CCN for Dummies

-Ashish Kalgaonkar

What is CCN?
Charging Control Node
As the name suggests CCN is a charging application
on top of a TSP node.
It is one of the nodes in the ecosystem of the
Charging System CS network currently CS 4.0.
Used primarily to facilitate real time charging of prepaid accounts.
Now I have used the word facilitate i.e CCN itself
does not maintain user accounts nor does it perform
real time charging. That is done by the SDP (Service
Data Point) . Which brings us to the question -

Why CCN?

A little background from the SS7 network

SDP and SCP form the core of the SS7 network.
As mentioned Service Data Point (SDP) is the core of the PrePaid Service (PPS) network and holds account data and rating
mechanisms.
For voice calls a Service Control Point (SCP) with PPS-IN
scripts is used in front of SDP. SCP handles the call control and
interrogates the SDP to check the account level to see if the call
is allowed to start.
After call establishment, while services are being used, the SCP
interrogates the SDP to deduct money from the account and
again to check the account level to see if the call is allowed to
proceed (real time charging).
SCP and SDP communicate according to the Charging
Interrogation Protocol (CIP) formerly referred to as INAP CS1+
(Intelligent Network Application Part Capability Set) published by
ITU-T.

Call Establishment
MSC-A starts call establishment, as a result of receiving a setup
message over the air interface from the A-party, and it invokes an
IN service in the SCP.
At service invocation and event notification, the MSC copies
information elements from the signaling message (i.e. the ISUP
message) to the IN control message (CAMEL or INAP). The SCP
decides how to control this call, based on the received
information.

Why CCN?
Before Charging Control Node (CCN) was introduced
into the Charging Network with PPS 3.6/Charging
System 1.6, Packet Switched GPRS calls were charged
via CDRs. This was referred to as near real-time
charging the CDRs were processed after the call, not
in real time but near real time.
The only traffic charged in real time was circuit switched
voice traffic and SMS (fixed cost per SMS).

Before CCN
Slide title
40 pt

Top right
corner for
field-mark,
customer or
partner logotypes.
See Best practice
for example.

Charging Network before CCN

Slide subtitle
24 pt
Business Support

Text
24 pt
Bullets level 2-5
20 pt

USSD Gw

Multi
Mediation
(BGw)
SMS-C

Financial Network

PPAS
(HVR)

IVR

Before CCN we had

dynamic charging of CS
traffic only (Voice and
SMS).
Protocol - INAP CS1+
now referred to as CIP.

SDP
INAP/CIP

SCP

Packet switched calls

charged via CDRs.

INAP/CIP
SOG/
PPAS

HLR

1/038 13 LZU 108 6321 Rev E

SSF/gsmSSF SRF/gsmSRF

gprsSSF

MSC/VLR

SGSN
1-8

After CCN
Slide title
40 pt

Top right
corner for
field-mark,
customer or
partner logotypes.
See Best practice
for example.

Charging Network after CCN

Slide subtitle
24 pt

With CCN Business

we
Support
introduced dynamic
charging protocols for
GPRS, SMS, Content
PPAS
(HVR)
and EventUSSD
charging.
Gw

Text
24 pt
Bullets level 2-5
20 pt

Multi
Mediation
(BGw)
CCN functioned
as a

relay for GPRS, SMS,

Content SMS-C
and Event
charging towards the
SDP.

SOG/
PPAS

HLR

1/038 13 LZU 108 6321 Rev E

SDP

Financial Network

Service
Network

IVR

CS1+

CCN

On-line
Parlay
Gw
Diameter

SCS
MMS
...

SCP

CAP 3

CAP 3

SSF/gsmSSF SRF/gsmSRF

gprsSSF

MSC/VLR

SGSN
1-9

Diameter

GGSN

Why CCN

CCN enables Realtime Charging of Packet Switched Data (GPRS)

and Short Message Service (SMS) using CAPv3.
For GPRS and SMS, CAPv3 messages are relayed into CIP
messages.
Realtime Charging of Content & Services is provided using
Diameter Service Charging Application Protocol (SCAP) messages
relayed into CIP messages.
The relay function consists of:
- checking barring lists
- normalizing numbers
- mapping and converting parameters
- and finding the right SDP to forward the message.
CCN is also required for Flexible Bearer Charging (FBC).
Online charging of circuit switched calls and SMS is done using
Ericsson RTC Protocol (ERTC).

