Create a Balance Difference Normalizer

This normalizer compares the difference between two balance amounts or the difference between a balance amount and a numeric MATRIXX Data Container (MDC) field or catalog item parameter to ranges of balance differences specified in the normalizer. For each matching range, the Charging Server uses the normalization value associated with that range.

Before you begin

My MATRIXX must contain the normalizer template that you want to use for this normalizer that implements the Balance Difference normalization algorithm.

About this task

Note: A balance difference normalizer compares only the current balance amount in the specified balances. It does not support comparisons between available balance amounts (that is, the credit limit minus the current balance amount or 0 if the current amount is above the credit limit).You can compare simple and periodic balances. Both prepaid and postpaid balances are supported.

Procedure

In Normalizers, click New Normalizer.
In Create New Normalizer:
1. In Name, enter a unique name.
2. (Optional) In Description, enter descriptive information about the item.
3. (Optional) In External ID, enter any alphanumeric character to serve as a unique ID on this pricing object. The external ID can be used for any reason that is meaningful to your implementation of MATRIXX Engine. External IDs are saved to the pricing configuration file and loaded into the Pricing database.
4. From the Normalizer Template list, select the name of the normalizer template that implements the normalization algorithm you want to use for this normalizer.
5. Click Create.
In Start Date/Time, use the date picker to select the date on which the object becomes active in the Pricing database and is first available for use, or enter the date in the format YYYY-MM-DD. Optionally, enter a time for when the object becomes active. The default start date/time is 2000–01–01 00:00:00. If applicable, the range in which the start date/time must fall is listed. For example:
- Select a date on or before 2021–12–01.
- Select a date on or after 2020–01–27.
- Select a date between 2000–01–02 and 2021–10–04.
Note: If you are creating a new revision of this object, the start date/time must be after the start date/time of the preceding revision and before the start date/time of the next revision. If you are making a copy of this object, the start date/time is not copied. The new object is the first revision, so it has the default start date/time of 2000–01–01 00:00:00.
Configure the balances, MDCs, or parameters to compare by performing the following steps for the first and second items:
1. In First Balance/Field/Parameter, under Type, select the type of the first item in the difference calculation and then define the appropriate properties:
  - Balance — Click Select Balance to select a balance class to use.
    Note: At least one meter must be defined in the system to select Meter as the Balance Class.
    - To perform normalizations on the sum of all balances for the selected balance class, do not select a balance option.
    - To perform normalizations on a specified balance, select Use Balance and select the required balance.
      Note: If the balance is a periodic balance and you are normalizing on a earlier balance entry, you must specify a balance.
    - To perform normalizations on a specified balance tag, select Use Balance Tag and select the required balance tag.
  For information about balances and balance tags, see the discussion about balances.
  - Field — Select the numeric MDC Container and Field. To search for an MDC in the list, begin entering the MDC name.
  - Parameter — Select the numeric catalog item Parameter.
  Note: Inclusivity is at the lower boundary of each range unless a field or parameter is at the left side and the balance is at the right side of the difference calculation (that is, field/parameter - balance = difference). In these cases, inclusivity is at the top boundary of each range.
2. (Periodic balances only) In From Period, enter the oldest period to examine for normalization.
  Enter 0 for the current period, enter 1 for the period before the current period, enter 2 for the period before that, and so forth. You must enter a number within the low-water mark for the balance window.
3. (Periodic balances only) In To Period, enter the most recent period to examine for normalization.
  The To Period value must be the same as the From Period value. You cannot perform normalizations across multiple periods.
  Note: The normalizer performs validation checks and returns an error if the From and To balance intervals are different.
4. (Optional) Select where to retrieve the balance or MDC field from. You can define either a tier or a tier parameter. These properties are not applicable to parameters.
  - In Tier, select the name of a group tier.
  - In Tier Parameter, select the parameter used to specify the group tier.
5. In Second Balance/Field/Parameter, repeat these steps to select the type of the second item in the difference calculation and then define the appropriate properties.
  - If normalization is performed on the difference between a numeric MDC field or catalog item parameter minus a balance, define the balance here.
  - If normalization is performed on the difference between a balance minus a numeric MDC field or catalog item parameter, select the MDC or parameter here. Only decimal and integer values are provided.
If the balances have any associated quantity units, in Quantity Unit, select the unit in which to perform normalizations. This unit determines the balance attribute boundaries, for example, 1-10 megabytes, 10-20 megabytes, and so forth.

