- About this Guide
- Overview of GPRS and UMTS
- Overview of the Single IP Cisco GGSN
- Planning to Configure the GGSN
- Configuring GTP Services on the GGSN
- Configuring IPv6 PDP Support on the GGSN
- Configuring GTP Session Redundancy on the GGSN
- Configuring Charging on the GGSN
- Configuring Enhanced Service-Aware Billing on the GGSN
- Configuring Network Access to the GGSN
- Configuring PPP Support on the GGSN
- Configuring QoS on the GGSN
- Configuring Security on the GGSN
- Configuring Dynamic Addressing on the GGSN
- Configuring Load Balancing on the GGSN
- Monitoring Notifications
- Supported AVPs in DCCA Messages
- Configuring an Interface to the Charging Gateway
- Configuring the Default Charging Gateway
- Configuring a Charging Source Interface
- Configuring the GGSN Memory Protection Mode Threshold
- Configuring the Transport Protocol for the Charging Gateway
- Configuring the Charging Release
- Configuring Charging for Roamers
- Customizing the Charging Options
- Disabling Charging Processing
- Using Charging Profiles
- Configuring a Charging Profile
- Defining the Charging Characteristics and Triggers of a Charging Profile
- Applying a Default Charging Profile to an APN
- Applying Multiple Charging Profiles to an APN
- Applying Default Charging Profiles Globally
- Configuring How the GGSN Handles PDPs with Unmatched Charging Profiles
- Configuring G-CDR Backup and Retrieval Using iSCSI
- Configuring Granular Charging and Storage
- Monitoring and Maintaining the Charging Function on the GGSN
- Configuration Examples
Configuring Charging on the GGSN
This chapter describes how to configure the charging function on a gateway GPRS support node (GGSN).
If at minimum, one charging gateway is defined on the Cisco GGSN, by default, charging processing is enabled on the GGSN.
There are several ways to customize communication with a charging gateway. Many of the default values for the charging options should provide a satisfactory configuration until you become more familiar with your network and decide to customize the charging interface.
Note The global configuration charging commands described in this chapter apply to and affect all charging groups configured on a GGSN, unless specified otherwise in the command description.
For complete descriptions of the GGSN commands in this chapter, see Cisco GGSN Command Reference for the Cisco GGSN release you are using. To locate documentation of other commands that appear in this chapter, use the command reference master index or search online.
This chapter includes the following sections:
•Configuring an Interface to the Charging Gateway (Required)
•Configuring the Default Charging Gateway (Required)
•Configuring a Charging Source Interface (Optional)
•Configuring the GGSN Memory Protection Mode Threshold (Optional)
•Configuring the Transport Protocol for the Charging Gateway (Optional)
•Configuring the Charging Release (Optional)
•Configuring Charging for Roamers (Optional)
•Customizing the Charging Options (Optional)
•Disabling Charging Processing (Optional)
•Using Charging Profiles (Optional)
•Configuring G-CDR Backup and Retrieval Using iSCSI (Optional)
•Configuring Granular Charging and Storage (Optional)
•Monitoring and Maintaining the Charging Function on the GGSN
Configuring an Interface to the Charging Gateway
To establish access to an external charging gateway in the general packet radio service/Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (GPRS/UMTS) network, you must configure an interface on the GGSN to connect to the network of the charging gateway. In GPRS/UMTS, the interface between the GGSN and the charging gateway is referred to as the Ga interface. The Cisco GGSN supports both a 2.5G Ga interface and a 3G Ga interface.
On the Cisco 7600 series router platform, the Ga interface is a logical one to a Layer-3 routed Ga VLAN configured on the supervisor engine. IEEE 802.1Q-encapsulation must be configured on the logical interface.
For more information about the Ga VLAN on the supervisor engine, see the "Platform Prerequisites" section on page 3-2. For more information about configuring interfaces, see Cisco IOS Interface Configuration Guide and Cisco IOS Interface Command Reference.
To configure a subinterface to the Ga VLAN on the supervisor engine, use the following commands, beginning in global configuration mode:
Verifying Interface Configuration to the Charging Gateway
To verify the interface to the charging gateway, you can first verify your GGSN configuration and then verify that the interface is available.
Step 1 To verify that you have properly configured a Ga VLAN on the supervisor engine, use the show running-config command. The following example is a portion of the output from the command showing the GigabitEthernet 8/22 physical interface configuration as the Ga interface to a charging gateway and the Ga VLAN configuration:
Sup# show running-config
Building configuration...
Current configuration :12672 bytes
!
version 12.2
...
!
interface GigabitEthernet8/22
no ip address
switchport
switchport access vlan 302
!
