This section
provides information on PPT feature changes in release 14.0.
New PPT Features
This section
identifies new Policy Provisioning Tool (PPT) features available
in release 14.0.
Synchronization
of Policy Objects from Multiple IPCF, SSC and PCEF Instances
To create and maintain
policies for the network, PPT application needs to synchronize data objects
with:
- IPCF instances in the
PCC deployment, to get latest values of policy related IPCF data objects
such as QoS Profile, Time of Day objects and dynamic rules.
- SSC instances in the
PCC deployment, to get latest values of policy related SSC data
objects such as data plans, SMS and e-mail notification templates,
subscription tires and dynamic profile attributes.
- PCEF instances in the
PCC deployment, to get latest values of policy related PCEF data objects
such as APN names, ruledef names and rulebase names.
Such data object synchronization
allows PPT application:
- Faster access to configurations
of all IPCF, SSC and PCEF instances in the deployment.
- Access the changes performed
directly by IPCF, PCEF as well as SSC console.
- Reduce network traffic
between PPT server and IPCF, PCEF and SSC instances as well as compare
configurations of different IPCF, PCEF and SSC instances in the
deployment.
- Optimize the condition
groups and action sets for policy configuration and maintenance.
Such synchronization
can be performed using a script as well as the GUI. A synchronization script
can be scheduled to be executed periodically. In the PPT Administration
menu, users with administrative privileges can access the Element Summary GUI
to perform synchronization as well as view current status of synchronization.
The synchronization process can be monitored by accessing SNMP traps
related to scheduler and synchronization status.
Viewing Manageability
status of IPCF, SSC and PCEF instances
In a PCC deployment,
PPT application may need to communicate with multiple IPCF as well
as SSC instances. PPT application can be configured to exchange
information with various IPCF, SSC and PCEF instances. At any given
instance some of these instances may not be in an active state,
or reachable from the PPT application. Enhanced PPT architecture
provides a mechanism that can monitor and display the current status
of all configured IPCF, SSC and PCEF instances using a monitor server
process for each such instance. PPT application database is always
updated with the current status of each instance.
While configuring connections
with existing IPCF, SSC and PCEF instances, their manageable status
is indicated by green radio button. PPT application does not connect
with an un-manageable IPCF, SSC or PCEF instance. Appropriate SNMP
alarms are generated upon status change of any such instance.
Application High
Availability (HA) Using VERITAS Cluster
PPT application can
monitor processes associated with its components such as:
- Apache Web Server
- PostgreSQL Database
Server
- Notification Server
- Monitor Server
- Scheduler
PPT application can
re-start a failed process associated with any of the above mentioned components.
In an hardware failure scenario, using High Availability (HA) feature,
enhanced PPT architecture ensures availability and continuity of
PPT application in a transparent manner. This High Availability
(HA) feature is implemented using Veritas© Cluster solution.
Main components of a
cluster solution are:
- Active Node
- Stand-by Node
- Shared Disk
UCS or Solaris machines
can be configured as active or stand-by nodes in a PPT cluster. These
nodes share a floating IP address that is used by the PPT application
client to securely connect to PPT server. Shared Disk component
is used for data storage which is accessible by all active nodes
in the cluster.
As each node contains
the configuration file
for PPT application, PPT administrator must ensure that this file
is being synchronized periodically, to avoid inconsistent configuration
across the PPT cluster. Same version of PPT application must be
installed on all active and stand-by nodes. The administrator account
that owns and manages the PPT application must have same UID on
all nodes.
IMPORTANT:
It is not possible
to upgrade a standalone PPT deployment to a clustered deployment supporting
HA feature. Data can be migrated from a stand-alone to clustered
PPT deployment using a data migration script.