Note: If the selected balance difference normalizer references a turnstile meter, the Quantity Unit value is none because a turnstile meter counts a usage or charge occurrence and does not have a quantity unit.
If any metadata fields were defined in the normalizer template, they are listed under Default Metadata. For each piece of metadata, enter the fixed value to be associated with a result. The value entered must correspond to the configured data type. This value is used in the following ways:
- No default value is defined in the normalizer template and --default-- is used to define the metadata value in the normalizer instance using the Edit Normalizer Values dialog.
- The default value is defined in the normalizer template under the Values table as --default--.
To create the balance difference ranges, click or hover over the Rows menu icon and select Edit Values to open Edit Normalizer Values. You can add new values by selecting a normalizer value list (step 8) or by entering values manually (step 9).

Note: If using a normalizer value list, metadata is not supported. Therefore, any metadata listed under Default Metadata in Edit Normalizer does not display as columns in the Values table in Edit Normalizer Values if Use Normalizer Value List is selected.
If defining values by selecting a normalizer value list, perform the following steps for each balance range to create:
1. If the normalizer already has values defined, click Create a Normalizer Value List to save the list of manually created values as a normalizer value list. Enter a unique name and click Create. The new normalizer value list is added to the Normalizer Value List drop-down menu and can be selected for this and other normalizers.
  
  Important: Any existing values in the normalizer that are not saved as part of creating a normalizer value list are deleted after you click Save.
2. Check Use Normalizer Value List to enable the menu. This disables the option to add a value manually by clicking New Value. Any existing values assigned to the normalizer are removed.
3. Select a normalizer value list from the drop-down menu. Values from the selected list are displayed in the table.
If the normalizer template does not define any normalizer values and you are not using a normalizer value list, then you can define the values within the normalizer instance by clicking Edit Values to open Edit Normalizer Values and performing the following steps for each balance range to create:
1. Click New Value.
  A row is added to the list with an ID that is used internally to look up the parameter value during rating. Any metadata defined in the normalizer template is displayed as columns in the Values table.
2. Click the Name cell in the row and enter a descriptive name for the range.
3. Click the Description cell in the row and enter information about the purpose of the parameter value.
4. To assign a color to the parameter that displays as the background color for each row in the Rows table, do one of the following:
  - Hover your mouse over the Color cell in the row and select a color from the color palette.
  - Click the Color cell in the row and assign a color to the value by setting the color's hue, saturation, and lightness. The following methods are available:
    - Use the eyedropper tool to select any color on your screen or select a color on the color strip to pick a main color. Then use the color gradient area to fine tune the color.
    - Enter the RGB/HSL/Hex values of a certain color if they are known.
5. If metadata columns are displayed and no values were defined for the metadata in the normalizer template, enter the value for the metadata. Metadata can be associated with each result value. The value entered must correspond to the configured data type.
  Default and non-values can be defined as follows:
  - Enter --none-- if no value is assigned to this field.
  - Enter --default-- to use the default value for this field.
  For example:
  1. The test1 metadata has a default value of 1, and the test2 metadata has a default value of 2 as defined in the Default Metadata table in Edit Normalizer.
  2. In Edit Normalizer Values, the string value for test1 is configured as --default--, and test2 is configured as --none--.
  3. When a row is added to the Rows table, test1 has the value of 1 and test2 is empty.
  If actual values are defined for the metadata in Edit Normalizer Values, then those values are displayed in the metadata columns in the Rows table.
Click Save.
Click or hover over the Rows menu icon, select Add Row:
- If the normalizer is using a normalizer value list, the first item in the list is added.
- If the normalizer is not using a normalizer value list, an empty row is added.
Any metadata defined in the normalizer template is displayed as columns in the Rows table with the values defined in Edit Normalizer Values.
1. Click the cell under Name and select a parameter value for the lowest range.
  The Start and End values for multiple ranges must overlap so all values are covered during rating. For example, -infinity-10, 10-20, and 20-30 is correct. In this case, 10 is included in the second range and 20 is included in the third range.
2. Click the cell under Start and enter the end value of the previous range.
  For example, if the previous range is -infinity to 100, type 100.
3. Click the cell under End and enter the end value for the range. For the highest range you define, if there is no upper limit, set the value to infinity.
4. Repeat these steps for each range to create. When adding or editing a row, a blue bar displays by the row to indicate that changes have been made. When the changes are saved, the UI automatically takes you to the newly added or updated row in the table after resorting the rows by name.
(Optional) Click or hover over the Rows menu icon and select Validate to check the normalizer values for errors.
Validation checks for errors caused by duplicate rows, gaps in ranges, overlapping ranges, and any other missing or invalid configurations. To perform the validation, My MATRIXX sorts the rows in the rate table according to the first parameter value.
In Value If Field Not Present, select a parameter value to use when the field value is not set at the time of rating.
(Optional) In Default, select a default parameter value to use when the incoming value does not match any of the defined values. If your normalizer has no rows, it must contain a default value.
In Value If Balance Not Present, select a balance range to use when the required balances are unavailable at the time of rating.