Collaboration for Service Usage

The IBM WebSphere Business Integration Collaboration for Service Usage handles an end user request for an online service, such as an online video, and provides the requested service.

Collaboration templates used in this collaboration provide the following integrations:

The IBM WebSphere Business Integration Collaboration for Service Usage does not have functional relationships with other WebSphere Business Integration for Telecommunications collaborations.

Position in telecommunications operations map

The IBM WebSphere Business Integration Collaboration for Service Usage extends across multiple process groups in the enhanced Telecom Operation Map (eTOM) as defined by the TeleManagement Forum (TM Forum). These process groups are Selling/Order Handling, Customer QoS/SLA Management, Billing and Collections Management, and Service and Specific Instance Rating. The diagram below shows the position of the collaboration in the eTOM.

Business rules

The following business rules apply to the Service Usage business process:

System assumptions

Like the other WebSphere Business Integration for Telecommunications collaborations, the Service Usage collaboration uses IBM WebSphere InterChange Server. IBM WebSphere Business Integration Adapters are used to connect between this application and other applications that participate in the collaboration.

It is assumed that the following applications also participate in the Service Usage collaboration:

This collaboration uses the following collaboration templates:

Use case

This process covers an integration scenario of handling an end-user request for an online service, such as an online video, and providing that service. It involves selection, purchase, provisioning and usage management of the service. When a customer selects a service, a purchase transaction starts (purchase), and the customer account is validated (credit authentication). When the customer indicates the intention to start using the service, the QoS is provisioned (provisioning), the service is provided, and the customer starts using the service (usage), whose usage records are logged until the termination of the usage. The usage records can be used for various purposes, including billing.

Actor

The following table shows the actor for this use case:

Use case actors
Actor Description
End User A person who is a client of the telecommunications provider who accesses services by internet connection or by telephone.

Course

The following table describes the main course that may be followed in the IBM WebSphere Business Integration Collaboration for Service Usage use case. There is no alternate course for this use case.

Use case description (main course)
# Activity by the actor System activity Reference
M1 Select multimedia content Validate the credit card information (INPUT: CreditAuthorizationRequestInformation. OUTPUT: CreditAuthorizationRequestInformation.)  
    Bill for the content (INPUT: BillableItem)  
M2 Start the video Provision QoS based on the service level agreement (INPUT: ProvisionInformation)  
    Provide the requested contents  
M3 View the video Record the usage (INPUT: Usage)  
M4 Stop viewing the video Record the usage (INPUT: Usage)  

The following activity diagram illustrates the IBM WebSphere Business Integration Collaboration for Service Usage use case:

IBM CrossWorlds Collaboration for Service Usage activity diagram

Note: In the activity diagrams, these shapes are used to identify process activities:

Legend of activities

Business examples

The following business example shows a situation where the IBM WebSphere Business Integration Collaboration for Service Usage use case is realized.

Select and view a video

This example consists of the following steps:

  1. An end user logs into the system through a web browser.
  2. Portal server displays the list of multimedia contents that are appropriate for the end user based on the contents categories that the end user has previously selected.
  3. The end user selects one movie.
  4. A purchase transaction is initiated for the movie the end user selected, starting with the validation of the end user's credit card information.
  5. Once the credit is validated, a billable item is added to the end user's billing account.
  6. The end user decides to start viewing the movie (not necessarily right after the purchase transaction), and the system is configured to meet the quality of service dictated by the service level agreement.
  7. Usage records are logged periodically for aggregation from the start of the movie until the movie is terminated.

Copyright IBM Corp. 2002, 2003