interface Vlan302
description Vlan to GGSN for Ga
ip address 40.40.40.100 255.255.255.0
To verify that the physical interface and the Ga VLAN are available, use the show interface command on the supervisor engine. The following example shows that the GigabitEthernet8/22 physical interface to the charging gateway is up, and the Ga VLAN, VLAN 101:
Sup# show ip interface brief GigabitEthernet8/22
Interface IP Address OK? Method Status Protocol
GigabitEthernet8/22 unassigned YES unset up up
Sup# show ip interface brief Vlan302
Interface IP-Address OK? Method Status Protocol
Vlan302 40.40.40.100 YES TFTP up up
Sup#
Step 2 To verify the Ga VLAN configuration and availability, use the show vlan name command on the supervisor engine. The following example shows the Gn VLAN Gn_1:
Sup# show vlan name Ga_1
VLAN Name Status Ports
---- -------------------------------- --------- -------------------------------
302 Ga_1 active Gi4/1, Gi4/2, Gi4/3, Gi7/1
Gi7/2, Gi7/3, Fa8/22, Fa8/26
VLAN Type SAID MTU Parent RingNo BridgeNo Stp BrdgMode Trans1 Trans2
---- ----- ---------- ----- ------ ------ -------- ---- -------- ------ ------
302 enet 100302 1500 - - - - - 0 0
Remote SPAN VLAN
----------------
Disabled
Primary Secondary Type Ports
------- --------- ----------------- ------------------------------------------
Step 3 On the GGSN, to verify that you have properly configured a Ga subinterface to the Ga VLAN on the supervisor, use the show running-config command. The following example is a portion of the output from the command which shows a GigabitEthernet0/0.2 subinterface configuration as the Ga interface to the charging gateway:
GGSN# show running-config
Building configuration...
Current configuration : 5499 bytes
!
! Last configuration change at 20:38:31 PST Tue Oct 13 2009
!
version 12.4
!
.....
!
interface GigabitEthernet0/0.2
description Ga Interface
encapsulation dot1Q 302
ip address 40.40.40.41 255.255.0.0
no cdp enable
!
.....
ip route 40.1.2.1 255.255.255.255 10.1.1.1
Step 4 To verify that the subinterface is available, use the show ip interface brief command. The following example shows that the Gigabit Ethernet 0/0.2 subinterface to the Ga VLAN is in up status and the protocol is also up:
GGSN# show ip interface brief GigabitEthernet0/0.2
Interface IP-Address OK? Method Status Protocol
GigabitEthernet0/0.2 40.40.40.41 YES NVRAM up up
Configuring the Default Charging Gateway
You can configure a charging gateway that the GGSN uses, by default, to communicate charging information. In addition, you can specify secondary and tertiary charging gateway as backup charging gateways. All charging gateways share the same global charging parameters.
Note With the introduction of the Granular Charging feature in Cisco GGSN Release 9.0 and later, this set of default charging gateways are identified as charging group 0, the default charging group.
To configure a default charging gateway for a GGSN, use the following command in global configuration mode:
Configuring the GGSN to Switchover to the Highest Priority Charging Gateway
When priority switchover is configured on the GGSN using the gprs charging switchover priority command, regardless of the state of the current active charging gateway, when a gateway of higher priority comes up, the GGSN switches to and sends gateway GPRS support node-call detail records (G-CDRs) to that charging gateway.
Note This command applies to only the globally defined charging gateways that are a part of the default charging group (charging group 0). To configure the switchover priority for charging groups 1 through 29, use the switchover priority command in charging group configuration mode.
To configure priority switchover on the GGSN for the default charging group, use the following command in global configuration mode:
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Step 1 |
Router(config)# gprs charging switchover priority |
Configures the GGSN to switch to the gateway of higher priority when that gateway becomes active. |
Changing the Default Charging Gateway
To change the default charging gateway of a GGSN, use the following commands, beginning in global configuration mode:
Configuring a Charging Source Interface
By default, the global GTP virtual template interface is used for all charging messages. With Cisco GGSN Release 8.0 and later, you can configure a charging source interface for charging messages.
The charging source interface is a loopback interface that the GGSN is configured to use for charging traffic by using the gprs charging interface source loopback command. Once a loopback interface is configured as the charging source interface, all charging messages use the IP address of that loopback interface as their source address.
The charging source interface feature enables you to separate charging traffic. Optionally, a VPN Routing and Forwarding (VRF) instance can be configured on the loopback interface to separate charging traffic onto a private VLAN.
When configuring a charging source interface:
•Once configured, the loopback interface cannot not be modified without removing the charging source interface configuration. All charging messages will use the new end points from the path structure.
•A charging source interface cannot be unconfigured while there are active packet data protocol (PDP) contexts or call detail records (CDRs).
To configure a charging source interface, use the following commands, beginning in global configuration mode:
To configure the GGSN to use the loopback interface for charging traffic, use the following command in global configuration mode:
Configuring the GGSN Memory Protection Mode Threshold
The GGSN memory protection feature prevents processor memory from being drained during periods of abnormal conditions, such as when all charging gateways are down and the GGSN is buffering call detail records (CDRs) into memory.
When the memory threshold is enabled, by default the memory threshold is 10 percent of the total memory available when GGSN services are enabled by the gprs ggsn service command.
You can use the gprs memory threshold command to configure the threshold according to the router memory and size, that when exceeded, activates the memory protection mode on the GGSN.
When the amount of memory remaining on the system reaches the defined threshold, the memory protection feature activates, and the GGSN performs the following actions to keep the processor memory from falling below the threshold:
•Rejects new Create PDP Context requests with a No Resource cause value.
•Drops any existing PDPs for which an Update PDP Context is received with a Management Intervention cause value.
•Drops any PDPs for which a volume trigger has occurred.
Note While the memory protection feature is active, byte counts are tracked and reported when the GGSN recovers. However, because some change conditions are not handled when the GGSN is in memory protection mode, some counts (for example, QoS and tariff conditions) do not reflect the accurate charging condition.
To configure the memory threshold that activates the memory protection feature on the GGSN when reached, use the following command in global configuration mode:
Configuring the Transport Protocol for the Charging Gateway
You can configure a GGSN to support either Transport Control Protocol (TCP) or User Datagram Protocol (UDP) as the transport path protocol for communication with the charging gateway.
