ABSTRACT: Issue 2 of GR-3011, Generic Requirements for the Real-Time Usage Data Delivery System (RUDDS), replaces Issue 1.

GR-3011 provides a preliminary set of proposed generic requirements for Real-time Usage Data Delivery System (RUDDS). Addressed within this GR are the core functionality and system interfaces of RUDDS.

The Automatic Message Accounting Teleprocessing System (AMATPS) was designed to be a not real-time usage data delivery system. AMATPS is the predominant usage data delivery system deployed by Local Exchange Carriers (LECs), with nearly all Generating Systems (i.e., systems that produce usage data, such as circuit switching systems and Service Control Points [SCPs]) deployed by LECs supporting it. The availability of usage data to downstream processes in this environment is typically on the order of several hours. AMATPS is defined in GR-385.

The Automatic Message Accounting Data Networking System (AMADNS) was designed as a near real-time usage data delivery system, to support the anticipated increase in usage data volumes and the special needs of multiple Applications Systems (i.e., systems [e.g., fraud detection] that receive and process usage data). This support is achieved through networking-based data transfer, specialized data processing, and centralized system management mechanisms. The availability of usage data in this environment is on the order of several minutes. AMADNS is defined in GR-1343. A real-time usage data delivery system would provide usage data to downstream systems within a few seconds of data generation.

The notion of real-time usage data delivery is far from new, having been increasingly discussed throughout the telecommunications industry in recent years. It enables the utilization of customer and carrier usage data as telecommunications service usage occurs, and for a wide spectrum of business applications.

Three types of applications that have been widely discussed as benefitting from a real-time usage data delivery capability (and therefore will be used to help define the requirements for this capability) are Interactive Billing, Fraud Detection, and Customer Account Access. A real-time usage data delivery system could be designed to support evolving business needs embodied in applications such as Interactive Billing, Fraud Detection and Customer Account Access. The Real-time Usage Data Delivery System (RUDDS) is intended to deliver usage data to Application Systems that require access to usage data as quickly as that usage data is generated. Not all applications require or benefit from the delivery of usage data in real-time, and no application is expected to need real-time access to all usage data. Hence, RUDDS is not intended to replace AMADNS. Rather, RUDDS is complimentary to AMADNS, and may even co-reside with previously designed AMADNS components or Generating Systems.

Issue 2 includes the following updates to RUDDS requirements:

• Replaced FTP with TFTP on the SMRI
• Added text and requirements for the marking of RTR original and duplicate records
• Added text and data for the Maintenance and Management of the RTR
• Added section to Security of RTR
• Changed standard AMA files to streamlined AMA files over the RDI.