Managing Node Chains

Deleting Nodes from a Node Manager

To delete a node:

Access the page for the appropriate Node Manager. See "Viewing a Node Manager".
Navigate to the Node Manager that you want to delete nodes from.
On the node that you want to delete, click the menu icon:
From the list, click Delete.

The Delete Node dialog box appears.
Click Remove.

Exporting Node Chains

To export a node chain configuration:

Access the page for the appropriate Node Manager. See "Viewing a Node Manager".
Select the node chain that you want to export.
From the Actions menu, select Export Node Chain.
If successful, the Export Complete message appears at the top of the page.
Click the Download node manager exportZipfilename link.

The file is downloaded to a local directory.

The downloaded file includes an XML file containing the node chain’s configuration details and an NMX file containing the node chain’s customization details.

Importing Node Chains

To import a node chain:

Access the page for the appropriate Node Manager. See "Viewing a Node Manager".
From the Actions menu, select Import Node Chain.

The Import configuration dialog box appears.
Select one or both of the following:
- Import customization to import the node chain customization details.
- Import configuration to import the node chain configuration details.
A Drag and Drop area appears for each selection.
Drag and drop your NMX customization and XML configuration files into the Drag and Drop areas.
Click Upload file.

The Map node managers area appears.
To restart the Administration Server after the import completes, select Restart Administration Server.
To generate new node IDs for each node in the chain, select Generate new IDS for Nodes.
Click Import.

About Testing Node Chains

Using the Test Node Chain page, you can simulate the flow of data through a node chain to ensure that each node processes data as expected. This allows for thorough validation of your mediation logic. You can test an entire node chain, or isolate individual cartridges by disconnecting them from other nodes in the Node Manager for focused debugging. This helps confirm that each component is working correctly in isolation and as part of the larger system.

About the Test Node Chain Page

The Test Node Chain page offers a comprehensive interface for validating and debugging node chains. Following are the key elements and functions of the Test Node Chain page:

Node chain diagram: A diagram showing the nodes in the chain. The node chain diagram updates in real-time during testing.
Input Tab: Displayed only if an input file is loaded. This tab shows the details of the test file, allowing you to review the data being used for testing, and includes a "Records" section displaying the contents of the file.

Note:

The Input tab is not displayed if a node does not require any input data, or if the input data is in binary format.
Rules Tab: Allows users to define or modify the Node Processing Language (NPL) of a node before starting a test. It provides a text editor where you can view and modify the NPL of a node. These rules define how the data is transformed and processed by the node chain.

Note:

You cannot edit the rules of a node while a test is running.
Output Tab: Displays processed results after the test is executed. This tab will show the output or processed data after the test has been run. This data can then be compared against expected values to ensure that the mediation logic is functioning correctly. The output can be in text, binary or Network Accounting Record (NAR) format. If it is NAR, users can filter the leaf data for more focused analysis.

Note:

The Output tab only displays the output of nodes that are configured to produce it. It is also not displayed if the output is in binary. For the Output tab to show the processed information, you must select the relevant Output node after the records are processed.
Activity Tab: Becomes active during testing, providing real-time updates and logs.

Testing a Node Chain

Note:

Before testing a node chain, you must have the required input and lookup files ready. Additionally, you should also ensure that the necessary directories for input and output data are properly configured within your environment to avoid any runtime exceptions.

To test a node chain:

Access the page for the appropriate Node Manager. See "Viewing a Node Manager".
On the specific node that you want to start the test from, click the menu icon:
From the list, click Test Node Chain Starting Here.

The Load test input dialog box appears.

Note:

Some nodes do not require input data to be loaded. For these nodes, the Load Input dialog box will not appear, and you can proceed directly to the Test Node Chain page.
Drag and drop a file containing a few call detail records (CDRs) to the Drag and Drop area.
Click Load Input.

The sample file is loaded, and the Test Node Chain window appears below the node chain diagram.
Click the Run Test icon above the node chain diagram to start the test:

Note:

To edit a node chain or access certain features like Import Node Configuration you must stop the test using the Stop Test button at the top of the node chain diagram. Leaving the page while a test is running will prevent editing and access to these features.

Setting the Node Chain Diagram Properties

You can customize how you view the node chain diagram by editing the node chain diagram properties.

To edit the node chain diagram properties:

From the Node Managers page, click the Edit Diagram Properties icon:
The Node chain diagram properties dialog box appears.
From the Route Style list, select Curved, Orthogonal, Straight, or Smooth Curved.
Select Display tooltip when hovering over links to see a description of the route from one node to another.
Select Snap to grid when moving nodes to align nodes neatly on the page.
Select Highlight node and links when hovering over links to emphasize the nodes connected by the link.
Click Save after making your changes.

For more information, see “Node Chain Diagram Properties Dialog Box”.

Node Chain Page Reference

View detailed descriptions about the fields and options in the following dialog boxes:

Node Chain Diagram Properties Dialog Box

Use the Node Chain Diagram Properties dialog box to configure a node chain.

Table 4-1 describes the fields in the Node Chain Diagram Properties dialog box.

Table 4-1 Node Chain Diagram Properties Dialog Box

Fields	Description
Route Style	Contains a list of options for viewing the node route: Curved Orthogonal Straight Smooth Curved
Display tooltip when hovering over links	This option lets you display the names of the connected nodes when hovering over a node route.
Snap to grid when moving nodes	This option lets you snap a node to a grid when moving it from one place to another.
Highlight node and links when hovering over links	This option lets you highlight the connected nodes and its link when hovering over a node route.

Load Test Input Dialog Box

Use the Load Test Input dialog box to import the file containing call data records to test a node chain.

Table 4-2 describes the fields in the Load Test Input dialog box.

Table 4-2 Load Test Input Dialog Box

Fields	Description
Drag and Drop	Click the area to browse to the file containing call data records. Alternatively, drag and drop the file to the Drag and Drop area.
Load Input	Click to load the file containing CDRs that can be used to test a node chain.

Import Node Chain Dialog Box

Use the Import Configuration dialog box to import the configuration of one or more node chains.

Table 4-3 describes the fields in the Import Node Chain dialog box.

Table 4-3 Import Node Chain Dialog Box

Fields	Description
Import customization	Select to import an NMX file containing node chain customization details. After you select the check box, a Drag and Drop area appears.
Import configuration	Select to import an XML file containing node chain configuration details. After you select the check box, a Drag and Drop area appears.
Drag and Drop	Click the area to browse to the file to import. Alternatively, drag and drop the file to the Drag and Drop area.
Upload file	Click to upload the file to Offline Mediation Designer.
Import	Click to import the file into your Node Manager.

4 Managing Node Chains