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Diameter Charging and Billing Training – A 3-day Training Course by 3GPP/IMS, Charging, Policy and Diameter Protocol Experts

Diameter Charging and Billing Training covers all aspects of using Diameter protocol and architecture to support 3GPP/IMS on-line and off-line charging and policy.

The Diameter protocol was initiated and developed by the IETF  as a AAA (Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting) framework to support applications such as remote network access, basic accounting and IP mobility.
The idea for Diameter protocol was an AAA upgrade path for RADIUS even though they were not directly backwards compatible.

Diameter was later adapted in 3GPP/IMS/LTE as the primary signaling protocol for AAA and mobility management to support real-time multimedia services in IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS). The Diameter Dx interface was introduced to be used between CSCF and HSS. The Diameter Sh interface was used by the Application Servers (AS)/OSA/Parlay Gateway.

IMS charging was implemented using the Ro and Rf interfaces supporting both on-line charging and off-line collection and forwarding of Call Detail Records (CDR) using Diameter protocol interfaces.

The Diameter protocol introduced several advantages over previous AAA/RADIUS offering improvements in the areas of reliability, security, scalability, and flexibility.

Target Audience

Anyone who need a more in-depth understanding of Diameter protocol, and its role in charging and billing in 3GPP/IMS/LTE networks.

Prerequisites

None

Hands-on Diameter training with real-life Diameter traces using Wireshark.

Learn about all aspects of Diameter Protocol including:

  • Diameter Introduction
  • Diameter Protocol Fundamentals
  • Diameter Base Protocol, RFC 6733
  • Diameter Architecture
  • Diameter Clients, Servers and Agents
  • Diameter Application
  • Diameter Transport
  • Diameter Transport Layer: TLS/TCP and DTLS/SCTP
  • Diameter Peers
  • Security considerations
  • Diameter Agents
  • Relay, Redirect, Proxy and Translation Agent
  • Diameter Sessions
  • Diameter Commands and Message Formats
  • Attribute Value Pairs (AVPs)
  • Role of Diameter in 3GPP Networks
  • 3GPP Diameter Interfaces in 3GPP/IMS/EPS
  • Charging and Policy Management in 3GPP
  • Gx, and Gy Interfaces
  • 3GPP Charging Applications Requirements
  • Diameter charging and billing services
  • Diameter Routing Agent (DRA)
  • Diameter Edge Agent (DEA)
  • Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF)
  • Role of PCRF, PCEF, TDF, AF, OCS and SPR
  • Rf and the Ro are reference points
  • Charging Trigger Function (CTF)
  • Charging Data Function (CDF)
  • Online Charging Function (OCF)
  • Offline Charging System (OFCS)
  • Introduction to Gx Interface
  • Offline Charging Function
  • Offline Charging Architecture
  • Offline Charging Scenarios
  • Diameter message contents
  • Online Charging Message Formats
  • Credit Control Message Formats

 Diameter Charging and Billing Training Course Content:

Diameter 101

  • Overview of Authentication, Authorization and Accounting (AAA)
  • Overview of Remote Authentication Dial In User Service (RADIUS)
  • RADUIS Protocol Evolution with Diameter
  • Diameter Protocol Stack
  • Diameter Architecture
  • Diameter Base Protocol
  • Diameter Transport: TCP, SCTP and TLS
  • Diameter Agents
  • Relay, Redirect, Proxy and Translation Agent
  • Diameter Base Protocol Message
  • Diameter Accounting Protocol
  • Diameter Header
  • Diameter Command Codes
  • Attribute Value Pairs (AVP)
  • Diameter Operations
  • Diameter routing principles
  • Diameter Routing Agent (DRA)
  • Diameter Edge Agent (DEA)

3GPP/LTE/EPS/IMS Network Architecture

  • Architecture Foundation
  • 3GPP/LTE/EPC and IMS Charging
  • Charging Management Architecture
  • Diameter Protocol in 3GPP/LTE/EPS/IMS Network Architecture
  • Diameter Charging Interfaces
  • Diameter Use Cases
  • Diameter in the Charging Architecture
  • Online-, Offline-, and Flow based Charging
  • Policy and Charging Control (PCC)
  • Policy and Charging Control Architecture
  • Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF)
  • Subscriber Profile Repository (SPR)
  • Application Function (AF)
  • Policy and Charging Enforcement Function (PCEF)
  • Gx, Rx and Sp interfaces
  • Policy Control
  • Charging Control
  • Online Charging systems (OCS)
  • Offline Charging systems (OFCS)
  • Gz and Gy interfaces
  • Role ofTDF, AF, OCS and SPR

Diameter Charging Architecture and Element

  • Charging management in 3GPP
  • Diameter charging applications
  • Policy and charging control
  • Gx reference point
  • Online charging reference point Gy
  • Offline charging reference point Gz
  • Diameter Charging Applications
  • Logical Online and Offline Charging Architecture
  • Charging Trigger Function (CTF)
  • Charging Gateway Function (CGF)
  • Charging Data Function (CDF)
  • Online Charging Function (OCF)
  • Offline Charging Scenarios
  • Event based charging
  • Session based charging
  • Online Charging scenarios
  • Charging Scenarios
  • Immediate Event Charging

