In this section:
Overview
The terms data measurements and statistics can be used interchangeably in this page.
The Diameter Signaling Controller (DSC) is a traffic hub between Diameter realms as well as a routing node in a given realm. For local and cross-realm traffic, statistics on incoming request and their processing results such as successful, retransmitted, or rejected can be used for traffic analysis and billing verification between roaming partners.
Realm Accounting is a feature that counts some details of Diameter transactions such as Incoming ADN, Outgoing ADN, Originating Realm, Destination Realm, and so on. The counters are written to a Comma Separated Values (CSV) file.
To constrain memory usage, the DSC Realm Accounting function has an overflow limit of 50,000 records. If the maximum memory limit is reached, the records are stored in the temporary overflow bucket.
This feature is for all messages processed by a DSC Node if the Realm Accounting attribute is set to ENABLED. Realm accounting can also be enabled per message by using Routing Tables and configuring an associated Modification Record with command realm-accounting.
For more information about the DSC Node and Routing Tables configuration, refer to
- Configuring the DSC Nodes - System wide
- Configuring DSC Nodes
- Configuring Realm Routing Tables and Records
Realm Accounting is supported as Version 1 and Version 2. The default value is Version 1. Version 2 can be configured in the DSC Node by setting the Realm Accounting Format to VERSION 2. For more information, refer to Realm-based Redirection of Diameter Messages.
Version 1 is supported for backward compatibility.
The Realm Accounting data measurements are listed and described in the following table.
A script is executed daily on the Management CPU to compare statistics files on each CPU card. A merge file is generated when statistics files on each Management CPU card are not synchronized. A merge file is present only when a mismatch between files is detected and should be substituted for the default system statistics file to retrieve accurate system data.
Realm Accounting - Version 1
The following figure shows an example of the data measurements file for Version 1.
To view the comma-delimited data measurements file retrieved from the DSC, save the file using a .csv file extension (comma-separated variables file type) and import into a spreadsheet.
version=15.0 date instance Incoming Requests Outgoing Requests Incoming Answers 2xxx Outgoing Answers 2xxx Incoming Answers UTD Outgoing Answers UTD Incoming Answers Redirect Outgoing Answers Redirect Incoming Answers Other Outgoing Answers Other Retransmit Requests Rejected Requests Filtering Rejected Requests In-gress Filtering Rejected Requests Other Timeout Requests Discarded Answers Incoming Answers Realm Redirect Outgoing Answers Realm Redirect Local Outgoing Answers Realm Redirect Passthrough 2018-06-19-13:55 <company>-Vegas mwdea_029a RAOtt:ra.ra.rbbn.com:ra.rbbn.com:(null) 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 2018-06-19-13:55 <company>-Vegas mwdea_013 ra.rbbn.com:A1:RAOtt:ra.ra.rbbn.com 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2018-06-19-13:55 <company>-Vegas ra_030 ra.rbbn.com:RelayTrain:ra.rbbn.com:mwdea.ra.rbbn.com 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0
The Instance represents the Diameter transaction in the DSC that generates the data measurement. There is no individual DSC object related to the Realm Accounting. The statistics are presented in a string with the format <a> <b> <c>:<d>:<e>:<f> as follows:
<DSC Instance Name> <DSC Node Name> <Originating Realm of the incoming request>:<Name of the incoming ADN>:<Destination Realm of the incoming request>:<Name of the ADN from which the answer is received>
The Instance definition can refer to the alias for the Realm when the Realm is defined in the Realm Definition table.
ADN names are based on configuration data. When an ADN name is modified, a new record (row) is created in the data measurements file.
In the preceding data measurements example (<company>-Vegas ra_030 ra.rbbn.com:RelayTrain:ra.rbbn.com:mwdea.ra.rbbn.com), the Instance is defined as:
a : DSC Instance Name = <compamy>-Vegas
b : DSC Node Name = ra_030
c : Originating realm of the incoming request = ra.rbbn.com
d : Name of the incoming ADN = RelayTrain
e : Originating realm of the incoming answer = ra.rbbn.com
f : Name of the ADN from which the answer is received = mwdea.ra.rbbn.com
Realm Accounting - Version 2
The following figure shows an example of the data measurements file for Version 2.
