Services/Service Identifier Management
Overview
Service identifiers identifies an end-user's service (or a component of a service) against all other services of the same type.
All services in Emersion must at least one identifier to distinguish it from others. This is called the core, or primary identifier and is printed on the invoice.
Examples of primary identifiers are:
- A home telephone line will adopt the resident's phone number as the primary service identifier.
- A mobile service will will adopt the mobile number.
- A VoIP/SIP service type will adopt single number as the core identifier and a range of numbers as secondary identifiers.
Service types can use multiple service identifiers to identify an entire service, with each identifier representing a distinguishable part of a service.
The format of a service identifier will vary across different types of services. However, they all contain one or more of the following characteristics:
- They are all unique to a service type.
- They may be used to identify and rate usage.
- One service identifier must be nominated as the 'core' service identifier.
- Service identifiers may be used for provisioning.
- Service identifiers may be used for authentication purposes.
Interfaces
Service Identifiers can be managed via the following interfaces
Cumulus
Service Identifiers can be added in Cumulus, within two separate areas.
- The Services > Manual Provisioning area, when activating a service or processing a service change.
- The Customer > Service Subscriptions > Configuration tab, when a core identifier of an active service needs to be updated. A message will be displayed to the user when additions and changes to identifiers will not go through a service qualification process.
- The Customer > Service Subscription > Service Identifiers tab, for entering secondary identifiers at any time and for the setting of different attributes, e.g. vanity name.
There is also a service identifier import tool and another to set service identifier vanity names.
Should you require access to manage multiple service identifiers for a single service, and do not have access to the Service Identifiers sub tab of a service subscription, please raise a request with Emersion to have it enabled for your Cumulus Retail instance.
API
The Services APIs contain the ability to manage service identifiers.
Service Activation Portal
Support is provided to enter core/primary identifiers within the Service Activation Portal when activating the service.
Types of Service Identifiers
Core/Primary Identifiers
The core service identifier, sometimes referred to as the 'primary' identifier is printed on the customer's invoice. It is also used to identify usage, if the service type includes a usage feed.
There cannot be more than 1 core service identifier covering the same date range.
Parent accounts of ends users (the retail service provider) has full control over adding and editing core identifiers against preactive and active services.
Wholesalers can enter core service identifiers against services in the Manual Provisioning interface when they are wholly responsible for the provisioning of those services to their downstream retail providers, or the service type belongs to them.
Authentication ('Auth') Identifiers
These are identifiers that are used in the provisioning of data services. They comprise a username, password and a realm. The are also flagged as Auth identifiers.
Parent accounts of ends users (the retail service provider) has full control over adding and editing core identifiers against preactive and active services.
When the service type belongs to the wholesaler, the wholesaler will see the realms associated with service.
Anybody else with permission to access will be unable to add or edit these identifiers, or convert an existing identifier to an Auth identifier.
Secondary Identifiers
These are not Core/Primary and not Auth identifiers. Parent accounts of ends users (the retail service provider) has full control over adding and editing core identifiers against preactive and active services.
Business Rules
The following rules apply to entering service identifiers.
- Service identifiers cannot be added against cancelled services.
- There cannot be more than 1 core service identifier covering the same date range as another core identifier.
- If a replacement core identifier is entered, the core identifier it is replacing will be automatically end dated to prevent overlap.
- Usage received for any service identifier received that is outside the active date range will fall into quarantine.
- Service identifiers cannot be backdated to a date prior to the service subscription start date.
- Service identifiers are validated by the system. Different service types have different requirements the service identifier needs to use. E.g. an FNN, a username@realm, etc.
- Text-based identifiers are not case sensitive. For example, identify and IDENTIFY are considered by the system as the same identifier.
- In the cases of full national phone numbers, different variants of the same number (i.e. 04xxxxxxxxx and 614xxxxxxxxx) are considered different identifiers.
- Passwords are invalid for identifiers not flagged as Auth.
IMPORTANT! Service identifiers are tied to the service itself, not the service subscription. Users can add identifiers to a service from any of its subscriptions, including subscriptions that are inactive. This is the case as long as the service itself remains active. As identifiers belong to the service, identifiers added on one subscription are present when looking at other subscriptions for the same service.
Service ID vs Service Identifier
It is important to know that the service ID and the service identifier are not the same.
The Service ID is the Emersion-generated unique number that identifies this service from all others in the system. The number is unique to the system. It is not known by, or displayed to, an end-user. You may give this number to our support team to identify the service if you ever need help with it.
The Service Identifier is the identifier known by the end-user of the service. It is unique to a service type, and displayed on the customer's invoice. Your customer may give this identifier to you when making a query regarding the service.
Adding Service Identifiers
Navigate to the customer's service subscription. Find the service subscription and open it. Click on the Service Identifiers sub tab.
Nav: Customer > Service Subscription > Service Identifiers
The tab will open with existing service identifiers listed in the table.
To add a new identifier, click the Add New Identifier button and complete the fields as shown below.
The field definitions are as follows:
- Service Identifier
Enter the service identifier.
- Realm
Enter an optional realm if needed.
- Password
Enter the password provided to the end user for authentication. This is used when the IsAuth flag is enabled.
- Vanity Identifier
Use this field to override the service identifier with a client-friendly name that will display on the invoice and end user portal. e.g: Jack's Mobile, Collins Street Office, etc. Users can also apply vanity names to service identifiers using this handy bulk tool. Vanity names on service identifiers can be up to 100 characters.
- Identifier start date
Give the start date of the service identifier commences. This date will be used by the system to collect and rate usage. Be aware that usage prior to the start date will not be rated and will fall into quarantine. While a service identifier may not be unique across different service types, it is unique within the service type. While the system will allow 'duplicate' service identifiers, they cannot overlap in terms of start/end dates.
- Identifier end date
Give an optional end date to the service identifier
- Core Identifier flag
Tick this box if the service identifier you are entering is the core identifier. It is mandatory for all services to have a single service identifier marked as core.
- Provisioning Identifier flag
Tick this box if the service identifier you are entering is used to provision. This is only required for service types with fully automated provisioning.
- Authentication Identifier flag
Tick this box if the service identifier is used to authenticate the service. This is used in RADIUS based service types. If this is ticked, the password field will be displayed under the realm field, and prompt the user to enter a password.
Access Control
The following powers can be used to secure users' access to service identifiers.
- Service Identifier
Provides access to the service identifier management section under the service subscription and within the Manual Provisioning section.
- View service identifier list
Grants access to view the service identifier list.
- View service identifier
Ability to view service identifiers.
- Edit service identifier
Grants access to modify a non-core service identifier. If the user requires the ability to update a core identifier, enable the "Update core identifier" power.
- Delete service identifier
Access to delete service identifier.
- Update core identifier
Access to edit/update the core identifier.