The GGSN default transport path protocol is UDP, a connectionless protocol that is considered an unreliable transport method but can yield greater performance.
Configuring TCP as the Charging Gateway Path Protocol
TCP is a connection-based protocol that provides reliable transmission through packet acknowledgment.
To specify TCP as the transport path protocol, use the following commands, beginning in global configuration mode:
Configuring UDP as the Charging Gateway Path Protocol
By default, the Cisco GGSN uses UDP as the transport path protocol to the charging gateway. If you need to reconfigure the charging gateway for UDP transport, use the following command in global configuration mode:
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Router(config)# gprs charging path-protocol udp |
Specifies that the GGSN uses UDP networking protocol to transmit and receive charging data. The default value is UDP. |
Configuring the Charging Release
The Cisco GGSN supports both 2.5G and 3G Ga interfaces, and GPRS (R97/R98) and UMTS (R99) Quality of Service (QoS) profile formats. The Cisco GGSN can be configured to comply with 3GPP TS 32.215 Release 4, Release 5, or Release 7.
When specifying the 99 or 98 keywords, the following actions take place:
•If the GGSN is configured to present R97/R98 CDRs (gprs charging release 98 is configured):
–If the PDP context is R98, the GGSN presents an R97/R98 G-CDR.
–If the PDP context is R99, the GGSN converts the R99 QoS profile to an R97/R98 QoS profile, and presents an R97/R98 G-CDR.
•If the GGSN is configured to present R99 CDRs (gprs charging release 99 is configured):
–If the PDP context is R99, the GGSN presents an R99 G-CDR.
–If the PDP context is R98, the GGSN converts the QoS profile and presents an R99 CDR.
Note With Cisco GGSN Release 9.2 and later, the generation of enhanced G-CDRs (eG-CDRs) requires that charging release 7 has been configured on the GGSN. For information about configuring the GGSN to generate eG-CDRs, see the "Configuring the GGSN to Generate Enhanced G-CDRs" section on page 8-4.
To configure the charging release with which the GGSN complies when presenting G-CDRs, use the following command in global configuration mode:
To verify charging release configuration, use the show gprs charging parameters command.
Configuring Charging for Roamers
The Charging for Roamers feature enables you to configure the Cisco GGSN to generate G-CDRs for roaming mobile subscribers.
When the Cisco GGSN receives a Create PDP Context request, and the charging for roamers feature is enabled on the GGSN, the GGSN checks the Routing Area Identity (RAI) IE to see if the GGSN and the SGSN public land mobile network (PLMN) IDs are present and match. If both of the PLMN IDs are not present, or if they are present, but do not match, the GGSN matches the IE containing the SGSN Signaling Address field against a list of PLMN IP address ranges that have been defined using the gprs plmn ip address command with the sgsn keyword option specified.
If the GGSN determines that the SGSN that sent the Create PDP Context request is not located within the same PLMN as it is, the GGSN generates the G-CDR. If the GGSN determines that the SGSN is located in the same PLMN, it does not generate a CDR until it receives notification that the SGSN has changed location to another PLMN.
Before enabling the charging for roamer feature:
•To use the RAI IE in Create PDP Context requests to detect roamers, a valid home PLMN must be configured on the GGSN using the gprs mcc mn command in global configuration mode.
When a valid home PLMN is configured, or a valid trusted PLMN, a G-CDR is not generated if the RAI matches the configured home or trusted PLMN. A G-CDR is created for all PDPs with RAIs that do not match the home or trusted PLMN.
•If the RAI field is not present in a Create PDP Context request, and an address range has not been configured using the gprs plmn ip address command with the sgsn keyword option specified, the PDP is classified as unknown and treated as a roamer.
•Before enabling the charging for roamers feature using the gprs charging roamers command, you must first define a set of IP address ranges for a PLMN using the gprs plmn ip address command.
Ensure that you configure the gprs plmn ip address and gprs charging roamers commands in the proper order:
a. Configure the IP address range for a PLMN by using the gprs plmn ip address command. You can change an IP address range by reissuing the gprs plmn ip address command.
b. Enable the charging for roamers feature on the GGSN using the gprs charging roamers command.
To enable the charging for roamers feature on the GGSN, complete the following tasks:
•Configuring PLMN IP Address Ranges
•Enabling Charging for Roamers
To verify your configuration, use the show gprs charging parameters command. To verify your PLMN IP address ranges, use the show gprs plmn ip address command.
Configuring PLMN IP Address Ranges
Depending on how the PLMN IP address ranges are configured, the charging for roamers feature operates as follows:
•If no PLMN IP address ranges have been configured using the gprs plmn ip address start_ip end_ip [sgsn] command, the GGSN generates G-CDRs for all initiated PDP contexts regardless of whether the GGSN and SGSN are located within the same PLMN.
•If a list of PLMN IP address ranges is configured using the gprs plmn ip address start_ip end_ip [sgsn] command, and one or more of those ranges have been defined with the sgsn keyword specified, the GGSN uses the ranges defined with the sgsn keyword specified to determine whether an SGSN is located within the same PLMN.
With this configuration, the following scenarios describe how the charging for roamers feature functions:
–MS1 is subscribed to PLMN1 and attaches to an SGSN in PLMN2. From PLMN2, MS1 initiates a PDP context with the GGSN in PLMN1. In this scenario, MS1 is a roamer, and the GGSN generates a CDR because it determines that the SGSN is located in a different PLMN.