Differentiated Billing
Using Roaming Determination Support
Subscribers can access
network services from their home region as well as when they are roaming
out of their defined home region. Cisco PCC solution provides a
facility to differentiate the billing as per subscriber location
while they are consuming the services. This is achieved by defining
the area, region and the region lists. PPT application client can
be used to configure such area, region and region lists. An area
can be defined using:
- Mobile Country Code
(MCC)
- Mobile Network Code
(MNC)
- Serving GRS Support
Node (SGSN) using IP address and subnet mask
- Serving Gateway (SGW)
using IP address and subnet mask
- Location Area Code (LAC)
- Routing Area Code (RAC)
- Serving Area Code (SAC)
- Tracking Area Code (TAC)
- Cell Identity (CI)
- E-UTRAN Cell Identity
(ECI)
IMPORTANT:
A region is configured
using defined areas and a region list is configured using defined regions.
Dynamic Twenty four
Hour Allowance for Data Plan Support
PCC solution supports
dynamic twenty four hour allowance support for data plans. Such plans:
- Are post-paid plans
hence applicable only to post-paid subscribers.
- Support lifetime validity,
until terminated by subscriber or operator.
- Support volume quota
of 10 Mb that is valid for twenty four hours from the activation.
Plans are considered active when first byte of data is consumed.
After activation subscriber can consume data until all the volume
quota is exhausted or time duration is elapsed.
- After exhaustion of
volume quota, the plan can be renewed again automatically. New billing cycle
will be activated when the first byte of data is consumed.
- After activation of
new billing cycle, if there is still some volume quota remaining
from earlier billing cycle, then such quota will not be carried
forward to new cycle.
- There is no limit on
the number of quota renewals, quota can be renewed perpetually until subscriber
opts out of this plan.
- Features such as grace
period or prorating are not applicable for this plan category.
Modified PPT Features
This section
identifies PPT features modified in release 14.0 and contains two
type of modifications: enhancements and behavior changes. Feature
enhancements are modifications based on customer change requests.
Feature behavior changes are modifications based on software error
corrections (bug fixes) that result in a change in the behavior
of the feature.
Select Data Plan
for Policy User Interface Enhancement
In previous versions, Select Another Data
Plan button was available after selection of a data plan by
the user. This button was used to configure another data plan. The Previous button
always used to be available in the Policy user interface. Intended
use of this Previous button
was to clear action and condition blocks in the business logic of
the policy.
If Previous button
was clicked after configuration of multiple data plans, then the PPT
application used to delete these data plans.
In the current version, Select Another Data
Plan button is replaced by Use Data Plan button.
This button is enabled only when at least one data plan is selected.
The Previous button
deletes condition - action blocks from the policy business logic
after accepting the confirmation response.
Time of Day Support
- TimeDef Enhancement
In previous versions,
the
Time of Day support:
- Never allowed to modify
the If-then block
from the policy business logic, if time of day was included in it.
- Was not a condition
but it was possible to use it in the If block of the policy business
logic and it used to appear as a condition.
Time of Day support
in the PPT application is now implemented using a new data object
TimeDef. This object
is used to add the Time of Day condition as the first condition
in the If-then block of the business logic. The TimeDef object does
not allow to add any other condition apart from Time of Day condition.
Appropriate alerts are now displayed when TimeDef object is used
for constructing the business logic.
PCC Service Configuration
Enhancement
In the previous versions,
no range and unit information was displayed for the Subscriber Profile Refresh
Interval field. Off-line charging information was in the enabled
state while accessing the on-line charging information.
In the current version,
for PCC service configuration, the range and unit information is
displayed for the Profile
Refresh Interval field. While accessing the on-line charging information,
off-line charging information is disabled and vice versa.
PCC Component Configuration
User Interface Enhancement
In previous version,
while configuring other components of PCC solution such as IPCF,
or SSC in the PPT application:
- If primary IPCF instance
was not configured, then in some instances PPT application used
to highlight the SSC configuration part of the user interface.
- If primary SSC interface
is not configured then in some instances PPT application used to highlight
the IPCF configuration part of the user interface
In the current version:
- If primary SSC interface
is not configured, then PPT application highlights the SSC configuration
part of the user interface.
- If primary IPCF interface
is not configured, then PPT application highlights the IPCF configuration
part of the user interface.
