Billing Bypass Rules

Billing Bypass Rules

Some calls may not need to be sent to the OCS for rating and can be handled directly by the DSG-SCP application. Billing bypass rules can be defined that allow behaviour to be specified in such cases. Rules are applied in the order listed until a match is made. Note that any call that matches a billing bypass rule will not be sent to the OCS for rating.

Once matched, various actions can be taken: allow the call to continue unbilled, play an announcement, etc. If a rule does not specify any matching criteria, it will always match; this should not generally be used as it will prevent all calls from going to the billing engine.

Billing bypass handling is similar to special number handling, but occurs after tag assignment so has access to more information for determining the action to apply.

Configuration Details

Each rule can support the following attributes:

Attribute Type Description
action String [Required] The action to take when this rule is matched. Possible values are shown under Billing Bypass Rule Actions.
tag String [Conditional] The tag name to match the value for If tag is present, value must also be present.
tag_x String [Conditional] As for tag, but with x representing a unique pairing, e.g. tag_1 or tag_a. A matching value_x must also be present.
value (various) [Conditional] The string or integer value to match against during rule selection. Required when tag is present.
value_x (various) [Conditional] As for value, but with x representing a unique pairing, e.g. value_1 or value_a. A matching tag_x must also be present.
originating Boolean Whether this rule applies for originating calls.
(Default: true)
forwarding Boolean Whether this rule applies for forwarding calls.
(Default: true)
terminating Boolean Whether this rule applies for terminating calls.
(Default: true)
cause Integer The release cause to send to the network if the action releases the call.
(Default: 31)
seconds Integer [Required with action = continue_period] The number of seconds a call to continue for unbilled, if appropriate to the action.
announcement_id Integer [Required with action = announcement_release or announcement_connect] The announcement ID to play to the caller, if appropriate to the action.
announcement_source String The tag to use as the announcement ID to play to the caller, if appropriate to the action. If no value or a non-numeric value is found, announcement_id will be used instead.
srp_name String [Required with action = announcement_release or announcement_connect] The SRP name (as configured in the ScpApp) to use to play an announcement to the caller, if appropriate to the action.
srp_source String The tag to use as the SRP name to use to play an announcement to the caller, if appropriate to the action. If no value or a non-numeric value is found, srp_name will be used instead.
divert_to String [Required with action = connect or announcement_connect] The normalised destination digits to connect the call to, if approrpiate to the action.
notification String A notification message name to send when this rule applies.
fci or sci String An FCI or SCI message name to send when this rule applies. Only available for certain actions.
(other available fields) (various) Any number of selector rule available fields.

Note that, unlike other selector rules, the call state selectors at_initial, at_update, and at_terminate are not permitted, as billing bypass can only occur at the start of a call.

Billing Bypass Rule Actions

Each billing bypass rule allows the specification of a single action to take when a rule is matched during processing.

Note that all billing bypass rules are only applicable prior to initial interrogation, i.e. when the call is first received.

The following actions are available:

Action Required
Parameters
Optional
Parameters
FCI/SCI? Description
continue_free - - Yes Allow the call to continue unmonitored on the network with no further rating interaction.
continue_period seconds Yes Allow the call to continue monitored on the network for a limited time with no further rating interaction.
release - cause No Release the call immediately with the given cause.
connect divert_to - Yes Terminate the call to the provided divert_to with no further rating interaction.
announcement_release announcement_id
srp_name
announcement_source
srp_source
cause
No Play announcement ID announcement_id on the resource srp_name (as configured under SRP Endpoints) and then apply handling as for release.
announcement_connect announcement_id
srp_name
divert_to
announcement_source
srp_source
Yes Play announcement ID announcement_id on the resource srp_name (as configured under SRP Endpoints) and then apply handling as for connect.
abort - - No Send a TC_ABORT to end the call immediately.