This also is sent using the DIAMETER protocol to the function responsible for
creating the actual CDR for rating and billing presentment.
The SMSc (responsible for the delivery of Short Messaging Service) sends details
about the number of messages received or sent by any subscriber, again using the
DIAMETER protocol. Without this mechanism, each entity would be responsible for
sending a CDR containing very different information that would then have to be defined
and standardized based on each and every type of service.
What the IMS charging architecture brings to the table is a means of using the
DIAMETER protocol to communicate this data between all of the various network
entities without having to normalize the actual record itself at that entity. The CDR
then gets built within the core of the network, using data sent by each of the entities.
Any changes in rating or changes made to the service plans can be made easily without
having to make any changes at each of the network entities.
Charging information is not sent outside of a network domain, unless the operators
have a previous agreement to act as ???trusted??? domains and share subscriber and billing
data. However, there are provisions within the standards that do allow networks to
share certain billing data between each network.
The addresses listed in the CTF may be weighted or prioritized to allow for distributed
routing.
Pages:
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339
340