Integration of SCP and CCN

The removal of the SCP and the use of CCN as a relay is an integral part of the move towards converged charging (Voice &
Data).

Slide title
40 pt

Top right
corner for
field-mark,
customer or
partner logotypes.
See Best practice
for example.

Charging Network at CS 3.0 CP5

Slide subtitle
24 pt

USSD Gw

Text
24 pt
Bullets level 2-5
20 pt

Multi
Mediation
(BGw)

IVR

PPAS
(HVR)

SDP
Service
Network

CIP

MAP

On-line
Gw

CCN

Parlay

Diameter
CS1+/CAP

SMS-C

PSL

INS

RTC

CAP
v1 - 3

CAP v3

gsmSSF

gprsSSF

Diameter

CS1+/
CAP

HLR

1/038 13 LZU 108 6321 Rev E

MSC/VLR

1-10

SGSN

GGSN

So What is CCN?
CCN is a charging application based on the Ericsson
Telecom Server Platform (TSP) implemented on Dicos
operating system.
Its main function is to relay charging messages to the
SDP (Remember SDP can only talk CIP i.e INAP CS1+)
However for packet switched and other services the
different nodes in the charging ecosystem can talk various
kinds of protocols
Diameter, RTC, CAPv1, CAPv2, CAPv3, SCAP etc.
The different protocols terminate at the CCN and CCN
acts as a protocol converter and packet forwarder.
Besides this, CCN also offers other important services.
(See slide on CCN Functions and Services)

CCN Traffic Interface Protocols

SDP

CIP

MSC
(GSM)

CAPv1-v3/CS1+
ERTC

SGSN

CAPv3

FNR
HLR

MAPv3
MAPv3

DNS

V
I
P
CCN

R
O
U
T
E
R

CDR/FTP

Account
Finder
MultiMediation

Diameter SRAP

GGSN

Diameter SCAP

Content
Service
Provider

CCN Traffic Interface Protocols

CAPv3 protocol for Online Charging of GPRS Service and SMS

service
MAP protocol for FNR (Flexible Numbering Register) and HLR
(Home Location Register).
ERTC protocol for MSC.
A VIP based Diameter/SRAP interface for communication with users
of the Flexible Bearer Charging Service, e.g. GGSN.
A VIP based Diameter/SCAP interface for communication with users
of the Online Charging of Content Service and Online Charging of
Event Service, for example GGSN, MMS.
A VIP based DNS interface for interrogations towards the Account
Finder.
An FTP based CDR interface for sending CDRs to Ericsson Multi
Mediation node.

CCN Protocols & Services

Relay On-line Charging of Voice
Cap v1/SS7
Relay On-line Charging of Voice
Cap v2/SS7
Relay On-line Charging of SMS
CS1+/SS7
Relay On-line Charging of GPRS
Relay On-line Charging of SMS
Cap v3/SS7
Relay of Service Based Charging
Control
RTC/SS7
Policy and Rating Server
Diameter SRAP/IP
Online Charging of Content
Online Charging of Event
Diameter SCAP/IP
DCC SCAPv2
Diameter DCC/IP

CCN

DCC SCAPv2
Relay On-line Charging of Voice
Relay On-line Charging of SMS
Relay of Service Based Charging
Control
MAP
MAPv3/SS7
DCC SCAPv2
Relay On-line Charging of Voice
Relay of Service Based Charging
Control
MAPv3/SS7

Relay On-line Charging of GPRS

Relay On-line Charging of SMS
Relay of Service Based Charging
Control
Online Charging of Content
Online Charging of Event
Relay On-line Charging of Voice
CIP/SS7
DCC SCAPv2
CIP/IP
Protocol = red
Service = blue