To view the comma-delimited data measurements file retrieved from the DSC, save the file using a .csv file extension (comma-separated variables file type) and import into a spreadsheet.
version=15.0 date instance Incoming Requests Outgoing Requests Incoming Answers 2xxx Outgoing Answers 2xxx Incoming Answers UTD Outgoing Answers UTD Incoming Answers Redirect Outgoing Answers Redirect Incoming Answers Other Outgoing Answers Other Retransmit Requests Rejected Requests Filtering Rejected Requests In-gress Filtering Rejected Requests Other Timeout Requests Discarded Answers Incoming Answers Realm Redirect Outgoing Answers Realm Redirect Local Outgoing Answers Realm Redirect Passthrough 2018-05-31-00:05 <company>-Vegas ra_030 ra.rbbn.com:RelayTrain:ra.rbbn.com:mwdea.ra.rbbn.com:3GPP S6a:AAR:ra.rbbn.com 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2018-05-31-00:05 <company>-Vegas ra_033 RAOtt:KOtt:ra.rbbn.com:R2:3GPP S6a:AAR:RAIPX2 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2018-05-31-00:05 <company>-Vegas ra_033 RAOtt:KOtt:ra.rbbn.com:mwdea.ra.rbbn.com:3GPP S6a:AAR:ra.rbbn.com 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0
The Instance represents the Diameter transaction in the DSC that generates the data measurement. There is no individual DSC object related to the Realm Accounting. The statistics are presented in a string with the format <a> <b> <c>:<d>:<e>:<f>:<g>:<h>:<I> as follows:
<DSC Instance Name> <DSC Node Name> <Originating Realm of the incoming request>:<Name of the incoming ADN>:<Originating Realm of the incoming answer>:<Name of the ADN from which the answer is received> <Application ID> <Command Code> <Destination Realm of the outgoing request>
The Instance definition can refer to the alias for the Realm when the Realm is defined in the Realm Definition table.
ADN names are based on configuration data. When an ADN name is modified, a new record (row) is created in the data measurements file.
In the preceding data measurements example (<company>-Vegas ra_030 ra.rbbn.com:RelayTrain:ra.rbbn.com:mwdea.ra.rbbn.com:3GPP S6a:AAR:ra.rbbn.com), the Instance is defined as:
a : DSC Instance Name = <company>-Vegas
b : DSC Node Name = ra_030
c : Originating realm of the incoming request = ra.rbbn.com
d : Name of the incoming ADN = RelayTrain
e : Originating realm of the incoming answer = ra.rbbn.com
f : Name of the ADN from which the answer is received = mwdea.ra.rbbn.com
g: Application-Id: = 3GPP S6a
h: Command-Code = AAR
i: Destination-Realm of the outgoing Request = ra.rbbn.com
Multiple Re-transmissions
Multiple outgoing requests or re-transmissions on a DSC Node can occur when an outgoing request to an ADN cannot be delivered and is returned as an incoming answer UTD (Unable to Deliver).
The DSC node re-transmits the request to another ADN. If another incoming answer UTD response is received, the DSC Node re-transmits to other ADNs using a round robin algorithm. If the request cannot be delivered, the DSC Node returns the request to the originating ADN as an outgoing answer UTD.
The following figure shows an example of multiple sub-transactions occurring on a DSC node.
Three Instances generate statistics for all sub-transactions, as follows:
- Originating ADN to Destination ADN Instance is updated for:
- incoming request
- outgoing request
- incoming answer UTD
- Originating ADN to Destination ADN (R1) Instance is updated for:
- re-transmitted request
- incoming answer UTD
- Originating ADN to Destination ADN (R2) Instance is updated for:
- re-transmitted request
- incoming answer UTD
- outgoing answer UTD
- Originating ADN to Destination ADN Instance is updated for: