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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.
`srf_name`	String	[Required with `action` = `announcement_release` or `announcement_connect`] The SRF name (as configured in the `ScpApp`) to use to play an announcement to the caller, if appropriate to the `action`.
`srf_source`	String	The tag to use as the SRF 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, `srf_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` `srf_name`	`announcement_source` `srf_source` `cause`	No	Play announcement ID `announcement_id` on the resource `srf_name` (as configured under SRF Endpoints) and then apply handling as for `release`.
`announcement_connect`	`announcement_id` `srf_name` `divert_to`	`announcement_source` `srf_source`	Yes	Play announcement ID `announcement_id` on the resource `srf_name` (as configured under SRF Endpoints) and then apply handling as for `connect`.
`abort`	-	-	No	Send a `TC_ABORT` to end the call immediately.