there banded areas with special rating? Do some number prefixes
receive different treatment? Are special billing records required for these (or other) circumstances?

The answers to these questions are important in creating zones that are used to define interactions
between different origination and termination NPA-NXX combinations. These interactions also
determine the call types that are used to decide which BAF record to use for billing output. See the “Call

Area Provisioning Example” section on page 5-9 for more details.

Once the billing area information has been gathered, it can be tabulated as shown in Table 5-1.

Table 5-1 Datafill Information Example

From To

1 202344 1 1 202345 1 FLAT

1 202344 1 1 202223 2 FLAT

2 202767 5 2 202333 3 MESSAGE

3 703298 8 1 202268 1 INTERLATA

Prerequisites for BAF Records

Results in
Map TypeLATA NPANXX Zone LATA NPANXX Zone

5-2

The following steps are required before Bellcore AMA Format (BAF) and Cisco Media Gateway
Controller (MGC) End of Call 1110 ASCII records can be generated:

1. The Billing and Measurements Server (BAMS) collects the individual call data blocks (CDBs)

generated by the Cisco MGC. This is performed by the Polling (POL) task.

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Note The prefix of the files polled by the POL task is the input prefix for FMT, the initial

processing task. Changing the parameter file-prefix1 or file-prefix2 in the Poll table
automatically changes the input prefix of the FMT task. This change takes effect on the
next startup of the system.

2. BAMS correlates the CDBs into a merged call structure. This is performed by the Correlation (COR)

task.

3. Each call type is categorized. This is performed by the Augmentation (AUG) task. The AUG task is

involved in the output of BAF records, as well as the BAF-to-CDR conversion task (CTB).

4. The ASCII Conversion (ASC) task outputs Cisco MGC End of Call 1110 ASCII files.

Identifying Call Types

Identification of call-type information is key to generating BAF records. The call type determines the
structure code and the call-type tables of the BAF record. Because the Cisco MGC generates partial
information in the CDBs, additional data within the CDBs is required for the unique identification of
each call scenario. BAMS provides the logic that determines the call type.

Identifying Call Types

Note the following:

• Each Cisco MGC serves a set of home NPA-NXXs.

• Each output BAF record needs to be put into a call category (for example, Flat rate, Message rate,

IntraLATA, InterLATA, Toll-Free, and so forth). The call category is important because it dictates
the BAF structure code and call-type fields.

Perform the following steps to identify call-type categories:

Step 1 Use the ZONE-INFO tag ID to define zone IDs. (For details, see the “Updating the Zone Information

Table” section on page 4-29.)

Step 2 Use the NPANXX tag ID to assign a zone ID and a LATA to each NPA-NXX. The zone narrowly defines

an area within the LATA as a call category. LATAs are centrally managed, and the system assumes that
you are using the correct source for the population of the LATA (for example, using Bellcore LERG
tables). Note that the LERG tables are not part of BAMS. (For details, see the “Updating the NPANXX

Table” section on page 4-13.)

Step 3 Use the RATING-TYPE tag ID to establish the calling relationships between zones. This tag ID

determines the call category (for example, flat rate, message rate, and so on). (For details, see the

“Updating the Rating Type Table” section on page 4-16.)

Step 4 Use the RATE-EXC tag ID to override certain call-category relationships defined with the NPANXX tag

ID. (For details, see the “Updating the Rating Exception Table” section on page 4-16.)

Step 5 Use the TRUNKGRP tag ID to determine if a call is originating or terminating. (For details, see the

“Updating the Trunk Group Table” section on page 4-26.)

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Step 6 Use the MAPTYPE tag ID to specify which structure code to generate and which call type to assign each

call category. (For details, see the “Updating the Map Type Table” section on page 4-4.)

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Identifying Call Types

Default BAF Structure Codes and Call Types

Table 5-2 defines the default BAF structure codes and call types. The table lists the call categories, call

types, and answered and unanswered structure codes.

Table 5-2 BAF Structure Codes and Call Types

Call Category Call Type Answered Structure Code Unanswered Structure Code

FLAT 1 502 21

MESSAGE 1 20 21

INTRALATA 6 1 2

INTERLATA_ORIG 110 625 625

INTERLATA_TERM 119 625 653

INTERLATA_TANDEM 110 625 625

TOLL_FREE 141 360 –1 (A value of –1 means “do

Chapter 5 Configuring BAMS for BAF Output

not generate a record.”)

Example of BAF Structure Codes and Call Types Created from BAF Provisioning

The following example is a formatted printout of a binary record.

============================== BAF RECORD ================================

(000)Record Length : 97
(00)Hex Identifier : aa
( 0)Structure Code : 40625c
( 1)Call Type : 110c
( 2)Sensor Type : 118c
( 3)Sensor ID : 0012345c
( 4)Record Offce Type : 118c
( 5)Record Offce ID : 0067890c
( 6)Connect Date : 00713c
( 7)Timing Indicator : 00000c
( 8)Study Indicator : 0000000c
( 9)Off Hook Indicator : 0c
(10)Traffic sampld Ind : 0c
(11)Operator Action : 0c
(12)Service Feature : 000c
(13)Originating NPA : 703c
(14)Originating number : 7654321c
(15)Overseas Indicator : 0c
(16)Terminating NPA : 00804c
(17)Terminating number : 7654321c
(18)Connect Time : 1611272c
(19)Elapsed Time : 000000021c
(57)IC/INC Prefix : 00000c
( 6)Carrier Conn Date : 00713c
(18)Carrier Conn Time : 1611260c
(19)Carrier Elpsd Time : 000000020c
(58)IC/INC Call Status : 010c
(83)Trunk Group Number : 38004c
(59)Route Indicator : 1c
(85)Dial Indicator : 0c
(60)ANI/CPN Indicator : 3c
=============== Modules =================
Module 104 (Trunk ID)

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(244)TrunkID : 380030234c
Module 104 (Trunk ID)
(244)TrunkID : 680042113c
Module 000 (Final Module)

============================== End of BAF Record =========================

Exception and Special Processing

Overriding Call Types

In some cases, a carrier might want to override a call type. Some examples include:

• Calls between a subset of NPA-NXXs in two different zones being treated differently from all other

NPA-NXXs in the same zones

• InterLATA calls being treated as intraLATA calls for record-generation purposes

Use the RATE-EXC tag ID to override the default call-type classification. For more information, see the

“RATE-EXC Tag ID” section on page 4-16.

Exception and Special Processing

Processing 7-Digit Numbers

If only 7 digits are populated in the calling and called numbers, the system acts as if each incoming trunk
group visible to BAMS has a default NPA and prefixes this NPA to each 7-digit number. The full
NPA-NXX is required for BAMS to perform the zone analysis. Each trunk has a default originating and
terminating NPA, defined in the orgnpa and trmnpa fields, in the Trunk Group table. These fields are
used only if the incoming number is 7 digits.

Processing Toll-Free Calls

A toll-free call can be identified if its dialed number prefix is contained in the Tollfree table. The default
toll-free prefixes are: 800, 877, 888, 1800, 1877, and 1888. Toll-free calls have their own call-type
category. A zone analysis is still performed, but the call type is overridden with the toll-free call type.

Processing International Calls

Records for international calls are processed like all other records, using zone analysis. Based on the
default case, international numbers are classified as interLATA calls.

Processing LNP Calls

Local number portability (LNP) calls are processed like all other records, using zone analysis. The only
special processing involved is the propagation of BAF module 720. This module is generated in response
to the presence of the lnp_dip field in the CDB.

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