Huawei Diameter Credit-Control (application id: –)
The Huawei Diameter Credit-Control (DCC) interface is a specialized application protocol derived from the general Diameter protocol. It is designed to handle real-time credit control for a variety of user services, such as network access, SIP-based communication, and other real-time services that require immediate billing verification. The DCC interface ensures that services are only provided to users who have sufficient credit, thereby safeguarding service providers against revenue loss.
The Huawei DCC interface operates between two key components in the network architecture:
- Charging and Billing Platform (CBP): This is the DCC server responsible for processing charging requests. It applies charging rules, calculates costs, and determines whether the user's account has sufficient credit to proceed with the requested service.
- Online Charging Gateway (OCG) or Other Real-Time Charging Network Elements (NEs): These act as DCC clients. They initiate charging requests when a user attempts to access a service that requires real-time billing verification.
Huawei DCC interface workflow:
The interaction between the CBP and OCG/NEs through the DCC interface follows a structured process:
- Service Request Initiation: A user initiates a service that requires real-time credit control, such as a voice call, data session, or any other billable event.
- Charging Request: The OCG or another NE sends a charging request to the CBP via the DCC interface. This request includes details about the service being accessed, such as the type of service, the anticipated duration or data usage, and the current status of the user's account balance.
- Credit Authorization: Upon receiving the charging request, the CBP applies predefined charging rules to evaluate the request. It checks the user’s account balance to determine if sufficient funds are available to cover the cost of the service. If the account balance is adequate, the CBP reserves the necessary amount of credit.
- Authorization Response: The CBP sends a response back to the OCG or NE. If the service is authorized, the response indicates that the reserved credit is approved, allowing the service to be delivered to the user. If the account balance is insufficient, the response will deny the service request, and the user will be informed accordingly.
- Service Delivery: If the service is authorized, the OCG or NE proceeds to deliver the requested service to the user. The CBP continues to monitor the usage, ensuring that the service remains within the authorized credit limit. If the user consumes the authorized credit before the service ends, the CBP may initiate a subsequent charging request to extend the service, depending on the configuration.
- Final Accounting: After the service is delivered, or if the session is terminated early, the CBP finalizes the billing by deducting the actual cost of the service from the user’s account. Any unused reserved credit is released back to the user’s account.
Purpose and Advantages
The primary purpose of the Huawei DCC interface is to provide a reliable, scalable solution for managing real-time credit control across various services. By ensuring that services are only provided when sufficient credit is available, it helps prevent revenue leakage for service providers. The Huawei DCC interface also supports complex billing scenarios, including prepaid and postpaid models, and can be easily integrated with existing charging systems to offer flexible and efficient account management.
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