–MS1 is subscribed to PLMN1 and attaches to an SGSN in PLMN2. From PLMN2, MS1 initiates a PDP context with the GGSN in PLMN2. In this scenario, MS1 is not a roamer, and the GGSN does not generate a G-CDR because it determines that it is in the same PLMN as the SGSN.
To configure PLMN IP address ranges, use the following command in global configuration mode:
Enabling Charging for Roamers
To enable the charging for roamers feature on the GGSN, use the following command in global configuration mode:
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Router(config)# gprs charging roamers |
Enables charging for roamers on a GGSN. |
Customizing the Charging Options
For the GGSN charging options, the default values represent recommended values. Other optional commands are also set to default values; however, we recommend modifying these commands to optimize your network as necessary, or according to your hardware.
The GGSN uses echo timing to maintain the path between SGSNs and external charging gateways. However, the GGSN can implement only a single method of echo timing for all the paths that it needs to maintain. To learn more about echo timing on the GGSN, or to modify the echo timing feature, see the "Configuring Echo Timing on a GGSN" section on page 4-4 in the "Configuring GTP Services on the GGSN" chapter.
Note The following charging options can be used by both G-CDRs or eG-CDRs, and the GGSN generates an eG-CDR or G-CDR depending upon its charging configuration. Therefore, when describing the GGSN charging options, the reference to G-CDRs can apply to either a G-CDR or eG-CDR.
Use the following commands in global configuration mode to fine-tune charging processing on the GGSN:
For information about configuring GGSN GTP options, see the "Customizing the GGSN Configuration" section on page 4-14 in the "Configuring GTP Services on the GGSN" chapter.
Disabling Charging Processing
You can disable charging on the GGSN only after all the open CDRs have been processed and sent to the charging gateway. To clear the current GGSN CDRs, use the clear gprs charging cdr command in privileged EXEC mode.
To disable charging processing on a GGSN, use the following command, beginning in global configuration mode:
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Router(config)# gprs charging disable |
Disables charging transactions on the GGSN. |
Using Charging Profiles
Using charging profiles that you create, customize, and specify as the default charging method for a specific type of user at a global and/or APN level, you can apply different charging methods on a per-PDP basis. Charging profiles provide the ability to offer flexible services that are customized to subscriber preferences.
When using charging profiles, note that you must configure the GGSN to:
•Include the charging characteristics selection mode parameter in CDRs by configuring the gprs charging cdr-option chch-selection-mode command.
•Receive the charging characteristics selection mode IE in CDRs by configuring the gprs charging release command
To apply different charging methods on a per-PDP basis using GGSN charging profiles, you must complete the tasks outline in the following sections:
•Configuring a Charging Profile
•Defining the Charging Characteristics and Triggers of a Charging Profile
•Applying a Default Charging Profile to an APN
•Applying Multiple Charging Profiles to an APN (CCFH Tuning)
•Applying Default Charging Profiles Globally
•Configuring How the GGSN Handles PDPs with Unmatched Charging Profiles
Configuring a Charging Profile
Charging profiles define a charging method to apply to a specific type of subscriber (home, roamer, visitor).
You can apply a charging profile at an APN level or global level as the default charging method for a specified subscriber type.
The GGSN supports up to 256 charging profiles, numbered 0 to 255. Profile 0 is a set profile that always exists on the GGSN. It is the global default charging profile. You do not create profile 0, however, you can modify it using the charging-related global configuration commands. Profiles 1 to 255 are user-defined and customized using the Cisco GGSN charging profile configuration commands.
When a Create PDP Context request is received by the GGSN, the GGSN selects the appropriate charging profile based on the following sources of input:
•Serving GPRS support node (SGSN)/home location register (HLR) via the Charging Characteristics Selection Mode.
•Local defaults.
•Charging profile index Authentication, Authorization and Accounting (AAA) attribute.
Note The charging profile index received from AAA takes effect only if service-aware billing is enabled globally on the GGSN, using the gprs service-aware command in global configuration mode, and at the APN level, using the service-aware command in access-point configuration mode.
For information on configuring a service-aware GGSN, see Chapter 8, "Implementing Enhanced Service-Aware Billing."
By default, the order in which the GGSN selects a charging profile for a PDP context, is as follows:
1. Charging profile index in the override rule on the APN—If a default charging profile is configured at both the APN and the global level to override the SGSN specification, the APN default charging profile is used first.
2. Charging profile index in the override rule on the box—If there is no default charging profile default configured at the APN, the default charging profile configured globally is use.
3. Charging profile index from AAA.
4. Charging profile index from SGSN/HLR (charging characteristics).
5. Charging profile index from the non-override rule on the APN.
6. Charging profile index from non-override rule on the box.
If none of the above applies, the PDP context is rejected if the gprs charging characteristics reject command in global configuration mode is configured and the Create PDP Context request is GTP v1. If the gprs charging characteristics reject command is not configured, the GTPv1 PDP context is created using charging profile 0.
Note The global default charging profile, charging profile 0, is not supported for service-aware PDPs. Create PDP Context requests for service-aware PDPs are rejected with error code 199.
Note You cannot remove a charging profile, nor modify a DCCA client profile under a charging profile (using the content dcca profile charging profile command), if the profile is being used by PDP contexts or rules. If the DCCA client profile is being used by rules, you must disassociate it from the APN before making configuration changes.