3GPP/LTE/EPS Domain Offline and Online Charging Functions

  • Architecture considerations
  • High level EPS architecture charging using Diameter
  • Example of charging for video streaming applications
  • Content-Based Charging and Accounting
  • Billing System Integration serving elements, charging control, and business support systems (BSS)
  • CDR Database
  • Real-time Data Charging Gateway
  • Real-time charging of all types of data and messaging services
  • Per-session or per-call subscriber authorization and charging
  • Volume-based or time-based charging
  • Billing using the operator’s main billing system

Basic Principles for Diameter Offline and Online Charging

  • Offline charging for both events and sessions between CTF and the CDF
  • Rf reference point
  • Event based Charging
  • Session based Charging
  • Online Charging scenarios
  • Immediate Event Charging
  • Decentralized Unit Determination and Centralized Rating
  • Centralized Unit Determination and Centralized Rating
  • Decentralized Unit Determination and Decentralized Rating
  • Event charging with Reservation
  • Decentralized Unit Determination and Centralized Rating
  • Centralized Unit Determination and Centralized Rating
  • Decentralized Unit Determination and Decentralized Rating
  • Session charging with Reservation
  • Decentralized Unit Determination and Centralized Rating
  • Centralized Unit Determination and Centralized Rating
  • Decentralized Unit Determination and Decentralized Rating

Diameter Charging Message Formats

  • Message Contents for Offline Charging
  • Accounting-Answer Message
  • Event Charging with Unit Reservation (ECUR)
  • Support of Tariff Changes during an Active User Session
  • Online Charging Message Formats
  • Structure for the Credit Control Message Formats
  • Credit-Control-Request Message
  • Credit-Control-Answer Message
  • Re-Auth-Request Message
  • Re-Auth-Answer Message
  • Capabilities-Exchange-Request Message
  • Capabilities-Exchange-Answer Message
  • Device-Watchdog-Request Message
  • Device-Watchdog-Answer Message
  • Disconnect-Peer-Request Message
  • Disconnect-Peer-Answer Message
  • Abort-Session-Request Message
  • Abort-Session -Answer Message

Other 3GPP Procedural Charging Applications 

  • Re-authorization
  • Threshold based re-authorization triggers
  • Termination action
  • Quota consumption time
  • Service Termination
  • Envelope reporting
  • Combinational quota
  • Online control of offline charging information
  • Bindings of the operation to protocol application
  • Summary of used Attribute Value Pairs
  • Diameter AVPs
  • 3GPP specific AVPs

Gx interface: PCRF and PCEF

  • Basic principles
  • Policy Charging and Control (PCC) architecture
  • Charging scenarios
  • OFCS (Offline Charging System)
  • OCS (Online Charging System)
  • Policy and Charging Enforcement Function (PCEF
  • provisioning and removal of Policy and Charging Control (PCC) Rules
  • PCRF to the PCEF charging and policy control
  • Policy and Charging Control Rule Definition
  • Purpose of the PCC rule is to:
  • PCC rules
  • Service identifier
  • Service data flow filter(s)
  • QoS parameters
  • QoS Class Identifier (QCI)
  • Charging key (i.e. rating group)
  • Operations on Policy and Charging Control (PCC) rules
  • Dynamic PCC rules

Gy Reference Point

  • Basic principles
  • Online Charging System (OCS)
  • Charging scenarios
  • Immediate Event Charging (IEC)
  • Event Charging with Unit Reservation (ECUR)
  • Session Charging with Unit Reservation (SCUR)

Gy Interface Details

  • Diameter Session Commands
  • Diameter Credit-Control Request Messages
  • Gy Session Charging (IUT) Request AVPs
  • Gy Session Charging (IUT) Response AVPs
  • Gy Top-Up Request AVPs
  • Gy Top-Up Response AVPs
  • Gy Balance Query Request AVPs
  • Gy Balance Query Response AVPs
  • Gy Debit/Refund Request AVPs
  • Gy Debit/Refund Response AVPs
  • Gy Price Enquiry Request AVPs
  • Gy Price Enquiry Response AVPs
  • Diameter Session Reauthorization Commands
  • Diameter Session Termination Commands
  • Gy Quota Model
  • Time—CC-Time
  • Events—CC-Service-Specific
  • Total volume—CC-Total-Octets
  • Upstream volume—CC-Input-Octets
  • Downstream volume—CC-Output-Octets
  • Upstream_Downstream—CC-Input-Octets
  • Time-Based Quota (Consumption Time)
  • Timers
  • Quota Request
  • Quota Threshold and Breach
  • Tariff Time Change
  • Gy Quota Threshold Call Flow
    Diameter Gy Section Compliance

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