GB922 Usage R18.5.1

Put simply, usage is how much product is used, by whom is it used, where and when is it used and circumstances under which it is used. Normally, when a usage event occurs, it is stored in a network element, for instance in a switch, router, gateway or in an application system. Resources (applications, network and computing capabilities) usually store usage data in proprietary formats that are not understood by external systems, such as billing systems. Depending on the polling strategy, a mediation engine connects to resources, collects usage data and formats them into a format that is understood by the billing system. Outputs of a mediation engine are Usage Detail Records (UDRs). Examples of UDRs are Call Detail Records (CDRs – used to describe usage details of voice call services) and Internet Protocol Detail Records (IPDRs – used to describe usage details of Internet Protocol based services). In this document we will use the Usage abstract business entity to describe any resource-, service- or product-based usage that the external system can read, update and process.