TACACS, PostgreSQL, PHP, Apache, Cisco NAS, ANSI C

1. The Billing & Accounting
System
ISP UkrNet
IT department
Roman Havrylyak

2. Agenda
•
•
•
•
History (“AS WAS”-model)
Transition state (“AS IS”-model)
Future (“TO BE”-model)
Questions

3. “AS WAS”
• Mediation layer (billing2hardware):
– AAA-server – TACACS+ with patch to support
PostgreSQL server
• Presentation layer (billing2user):
– Apache+PHP – for front-end (clients);
– Apache+PHP+Basic Authentication&Firewall – for
back-end (technical & customer care departments)
• Data & Logic layers:
– PostgreSQL + Stored Procedures (PL/pgSQL)

4. “AS IS” – HYBRID SCHEMA
• Old billing:
– AAA Radius Cistron 1.6.6
– PostgreSQL
– Apache + PHP
• New billing “Abslout”:
– AAA Radius Merit 3.6B
(with DoS patch)
– Oracle 8.1.7
– Oracle Application Server
+ mod_plsql
Both are working in parallel, resolving is done
by NAS using realm (<login>@<realm>)

5. “TO BE”
• Absolut v.2.0 – billing & accounting system,
ServoComp Ltd., Moscow, Russia
• Since 1993 year on ISP billing market
• More then 70 clients on CIS market (former
USSR)
• TCO for 2 years is ~50’000$ with:
–
–
start-point (10’000 Dial-Up, 200 LL)
end-point (50’000 Dial-Up, 1000 LL)

6. VoIP - operators
IP cloud
Clients:
- Leased Lines
- VPDN-clients
- Internet-roaming
PSTN
Dial-up users
VoIP
prepaid cards
Modem
Modem
External data
collectors
Telephone
VoIP Gateway
Router
NAS(Network Access Servers)
Value Added Services (VAS)
(FTP,NNTP,MAIL,HTTP.....)
RADIUS (AAA)
Authentication, Authorisation,
Accounting
CFLOWD
Radius
Aggregation
Collector
authorisation
Registrator
LDAP
server
Task manager
IDR
Bills export
Mail manager
Bills
B2C
Web interface for end-user,
Self-Care
ORACLE
DB Absolut
Billing Department
Oracle Web
Application server
Payments
Payments
import
Customer Care Department
Technical Department
B2P
Web interface for dealer
Cash
Monitoring, Analitics
(OLAP, DSS, CRM)
ABSOLUT
Real_time integration with
External Payment System

7. Absolut – Pros&Cons Analysis
• Pros
• Cons
–
–
–
–
–
–
Proven Solution
Worldwide-accepted
architecture (Oracle +
Sun Microsystems)
– Certified in Russia (soon
will be in Ukraine)
– Outsourced solution
Hidden costs
Long response time
Low ROI
Closed architecture (no
sources available)
– No support for cuttingedge or emerging
technologies (Web
Services, Wireless, PDA
clients)

8. Questions (part 1)
1.
What services does the billing system support (types of access,
email, hosting, leased lines, broadband, VoIP, etc.)
Describe the AAA (Authentication, Authorization,
Accounting) procedures.
2.
–
–
–
–
–
Are you using radius server? Which?
Which information do you collect (Start/Stop/Usage/Time)?
From where do you collect information - SNMP? Hosting? Mail?
Gateways? Any sniffing? Other collection sources?
Do you use external mediation?
Are there any differences regarding residential vs. business customers?

9. Questions (part 2)
3. Describe the Rating schemes you use.
Please address the following:
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Deal complexity.
Split billing?
Hierarchies?
By type of service - Dial-up, Hosting, ASP, Corporate.
Multi-currency?
Any real-time requirements?
Overall speed of system, Any bottlenecks? How solved?
3. How do you do Provisioning? Do you use LDAP?

10. Questions (part 3)
5. Describe the process of bill production.
Do you have one cycle a month for all
customers or more?
6. What A/R (Accounts Receivable) system are
you using and what G/L (General Ledger)
system are you using?
7. Do you have CSC (Customer Self Care)? Auto
registration?

11. Questions (part 4)
8. What interfaces between the billing system and
other systems exists?
9. Please describe the hardware and software
used for all billing system elements.
10. How is all the communication with the
customers being handled? In which system?