To create or modify a charging profile, and enter charging profile configuration mode, use the following command in global configuration mode:
Defining the Charging Characteristics and Triggers of a Charging Profile
Note With Cisco GGSN Release 9.2 and later, when an enhanced quota server interface is configured, the Cisco GGSN does not function as a quota server for service-aware postpaid users. Therefore, with Cisco IOS Release 12.2(22)YE2 and later, the content command in charging profile configuration mode are ignored as well as the charging profile configuration commands that configure trigger conditions for postpaid users not using an enhanced quota server interface.
For more information about configuring enhanced service-aware billing, see Cisco GGSN Configuration Guide.
To configure the charging characteristics and triggers of a charging profile, use the following commands in charging profile configuration mode:
Applying a Default Charging Profile to an APN
To configure a default charging profile for a specific type of user at an APN, use the following command in access-point configuration mode:
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Router(config-access-point)# charging profile {home | roaming | visiting | any} [trusted] profile_num [override] |
Configures a default charging profile for a specific type of user to use at an APN, if no charging characteristics are received from the SGSN, where: •home—Specifies that the charging profile applies to home users. •roaming—Specifies that the charging profile applies to roaming users (users whose serving GPRS support node [SGSN] public land mobile network [PLMN] ID differs from the gateway GPRS support node's [GGSN's]). •visiting—Specifies that the charging profile applies to visiting users (users whose International Mobile Subscriber Identity [IMSI] contains a foreign PLMN ID). •any—Specifies that the charging profile will apply to all types of users. •trusted—(Optional) Specifies that the charging profile applies if the user is a visiting or roaming user (depending on whether roaming or visiting is specified) whose PLMN ID is a trusted one (as configured by the gprs mcc mnc command). •profile-number—Number of the charging profile that is being associated with the access point. Valid values are 0 to 15. If 0 is specified, charging behavior is defined by global charging characteristics (those not defined in a charging profile). •override—(Optional) Specifies that the charging characteristic value received from the SGSN in the Create PDP Context request be ignored and the APN default used instead. Note With Cisco GGSN Release 10.2, you can associate up to 16 charging profile with an APN. For more information about this feature, see the "Applying Multiple Charging Profiles to an APN" section. |
Applying Multiple Charging Profiles to an APN
With Cisco GGSN Release 10.2 and later, you can associate up to 16 charging profiles with different subscribers in an APN. The ability to associate multiple charging profiles with different subscribers in an APN enables operators to customize the Credit-Control-Failure-Handling (CCFH) for both prepaid and postpaid subscribers. The CCFH determines how the GGSN behaves if a Diameter Credit-Control-Answer (CCA) failure occurs.
Note For information about customizing CCFH for prepaid and postpaid subscribers, see "Tuning CCFH for Prepaid and Postpaid Subscribers" section on page 8-29.
To associate a charging profile with a subscriber with a specific type of charging characteristic, use the following command in access-point configuration mode:
For example, in the following show gprs access-point configuration example (Example 1), when the GGSN receives a create PDP context request from the SGSN with "0121" as the charging characteristic of the subscriber, the GGSN uses charging profile "1," and subsequently applies the CCFH configuration implemented in DCCA client profile "dcca-profile1," which is the DCCA client profile configured under charging profile 1 (Example 2).
Example 1
GGSN# show gprs access-point 3
access-point 3
access-point-name prepaid
access-mode non-transparent
charging characteristics 0121 1
aaa-accounting interim update
aaa-group authentication ra_aaa
aaa-group accounting ra_aaa
ip-address-pool radius-client
csg-group csg1
gtp response-message wait-accounting
service-aware
GGSN#
Example 2
GGSN# show running-config
...
gprs charging profile 1
category prepaid
content rulebase RULE1
content dcca profile dcca-profile1 weight 1
!gprs charging profile 4
category prepaid
content rulebase RULE1
content dcca profile dcca-profile4 weight 1
!
gprs dcca profile dcca-profile1
tx-timeout 60
ccfh continue
authorization dcca-author
destination-realm cisco.com
!gprs dcca profile dcca-profile4
tx-timeout 60
ccfh retry-terminate
authorization dcca-author
destination-realm cisco.com
...
Applying Default Charging Profiles Globally
Default charging profiles applied at the global level are used when a default charging profile has not been specified for an APN.
To configure a default charging profile for a specific type of user globally, use the following command in global configuration mode:
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Router(config)# gprs charging profile default {home | roaming | visiting | any} [trusted] chp_num [override] |
Applies a default charging profile globally for a specific type of user. |
Configuring How the GGSN Handles PDPs with Unmatched Charging Profiles
You can configure the GGSN to reject or accept GTPv1 Create PDP Context requests for which a profile cannot be matched. If the GGSN is configured to accept these PDP context requests, the charging method defined by charging profile 0 is applied. By default, the GGSN accepts Create PDP Context requests and applies the charging method defined in charging profile 0.
The following restrictions apply to charging profiles selected for service-aware PDPs:
•All PDP s belonging to the same user must use the same charging profile as that of the primary PDP.
•The global default charging profile, charging profile 0, is not supported for service-aware PDPs. Create PDP Context requests for service-aware PDPs are rejected with error code 199.
