Service Flow

Figure 2 Service flow of online charging

A DCC session is a session set up between the UGW9811 and OCS server using the Diameter
protocol. The service flow of online charging involves DCC session setup, update, and
termination.

Quota application and reporting occur during DCC sessions and are independent for each credit
instance. Quotas are classified as volume quotas, time quotas, or event quotas. A credit instance
supports one or more types of quotas.
When the UGW9811 requests a quota for a service, the UGW9811 carries the service's credit
instance identifier (RG, or RG+SID which provides more refined credit control) in the MSCC
AVP of a DCC message. All services classified into the credit instance share this quota.

1. DCC session setup

a. During GTP session activation, the UGW9811 determines to perform online
charging based on the charging mode and selects an OCS server based on the
OCS server selection mode to start the setup of an online charging DCC session.
b. The UGW9811 can set up a DCC session during a subscriber activation procedure
or when a PDP context/EPS bearer starts to access a service based on the ocs-init
command settings. If the UGW9811 sets up a DCC session during a subscriber
activation procedure, the UGW9811 determines whether to wait for a CCA-I
message from the OCS server before the UGW9811 sends an activation response
to the SGSN/S-GW based on the ocs-init command settings. For details about the
configurations, see configure the UGW9811 to send a CCR-I message to the OCS
server when a PDP context/EPS bearer is being activated.

NOTE:

For PDP contexts/EPS bearers that are always online but have no traffic or only a
small amount of traffic, DCC session setup during context activation may result in
a situation in which quotas are preempted but not used, causing quota wastes. To
avoid this situation, configure the UGW9811 to set up DCC sessions only when
such PDP contexts/EPS bearers start accessing services.

If the UGW9811 sets up a DCC session during a subscriber activation procedure,

the UGW9811 can carry the service RG of quotas that need to be applied for in a
CCR-I message based on the ctx-start-requested-rating and ccr-init-rg-num
command settings.

NOTE:

If the UGW9811 applies for quotas when the subscribers request access to
services, there may be a delay before the subscribers can use services. To
eliminate this delay, the UGW9811 applies for quotas during a subscriber
activation procedure, which improves user experience and reduces signaling
exchanges between the UGW9811 and OCS server.

c. The UGW9811 initiates a DCC session setup request by sending a CCR-I

message to the OCS server. The OCS server accepts the DCC session setup
request and returns a CCA-I message.

NOTE:
 The OCS server can provide unsolicited quotas in CCA-I/CCA-U messages even
if the UGW9811 does not apply for credit instances' quotas in CCR-I messages.

This function applies when the OCS server is aware of subscribers' service
behavior. If the UGW9811 requests quotas for subscribers when the subscribers
access services, there may be a delay before the subscribers can use services. The
unsolicited quota function eliminates this delay, which improves user experience
and reduces the signaling exchange between the OCS server and UGW9811.

However, if a large number of unsolicited quotas are provided, there may be too
many preempted quotas in subscribers' accounts and available quotas are reduced.

2. After a DCC session is set up, the UGW9811 implements credit control on all services
during this session. When the PDP context/EPS bearer is deactivated, the UGW9811 or
OCS server terminates this session.
3. DCC session update

Either the UGW9811 or OCS server can initiate a DCC session update.

a. The UGW9811 initiates a DCC session update by sending a CCR-U message to

the OCS server. DCC session updates can be triggered by the creation,
modification, and termination of credit instances (a credit instance can be
identified by an RG or an RG+SID).

NOTE:

The UGW9811 sends a CCR-U message to the OCS server to update credit
instances in any of the following conditions:

 The change of the SGSN/S-GW address, radio access technology (RAT),

quality of service (QoS), or user location information (ULI) (including a
subscriber's MCC or MNC change), or a UE's time zone causes a PDP
context/EPS bearer update.

Whether a condition triggers a CCR-U message is controlled by a trigger.

The trigger can be specified by the OCS server or configured on the
UGW9811. The trigger specified by the OCS server has a higher priority.