FNR
HLR
SDP

CCN Functions & Services

Besides acting as a protocol converter and packet
forwarder CCN offers the following services

Number Normalization
White/Black Number Lists (checking barring lists)
Parameter Conversion (e.g. CAPv3 to INAP)
SDP Routing (finding the right SDP to forward the message)
Location Lookup
Mobile Number Portability
Rating
CDR Generation
Call Control

O&M interface protocols

PC or Unix
Client

SSH

XML/FTP

V
I
P
CCN

R
O
U
T
E
R

SNMP
CORBA
CORBA
HTTP

Performance
Management
OSS

LDAP

Node
Management
Toolbox

LDAP
HTTP

RMA

LDAP

EMA

O&M interface protocols

A VIP based XML/FTP interface for retrieval of
performance data.
A VIP based SNMP interface for communication with
GSM OSS.
An IP based SSH interface for O&M

O&M functions of CCN

Configuration Management
Fault Management
Tracing
Performance Management
Logging
Audit logging
System Logging
Rating Management
Subscriber Provisioning

Charging System Architecture

GSM/WCDMA Core Network
MSC

0..n

INS

gsmSCF
SCF

SCP-T

VPN

CS1+,
SMAS
CAP v1-2
ERTC
CAPv3-4 CS SMS

CS1+
LDAP
(Community)

NQ

DCC

gprsSSF

SBCC
SASN

CCN

IMS-AS

S-CSCF

Content
Delivery
Support
Function

Service Control & Execution

Common Service Enablers

Service Network

DR

SDP

HTTP
(TCP/IP)

Charging
Mgmt

MML
(lifecycle
notifications)

CAI
(FaF
adm)
MML
(barring)

Ericsson Multi Mediation

Online R
Mediation

0..n

File & Event Mediation

(On-line Gateway)
DR/CDR

Same bundle
NQ

Parlay (Corba),
DCC + other
0..n

FNR

Integrated in MINSAT
for smaller systems

Ericsson Rating Engine

Open Interface

EMAPv1&2

DR to/from ADM

Account Finder Query

DWS/ABM

NQ

Number Query to FNR

Charging System
Nodes

DR

New Charging
System Nodes

EMAP
v1&v2
1..n

MML

DR/CDR

0..n

Ericsson
Multi
Activation

DR

Account
Finder

Recovery and
Synchronization (ftp)
CAI
(barring)

Batch jobs
(ftp)

0..n

0..n

0..n

VSIP

UCIP

DNS
update
from ADM

SCAP (TCP/IP)
Diameter Base

Service
Provider
Support
Function

gsmSCF
SCF

UGW

RP
C
LDAP towards
ext. system

NQ

http (TCP/IP)

MRFC

AIR

LDAP
DCC (TCP/IP)

EIT

1..n

SMPP
(EoC)

0..n

CIP
CS1+
CIP-IP

Batch jobs (ftp)

Charging
System
4

XML/http

(Community)

IMS Core

Voucher
Server
(VS)

XML/http

0..n

SRAP(TCP/IP)
DCC

0..n

XML/http

RP
C

Thresh. Batch
Notif. jobs
(ftp)
(ftp)

1..n

CAPv3-4
(PS SMS, GPRS)

ADM
DR

XML/http

CS1+

Same platform (FDS/Sun)

Co-locatable

Batch jobs
(ftp)

POSI, PAMI
(if ASCS)

CMS

PPS-IN

0..1

CC API (CAI)
(if MINSAT)

0..n

MML

SGSN

GGSN

IN-IVR

gsmSCF
SCF

0..n

0..n

NQ

0..n

gsmSSF
gsmSRF
SSF
SRF

HP IVR

CAI (if MINSAT)

PAMI (if ASCS)

CS1+,
CAP
v1-v2

1..n

DNS update to
Account Finder

0..n

ISUP

HLR/HSS

Certified Nodes
Verified Nodes
Release Candidate

Terminology
Here is a list of all the acronyms that I came across for
the Charging System (CS) network while working on
CCN.
CCN Terminology