Policy Configuration

Policy configuration components are used by MATRIXX Charging Application and MATRIXX Policy Application for charging and rating. The policy configuration components that you can create in the sub-interfaces of this interface include policy session mappings, spending limit policy, spending limit policy counters, spending limit policy profiles, spending limit policy templates, session management policy event triggers, session management policy event trigger groups, session management policy, session management policy profiles, session management policy QoS profiles, and session management policy static or dynamic PCC rules.

Policies allow you to track subscribers' service usage in real-time and change the behavior of the service based on that usage. MATRIXX Policy Application is seamlessly integrated with MATRIXX Charging Application and supports the following reference points.

5G Reference Points:
  • N28 (Spending Limit Policy Control) — Messages are sent to a PCF software node external to the MATRIXX Engine.
  • N5 (Policy Authorization Service) — Messages are sent to an application function (AF) and publish the current status of applications in use by a device. An application is a set of media components that include media sub-components composed of one (unidirectional) or two (bidirectional) IP flows, typically uplinks and downlinks between the device and network.
3G/4G Reference Points:
  • Diameter Sy (Spending Limit Policy Control) — Messages are sent to a Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) software node external to the MATRIXX Engine.
  • Diameter Gx (Session Management Policy Control) — Messages are sent to a Policy and Charging Enforcement Function (PCEF) software node using the MATRIXX Engine PCRF software node.
  • Diameter Rx (Policy Authorization) — Messages are sent to an application function (AF) and publish the current status of applications in use by a device. An application is a set of media components that include media sub-components composed of one (unidirectional) or two (bidirectional) IP flows, typically uplinks and downlinks between the device and network.

3G/4G System Configuration Tasks

You can configure the following policy-related parameters during system configuration:
  • Policy Gx RAR, Rx RAR, and Sy SNR behavior — For information about configuring Gx RAR, Rx RAR, and Sy SNR behavior, see the discussion about policy Gx RAR, Rx RAR, and Sy SNR.
  • The default policy counter status for unknown policy counters — For information about unknown policy counters, see the discussion about Sy policy sessions. For information about configuring the policy counter status, see the discussion about global system configuration in Installation and Configuration.

Policy Configuration Tasks

Before creating policies, you must define the following pricing configuration components in My MATRIXX.

3G/4G Policy Creation Tasks

Setting up policies involves creating several policy items and associating them with one another to create a profile that can be recognized and returned to the network during PCRF operations. The policy items that you must create are determined by whether your MATRIXX Digital Commerce environment uses the internal MATRIXX Charging Application PCRF, or a third-party external PCRF.

Using an external PCRF software node:
  • Spending limit policy control counters for the Sy interface — Represents the policy counter status returned to the PCRF during a Diameter Sy session across 3GPP LTE networks. For information about handling unknown policy counters, see the discussion about Sy policy sessions.
  • Spending limit policy templates — Identify the valid policy counters.
  • Spending limit policy profiles — Identify one or more policy counter name-value pairs and attach a profile name to them. The counter name and its value are returned when the policy profile is selected during rating.
  • Decision tables — Contain one or more normalizers that define conditions for a counter status. Policy components use decision tables to define one or more value sets that must be true for a policy profile to be selected during rating an policy decision time.
    Note: There is a size limit of 65535 rows for policy tables. This limit also applies to decision tables, rate tables, and normalizers.
  • Policy components — Identify one or more policy tables. The policy tables use decision tables to associate a set of conditions (parameter values) with a resulting policy profile. The parameter values valid at the time of usage determine which profile is returned to the PCRF.
Using the internal MATRIXX Charging Application PCRF software node:
  • Event trigger groups — Event triggers define when the PCEF is notified of changing network conditions. Event triggers can be grouped.
  • QoS profiles — QoS profiles define the quality of service provided by a specific policy profile. Multiple QoS profiles can be assigned to a policy profile.
  • PCC rules — Use static or dynamic PCC rules. Static PCC rules and rule groups represent rules defined in the PCEF that can be applied based on a policy decision. Static PCC rule groups allow the PCRF to dynamically activate a set of PCC rules over the Gx reference point. Dynamic PCC rules are dynamically provisioned by the PCRF to the PCEF through the Gx interface.
  • Session Management policy profiles — Identify the list of rules (or rule groups), the event trigger lists, the QoS Info and Default EPS Bearer QoS, supported features, and the Bearer Control Mode. The policy profile contains the information needed to answer a Gx CCR or Gx RAR. Each Gx policy session tracks the rules currently installed in the PCEF from previous CCA and RAR messages within the session. The set of rules and rule groups to install and remove is determined by the information tracked in the session, and the rules and rule groups included in the selected policy profile
  • Session Management policy components — For environments, these implement the business logic that decides which PCC rules are returned to the PCEF for a given set of circumstances.
  • The service provisioning rules in the PCRF.

5G Policy Creation Tasks

Setting up policies in a MATRIXX Digital Commerce 5G environment involves creating several policy items and associating them with one another to create a profile that can be recognized and returned to the network during PCF operations. The policy items that you must create are determined by your PCF implementation.

5G MATRIXX Digital Commerce environments require that you obtain and configure a PCF software node that is external to MATRIXX. The MATRIXX policy creation tasks include creating:
  • Spending limit policy counters — Represent the policy counter status returned to the PCF during an N28 session. For information about handling unknown policy counters, see the discussion about spending limit policy control sessions.
  • Spending limit policy templates — Identify the valid policy counters.
  • Spending limit policy profiles — Identify one or more policy counter name-value pairs and attach a profile name to them. The counter name and its value are returned when the policy profile is selected during rating.
  • Decision tables — Contain one or more normalizers that define conditions for a counter status. Policy components use decision tables to define one or more value sets that must be true for a policy profile to be selected during rating an policy decision time.
    Note: There is a size limit of 65535 rows for policy tables. This limit also applies to decision tables, rate tables, and normalizers.
  • Spending limit policy components — Identify one or more policy tables. The policy tables use decision tables to associate a set of conditions (parameter values) with a resulting policy profile. The parameter values valid at the time of usage determine which profile is returned to the PCF.
  • The service provisioning rules in the PCF.