To configure a GGSN to reject Create PDP Context requests for which a charging profile cannot be matched, use the following command in global configuration mode:
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Router(config)# gprs charging characteristics reject |
Configures the GGSN to reject GTPv1 Create PDP Context requests for which a charging profile cannot be selected. |
Configuring G-CDR Backup and Retrieval Using iSCSI
Cisco GGSN Release 8.0 and later utilizes the Cisco IOS software Small Computer Systems Interface over IP (iSCSI) support, as defined in RFC 3720, to enable CDR storage and retrieval from storage target on a Storage Area Network (SAN).
This section contains the following topics on iSCSI support on the GGSN:
•Configuring iSCSI Backup and Storage on the GGSN
•Monitoring and Maintaining iSCSI CDR Backup and Storage
iSCSI Overview
The iSCSI transport protocol operates over TCP/IP, enabling mobile operators and service providers to use their SAN connected to an iSCSI interface to save complete data transfer record (DTR) messages containing closed CDRs.
SAN technology, which enables customers to build scalable storage solutions, is comprised of the following primary elements:
•SCSI—An interface standard which enables multiple devices to be installed on a system, attached to cable to form a chain of devices. Each device is assigned a unique ID, which is expressed as a number, that identifies that device on the bus. SCSI IDs can be broken into Logical Unit Numbers (LUNs), enabling a number of devices to share a single SCSI ID. Devices from which I/O requests originate are called initiators, and devices from which responses originate are called targets.
•SAN—Technology that involves moving network storage to a separate network of its own. Disk, tape, and optical storage can then be attached to the storage network that is based on a fabric of switches and hubs that connects storage devices to a heterogeneous set of servers.
A SAN system provides block-level access to data residing on shared storage arrays through dedicated storage networks.
•iSCSI—Transport protocol that maps SCSI requests and responses over TCP and provides block-level data transfer between the SCSI initiator (the Cisco GGSN is this example), and the target (the storage device on the SAN). The initiator sends I/O requests and the target sends I/O responses.
A SAN topology is distinguished by the following features:
•Storage is not directly connected to network clients.
•Storage is not directly connected to servers.
•Storage devices are interconnected.
•Multiple servers can share multiple storage devices.
Configuring iSCSI Backup and Storage on the GGSN
In a SCSI environment, the GGSN functions as an iSCSI initiator.
To enable G-CDR backup storage on an iSCSI device, complete the following:
1. On the GGSN, configure an iSCSI target profile that includes the name and IP address of the target, and the TCP port on which to listen for iSCSI traffic.
2. Configure the GGSN to use the interface for record storage when a charging gateway is not available.
With Cisco GGSN Release 9.0 and later, you can configure and associate up to 30 iSCSI target profiles with a set of unique charging gateways within a charging group.
As an alternative, you can configure an iSCSI target profile as the primary storage for CDRs by configuring only an iSCSI target profile and no charging gateway at the global level (default charging group 0), or at the APN level by defining only an iSCSI target in the charging group associated with an APN (charging groups 1 to 29).
The I/O requests sent by the GGSN are converted into SCSI requests and transported over TCP/IP to the remote storage target.
Choosing the Record Format when Writing to iSCSI
By default, when writing DTRs to iSCSI, the format for storing records is GTP, wherein the complete DTR is written to the iSCSI target. As an alternative, you can configure the iSCSI record format as ASN.1 by using the gprs charging iscsi rec-format command in global configuration mode and specifying the asn.1 keyword option. When you configure ASN.1 as the record format, the GGSN writes only the raw ASN1-encoded CDRs into iSCSI without embedding the DTR information element into the records. The ASN.1 format is useful when the records are retrieved from iSCSI using FTP.
To configure the record format, use the gprs charging iscsi rec-format command in global configuration mode.
Note The records in ASN.1 format are generated when gprs auto-retrieve is disabled on the GGSN, which is the default behavior. Use the ASN.1 format only when the iSCSI target is used as the primary storage for charging records (no charging gateways are configured).
Writing DTRs when iSCSI is used as Backup Storage
•Once iSCSI backup storage configuration is in place, when a charging gateway is not reachable, the writing toward the iSCSI is initiated. The complete DTR message is sent to the iSCSI target defined in the target profile.
•The recommended iSCSI record format when using iSCSI as backup is GTP (the default format). If the iSCSI auto-retrieval (the gprs auto-retrieve command in global configuration mode) is enabled, the record format must be configured as GTP.
•When iSCSI auto-retrieval is enabled, along with sending the complete DTR message, the GGSN adds a 12-byte header in front of the message before storing it to SAN. This header is used when the DTRs are retrieved and sent to the charging gateway. (In addition, the RSM-layer adds a 12-byte header and 4-byte trailer to the message before it is stored).
Note If the DTRs are retrieved directly from the SAN through other means such as FTP, then each record must skip the 10-byte header to get to the actual DTR containing encoded CDRs.
Writing DTRs when iSCSI is used as Primary Storage
•When there are no charging gateways configured, and only an iSCSI target profile is defined at the global charging level (charging group 0), or granular charging level (charging groups 1 to 29), the iSCSI is the primary storage for writing charging records.
•Although you can use any iSCSI record format, the ASN.1 iSCSI record format enables the storage of store raw ASN.1 encoded CDRs into iSCSI without any additional headers.
Reading CDRs
•Once the iSCSI backup storage configuration is in place, when a charging gateway comes up, the iSCSI initiator (GGSN) requests for any iSCSI records to be received from the iSCSI target.