- If interfaces for primary
IPCF as well as SSC instances are not configured then PPT application
highlights the IPCF configuration part of the user interface.
Data Plan Usage Limit
Enhancement
PPT application client
can be used to provision data plans for the deployment. In the previous
version maximum usage limit that can be allowed thru data plan was
4 GB.
In the current version,
maximum usage limit that can be allowed through a data plan is to 100
GB.
Copying Notification
Messages Across Media Enhancement
In previous version,
while configuring notification template it was not possible to copy
e-mail notification message to SMS notification message and vice
versa. Current version provides appropriate buttons in the notification
template configuration user interface to copy the message from e-mail
to SMS and vice versa.
PPT Mib Enhancement
In the previous versions,
SNMP alarms for the PPT application were implemented using a no – Cisco
Management Information Base (MIB). From the current version PPT
application uses the standard Cisco MIB to implement the alarms.
Dynamic Rules Support
in Out of Credit Condition Enhancement
In previous versions,
PPT application used to support pre-defined static rules only. Current version
of PPT application supports pre-defined dynamic rules for out of
credit condition. It is now possible to select the rule form the
rule list or by manually entering the rule name. The options dynamic
rule install and dynamic rule un-install now display the name of
dynamic rule as a tool tip.
Time of Day Support
Enhancement
Timedef is a container
that allows configuring time slots using which a policy can be applied.
In previous versions, timedef implementation used to allow configuration
of only one time period. Hence it was not possible to configure
policies involving disjoint time periods. In the current version,
timedef implementation allows configuration of multiple time periods.
Duration Based Plans
Support Enhancement
Enhanced architecture
of PCC solution allows monitoring of subscriber’s service
usage based on time or volume as well as both time and volume. Time
monitoring over Gx feature allows monitoring of session time for
a subscriber. Using this feature it is possible to configure time
based thresholds for flow level or session level by the IPCF and
then this information can be communicated to PCEF over Gx. This
feature also allows configuration of duration based plans, using
PPT application.
UE Time Zone Based
Condition Enhancement
Current version of PPT
application supports policy configuration using a condition based
on User Equipment (UE) timezone. Using this condition PPT application
can now be used to configure policies that support:
- Timezones
- General Gx compliance
Service Flow Table
for Data Service Behavior Change
Previous Behavior:
During data service configuration or modification:
- After adding new row
in the Service Flow table,
even after shifting the field focus, PPT application used to display
message for service IP address.
- No proper alert was
displayed when a value higher than 65535 is specified for the port number.
- While specifying the
source and destination IPs for the service flow appropriate validation was
not performed.
New Behavior: When
the user exits the editor mode by shifting the field focus, PPT
application performs validation for the entire row of the Service Flow table.
Alert messages have been modified to indicate the current status
of the service flow information.
Search Field Focus
Behavior Change
Previous Behavior:
When content was entered in the Search field for conditions,
actions or user defined conditions and actions, PPT application
used to loose the field focus and to regain the focus, user had
to click in the field.
New Behavior: This
issue was due to third party commercial software. Appropriate upgrade
of this software has been incorporated in the current release of
PPT application to resolve the field focus issue.
Absolute threshold
for Un-limited Usage In Data Plan Behavior Change
Previous Behavior:
During data plan configuration, when un-limited usage was specified
that is usage limit with no time or volume usage for associated
traffic type in the data plan, then PPT application does not allow
to add a threshold condition during the policy configuration that
involves such data plan.
New Behavior: During
data plan configuration, when un-limited usage is specified for
the associated traffic type in the data plan, then PPT application
allows to add absolute threshold during policy configuration. It
does not allows to add percentage threshold.
Postgres Log File
Behavior Change
Previous Behavior:
In the previous versions the postgres log was:
- Generated as a single
file.
- There was no upper limit
on the size of this log file.
- It was difficult to
search or clean-up the single log file for the troubleshooting purpose.
New Behavior: In
the current version the postgres log file is:
- Generated in <ppt_install_dir>/3rdparty/postgres/pg_log directory.
- Maximum 10 files can
be retained by the PPT application.