Figure 5-1 shows an example of how Suspense Manager can fit into your BRM system to manipulate individual failed CDRs, on groups of CDRs at once.

In the example above, CDRs first enter Suspense Manager through a preprocessing pipeline. The preprocessing pipeline converts these records to the format used by Suspense Manager. These records go through the preprocessing pipeline only once, and only a few modules are needed for it.

This example shows EDRs next going through a normal rating pipeline. Most pipeline function modules are included here. CDR "success" and "failure" policies are configured in this pipeline. If records "fail" in this pipeline, they are directed to the appropriate event loader to be loaded into the database.

The SE Loader converts the failed calls to objects in the BRM database.

Then, you manipulate these records by using the Suspense Management Center application. This application allows you to search for, edit, undo edits, test recycle, recycle, write off, or delete suspended CDRs or CDR files.

In this example, suspended records that get recycled are processed by the pre-recycle pipeline before they go through the rating pipeline again. Before recycling these records, you would probably make changes to the rating pipeline or edit them so they are successfully rated when they go through the pipeline again. The pre-recycle pipeline converts the suspended record objects back into files that the pipeline can process, and routes the suspended records back through their original pipeline for recycling.

Figure 5-2 shows an example of how Suspense Manager can fit into your BRM system to manipulate files containing multiple CDRs.

This example shows a CDR file entering through a mediation system. The CDR file is first placed in the pipeline's input directory and then processed by the pipeline. The pipeline contains "success" and "failure" policies based on file-level or record-level validation. If the CDR file fails pipeline processing, it is directed to the pipeline's error directory, and a batch_suspense_create file is created. SB Loader uses the information in this file to create an object, which is stored in the BRM database.

You use the Suspense Management Center GUI to manipulate suspended CDR files by acting on the suspended CDR file objects. Using Suspense Management Center, you can resubmit CDR files through the pipeline, purge them, write them off, or view their audit histories.

If the problem with the CDR file is a bad pipeline policy or configuration, you can correct the pipeline and resubmit the CDR file for another attempt at processing.

You have several options if the problem is with the CDR file itself. You can force the pipeline to ignore certain errors and process the CDR file, or you can give up on the CDR file and purge it from the database. The list of pipeline errors to ignore is configurable and must be set up beforehand. You cannot edit CDR files using Suspense Management Center.

As Suspense Manager processes suspended records, they are assigned one of the following states:

• Suspended: Pipeline Manager could not process the call record, so it has been stored in the BRM database as a suspended call record.

• Recycling: The call record is being sent through the rating pipeline again to be rated.

• Succeeded: The call record has been successfully recycled and rated.

• Written off: The call will not be recycled but will be stored for further use.

Table 5-1 lists the details about the states.

The Suspended Event (SE) and Suspended Batch (SB) loaders load suspended records into the BRM database but operate on different types of records. The SE loader takes suspended (failed) CDRs as input and uses the pin_rel utility to load them into the BRM database as /suspended_usage objects. This utility is usually set up to run automatically, but you can run it manually as needed.

The SE loader is a special Rated Event Loader (RE Loader) configuration, which loads prerated wireless events into the BRM database as objects.

The SB loader does not load CDR files directly into the BRM database. Instead, it accepts information from the suspense_create_batch file created for each failed CDR file and creates /suspended_batch objects. The SB loader uses the load_suspended_batch_info.pl script to create the /suspended_batch objects. This script is usually set up to run automatically, but you can run it manually as needed.

Suspense Manager stores individual suspended CDRs in /suspended_usage objects and suspended CDR file records in /suspended_batch objects. During configuration, you create a subclass of these objects for each type of call record you receive.

Every action performed by Suspense Management Center is recorded in these /admin_action objects:

• /admin_action/suspended_usage/edit

• /admin_action/suspended_usage/recycle

• /admin_action/suspended_usage/writeoff

• /admin_action/suspended_batch

• /admin_action/suspended_batch/resubmit

• /admin_action/suspended_batch/writeoff

For example, when you edit multiple suspended call records at the same time, Suspense Manager records the edits in an /admin_action/suspended_usage/edit object. All of the individual suspended CDRs have /suspended_usage/type objects that reference the /admin_action/suspended_usage/edit object.

If you choose to override specific suspense reasons during recycling, the reasons available to override are stored in /config/suspense_override_reason objects.