The OCS server carries the trigger that triggers a CCR message for a PDP
context/EPS bearer update in a CCA message. For details about how to
configure these conditions on the UGW9811, see configure the UGW9811
to send a CCR message to the OCS server if an update procedure is
initiated.

 A new service triggers a credit instance update.

 A new service represents a new credit instance. Whether a new service
triggers a CCR-U message is controlled by a trigger. The trigger can be
specified by the OCS server or configured on the UGW9811. The trigger
specified by the OCS server has a higher priority.

The OCS server carries the trigger that triggers a CCR message for a new
service in a CCA message. For details about how to configure these
conditions on the UGW9811, see configure the UGW9811 to send a CCR
message to the OCS server when a subscriber attempts to access a new
service.

 The quota is exhausted, or the quota usage reaches the time quota
threshold (TQT), volume quota threshold (VQT), or unit quota threshold
(UQT).

To ensure service continuity, the OCS server delivers a quota threshold

(TQT, VQT, or UQT) when the OCS server delivers quotas to a subscriber.
If the unused quota of the subscriber is smaller than the quota threshold,
the subscriber's quota reapplication is triggered. During quota
reapplication, the subscriber can continue using the quota specified by the
TQT, VQT, or UQT.

The quota threshold can be specified by the OCS server or configured on

the UGW9811. The quota threshold specified by the OCS server has a
higher priority.

The OCS server carries the quota threshold in a CCA message. For details
about how to configure the quota threshold on the UGW9811, see
configure the quota threshold.

 The user- or service-level quota validity time has expired.

The quota validity time can be specified by the OCS server or configured
on the UGW9811. The quota validity time specified by the OCS server
has a higher priority.

The OCS server carries the quota validity time in a CCA message. For
details about how to configure the quota validity time on the UGW9811,
see configure the quota validity time.

 The quota holding time (QHT) has expired.

If a subscriber does not access services for a long period of time and the
duration in which no packets are forwarded exceeds the QHT, the
UGW9811 sends a CCR-U message to reapply for quotas. This can
 prevent the situation in which idle services preempt quotas and as a result
no quotas are available for other services.

The QHT can be specified by the OCS server or configured on the

UGW9811. The QHT specified by the OCS server has a higher priority.
The OCS server carries the QHT in a CCA message. For details about how
to configure the QHT on the UGW9811, see configure the QHT.

b. The OCS server initiates a DCC session update by sending an RAR message to
the UGW9811. This RAR message requests reauthorization of the ongoing DCC
session or a specific credit instance in the DCC session. The UGW9811 sends an
RAA message and then a CCR-U message to the OCS server. The CCR-U
message carries quota requests for one or all credit instances in the DCC session,
depending on the reauthorization target in the RAR message.
4. DCC session termination

Either the UGW9811 or OCS server can terminate a DCC session. When a DCC session
is terminated, a credit instance completes the last reporting and is terminated.

a. During a deactivation procedure, the UGW9811 initiates the termination of an

ongoing DCC session by sending a CCR-T message to the OCS server. The OCS
server returns a CCA-T message and terminates the DCC session.
b. The OCS server can initiate DCC session termination in synchronous or
asynchronous mode.
 Asynchronous mode: The OCS server initiates the termination of an
ongoing DCC session by sending an Abort-Session-Request (ASR)
message to the UGW9811. The UGW9811 returns an Abort-Session-
Answer (ASA) message to the OCS server to deactivate the PDP
context/EPS bearer. After the deactivation procedure is completed, the
UGW9811 sends a CCR-T message to the OCS server and terminates the
DCC session.
 Synchronous mode: Upon receiving a CCR message from the UGW9811,
the OCS server returns a CCA message to the UGW9811. The CCA
message carries an abnormal result code indicating a session error. This
result code notifies the UGW9811 that the ongoing DCC session needs to
be terminated. The UGW9811 performs the locally configured action on
the abnormal result code (sending or without sending a CCR-T message to
the OCS server) to terminate the DCC session and deactivates the PDP
context/EPS bearer. The UGW9811 determines whether to send a CCR-T
message to terminate the DCC session based on the command-result-
code-action command settings. For details about the related
configurations, see set the action for an abnormal command-level result
code.