•Once the GGSN receives a record, the 12-byte header added by the GGSN when the write process is removed and the complete DTR are sent to the charging gateway.
If the DTRs are to be marked for possible duplication before sending to the charging gateway, you must configure the GGSN with the following charging configuration commands.
–gprs charging message transfer-request command-ie
–gprs charging message transfer-request possibly-duplicate
iSCSI Restrictions
When configuring iSCSI CDR backup and storage on the GGSN Release 10.0 or later:
•Number of TCP connections per iSCSI session is limited to one.
•iSCSI targets cannot be dynamically discovered.
•iSCSI target device should be preformatted with five virtual disks; one disk for each Cisco GGSN TCOP (PPC4 through PPC8).
•Each LUN must have only five FAT32 partition. Maximum of size of a LUN must not be more than 2TB, which is the maximum disk size supported by a FAT32 file system.
When configuring iSCSI CDR Backup and Storage on the GGSN, complete the tasks in the following sections:
•Configuring an iSCSI Target Profile
•Associating an iSCSI Target Profile
Configuring an iSCSI Target Profile
Note You can configure up to 30 iSCSI profiles on the GGSN, however, you can define only one target per profile, and associate only one profile with the GGSN to use the iSCSI interface at a time by using the gprs iscsi command in global configuration mode.
To configure the iSCSI target profile on the GGSN, use the following commands, beginning in global configuration mode:
Note The name, ip, and port iSCSI interface subconfigurations are required. For a complete list of optional configurations that you can configure under a target profile, issue the "?" command in iSCSI interface configuration mode or see the ip iscsi target-profile command description in the Cisco GGSN Command Reference.
Associating an iSCSI Target Profile
To configure the GGSN to use a iSCSI interface for CDR storage when no charging gateway is available, use the following command in global configuration mode:
Verifying the iSCSI Session
To verify that the iSCSI session is up, use the following command in privileged EXEC mode:
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Router# show ip iscsi session
|
Displays the status of iSCSI session. |
Monitoring and Maintaining iSCSI CDR Backup and Storage
You can use the following is a list of commands to monitor and maintain the iSCSI backup and storage functions on the GGSN:
Configuring Granular Charging and Storage
The Cisco GGSN supports an access-point level charging configuration (granular charging) in addition to the default global charging configuration.
With granular charging, you can configure up to 30 charging groups per GGSN. In each charging group you can define a unique primary, secondary, and tertiary charging gateway, and iSCSI target, and assign the charging group to an APN. Charging groups enable you to send charging records belonging to different APNs to different destinations.
If you do not assign a charging group with an APN, the default charging group (the primary, secondary, and tertiary charging gateways, iSCSI target, switchover priority, etc., configured at the global level) is used.
Charging group 0 is the default charging group defined at the global level. You can configure and associate charging groups 1 to 29.
Usage Notes
When configuring granular charging and storage:
•You can configure up to 30 charging groups per GGSN and assign them to APNs. The 0 value is reserved for the default global charging group that contains the global charging gateway and global iSCSI target, if configured. You can use values 1 to 29 to define other charging groups.
•By default, all APNs use the default global charging group 0 unless a charging group (charging group 1 to 29) is assigned to the APN.
•You can assign the same charging group to multiple APNs, but you can assign only one charging group per APN.
•You can assign a charging gateway to only a single charging group. A charging gateway cannot be shared across groups regardless of whether it is defined as the primary, secondary, or tertiary gateway.
•You can assign an iSCSI target to only a single charging group. An iSCSI cannot be shared across groups.
•The charging gateway switchover inside one charging group retains the same precedence as the global configuration (charging group 0)—primary charging gateway, to secondary charging gateway, to tertiary charging gateway, to iSCSI target.
•Once you have assigned a charging group to an APN, the APN only switches over inside the charging group. The APN will not fall back to the globally configured charging gateways or iSCSI target.
•If you assign an empty charging group (a group to which you have not defined a charging gateway or an iSCSI target) to an APN, CDRs for that APN are not generated unless you place the charging group in maintenance mode by using the service-mode maintenance command in charging group configuration mode.
•If you define only an iSCSI target in a charging group, there is no fallback to the globally configured iSCSI target.
•If you assign a charging group in which an iSCSI target has not been defined to an APN, that APN cannot fallback to the globally configured iSCSI profile. Therefore, to enable iSCSI backup and storage for an APN, ensure that the iSCSI target has been defined in the charging group assigned to the APN.
•To use an iSCSI target as the primary storage device for charging records for an APN, and not just as a backup device, define only an iSCSI target in the charging group associated with the APN.
•Auto-retrieval (the gprs auto-retrieve command in global configuration mode) is supported only at the global level (default charging group 0). Auto-retrieval is not supported at the APN charging group level (groups 1 to 29).
•The set iSCSI record format applies to all charging groups.
•You can individually place each charging group in maintenance mode or operational mode. Before modifying a charging group (adding or deleting charging gateways or the iSCSI target), place the group in maintenance mode by using the service-mode command in charging group configuration mode.
•When a charging group is in maintenance mode, pending DTRs from the group are moved to the group's charging maintenance queue. When the charging group is returned to operational mode, pending messages present in the group maintenance queue, or open CDRs present for the APNs using the charging group, are moved to the charging path or iSCSI queue based on the following sequence:
–If charging gateways are defined in the charging group, pending messages and open CDRs are moved to the path of the charging gateway with the highest priority.
