Call detail record: Difference between revisions

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==External links==
==External links==
*[http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/ios/12_0t/12_0t2/feature/guide/cdrFM.html Cisco CDR documentation]
*[http://telecom-info.telcordia.com/site-cgi/ido/docs.cgi?ID=SEARCH&DOCUMENT=GR-1100& GR-1100, Billing Automatic Message Accounting Format (BAF) Generic Requirements]
*[http://telecom-info.telcordia.com/site-cgi/ido/docs.cgi?ID=SEARCH&DOCUMENT=GR-1083& GR-1083, Generic Requirements for Exchange Access Automatic Message Accounting (AMA)]


[[Category:Telephony]]
[[Category:Telephony]]

Revision as of 19:17, 31 October 2012

A call detail record (CDR), also known as call data record, is a data record produced by a telephone exchange or other telecommunications equipment documenting the details of a phone call that passed through the facility or device. It is the automated equivalent of the paper toll tickets that were written and timed by operators for long-distance calls in a manual telephone exchange.

Contents

A call detail record is composed of data fields that describe the telecommunication transaction, such as:

  • the phone number of the subscriber originating the call (calling party)
  • the phone number receiving the call (called party)
  • the starting time of the call (date and time)
  • the call duration
  • the billing phone number that is charged for the call
  • the identification of the telephone exchange or equipment writing the record
  • a sequence number identifying the record
  • additional digits on the called number used to route or charge the call
  • the disposition or the results of the call, indicating for example whether the called party was busy, or the call failed
  • the route by which the call entered the exchange
  • the route by which the call left the exchange
  • call type (voice, SMS, etc.)
  • any fault condition encountered

Each exchange manufacturer decides which information is emitted on the tickets and how it is formatted. Examples:

  • Send the timestamp of the end of call instead of duration
  • Voice-only machines may not send call type
  • Some small PBX does not send the calling party

Production

CDRs are produced by the charging system of the telephone exchanges. In Nortel exchanges and in other North American exchanges, the charging system is called Automatic Message Accounting. In an Alcatel OCB switch, the charging system is software known as TX.

Devices called Network Elements (NEs) generate CDRs. They can utilize a variety of information protocols, because the term Network Element is generic; it covers Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) end-office/tandem switches, as well as broadband and frame relay switches and SONET (Synchronous Optical NETwork) Add Drop Multiplexers (ADM). NEs are cataloged according to class. Class A NEs incorporate security parameters in their embedded operating systems and application layers. Class B are often distributed, but with limited software capability.

The Telcordia consortium publishes a series of detailed specifications that describe the format and structure of CDRs generated by many NEs. The key documents are GR-1100 (Billing Automatic Message Accounting Format (BAF) Generic Requirements) and GR-1083 (Generic Requirements for Exchange Access Automatic Message Accounting (AMA)).

Transport

Computer networks are used for transporting CDRs to a central point for processing, with X.25 links being widely used worldwide for transporting CDRs. The CDRs of calls still in progress are held by the sending exchange until the call is completed.

Network Element ( Fix Switch or Mobile Switches or any Routers support CDR future) are used for transporting CDR to billing center through mediation system. the links connect switches could by X.25 or Ethernet or optics any technology is envelope in operators.

Processing

Call accounting or call logging software is generally used for retrieving and process CDRs. This system can be called a business support system (BSS). In the billing system the price of the call will be calculated.

Besides for billing, CDRs can be used for supporting the operations of the telephone company by providing information on faulty calls, and measures of the amount of traffic taken along particular routes.

Station messaging detail record

A station messaging detail record (SMDR) is similar to a CDR, but the most important difference is in the usage. CDRs are for telephone company use, and may carry information about the processing of a call. To create actual billable call records, it may be necessary to correlate several CDRs. CDRs have a role in internal financial transfers among phone companies. ATIS publishes a specification for intra- and inter-carrier SMDR records called Exchange Message Interface (EMI).[1]

Mabel

Major Account Billing Exchange Logistical record or MABEL, is a vehicle for the exchange of major account billing data between carriers. The records cover all of the billing elements of a major account, including summary billing information and call detail-level information.

A wireless service provider or a company that acts as a liaison to a wireless service provider uses MABEL. Also defined in MABEL is a Major Account Consolidator, which can be the wireless service provider or third party that acts as a liaison to the corporate entity. MABEL

SMDR, in contrast, is intended for end-user organization, and as a way to understand their telephone usage and billing.

See also

References

External links