–If no charging gateways are defined, but an iSCSI target is, pending messages and open CDRs are moved to the iSCSI write queue.
–If neither a charging gateway or an iSCSI target are defined in the charging group, the group cannot be moved to operational mode if there are any pending messages or open CDRs for the group.
Note CDRs are not generated for a charging group when the group is empty and in operational mode
To configure granular charging, complete the tasks in the following sections:
•Associating a Charging Group with an Access Point
•Monitoring and Maintaining Granular Charging
To configure granular charging and storage, complete the tasks in the following sections:
•Associating a Charging Group with an Access Point
Configuring a Charging Group
To configure a charging group, use the following commands, beginning in global configuration mode:
Associating a Charging Group with an Access Point
Once you have configured the charging group, assign it to an APN.
To assign a charging group to an APN, use the following command in access-point configuration mode:
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Router(config-access-point)# charging group chrg-group-number |
Assigns an existing charging group to an APN, where group-number is a number 1 through 29. |
Modifying a Charging Group
Before modifying a charging group, place the charging group in maintenance mode.
To place a charging group in maintenance mode, use the following command in charging group configuration mode:
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Router(config-chrg-group)# service-mode maintenance |
Places the charging group in maintenance mode. |
To return the charging group to operational mode after modifying it, use the following command in charging group configuration mode:
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Router(config-chrg-group)# service-mode operational |
Places the charging group in operational mode. |
Monitoring and Maintaining Granular Charging
The following is a list of commands that you can use to monitor and maintain granular charging on the GGSN:
Note Many of the clear and show commands above have been enhanced with a charging-group keyword option for clearing and showing information specific to a charging group.
Monitoring and Maintaining the Charging Function on the GGSN
This section provides a summary list of the show commands that you can use to monitor charging functions on the GGSN.
The following privileged EXEC commands are used to monitor and maintain charging on the GGSN:
Configuration Examples
The following are examples of charging configurations implemented on the GGSN.
Global Charging Configuration
GGSN Configuration
Router# show running-config
Building configuration...
Current configuration :7390 bytes
!
! Last configuration change at 16:56:05 UTC Wed Jun 25 2003
! NVRAM config last updated at 23:40:27 UTC Fri Jun 13 2003
!
version 12.3
.....
interface GigabitEthernet0/0.2
description Ga/Gn Interface
encapsulation dot1Q 101
ip address 10.1.1.72 255.255.255.0
no cdp enable
!
.....
ip route 40.1.2.1 255.255.255.255 10.1.1.1
!
gprs access-point-list gprs
access-point 1
access-point-name auth-accounting
access-mode non-transparent
aaa-group authentication first
aaa-group accounting second
ip-address-pool dhcp-proxy-client
dhcp-server 10.60.0.1
dhcp-gateway-address 10.60.0.1
exit
!
. . .
!
gprs default charging-gateway 10.9.0.2
gprs charging send-buffer 1000
gprs charging container volume-threshold 500000
gprs charging container change-limit 3
gprs charging cdr-aggregation-limit 10
gprs charging cdr-option apn-selection-mode
gprs charging cdr-option served-msisdn
!
gprs memory threshold 512
!
. . .
!
end
Supervisor Engine Configuration
Sup# show running-config
Building configuration...
Current configuration :12672 bytes
!
version 12.2
...
interface FastEthernet8/22
no ip address
switchport
switchport access vlan 302
!
interface Vlan101
description Vlan to GGSN for GA/GN
ip address 10.1.1.1 255.255.255.0
!
interface Vlan302
ip address 40.0.2.1 255.255.255.0
Charging Profile Configuration
The following partial configuration example shows two charging profiles (charging profile 1 and charging profile 2) configured on the GGSN, with charging profile 1 being configured as the global default charging profile to be used for any type of user if a charging profile is not specified at the APN:
Router# show running-config
Building configuration...
Current configuration :7390 bytes
!
! Last configuration change at 16:56:05 UTC Wed Jun 25 2003
! NVRAM config last updated at 23:40:27 UTC Fri Jun 13 2003
!
version 12.3
.....
interface GigabitEthernet0/0.2
description Ga/Gn Interface
encapsulation dot1Q 101
ip address 10.1.1.72 255.255.255.0
no cdp enable
!
.....
ip route 40.1.2.1 255.255.255.255 10.1.1.1
!
!
. . .
!
gprs charging profile default any 1
gprs charging profile 1
description "roamer_profile"
limit volume 500000 reset
limit duration 30 reset
!
gprs charging profile 2
description "any_unmatched"
limit volume 1000000 reset
limit duration 60 reset
. . .
!
. . .
!
end
Granular Charging and Storage Configuration
The following partial configuration example shows two charging groups (charging group 1 and charging group 2) configured on the GGSN, with an iSCSI target defined in charging group 1. Charging group 1 is associated with access point 4 and access point 5:
Router# show running-config
Building configuration...
Current configuration :7390 bytes
.....
!
gprs access-point-list gprs access-point 4 access-point-name test2 charging group 1 ! access-point 5 access-point-name pppregen charging group 1 ppp-regeneration ! ! ! gprs charging group 2 primary 66.66.66.1 secondary 66.66.66.2 tertiary 66.66.66.3 ! gprs charging group 1 primary 55.55.55.1 secondary 55.55.55.2 tertiary 55.55.55.3 iscsi ISCSI_TARGET1 switchover priority ! gprs iscsi TARGET_LINUX