Debate continues over the cost-benefit of next-generation networks (NGN)
vs. public switched telephone network (PSTN), but no one disputes the
growing importance of customer data for service providers in both
networks. PSTN and NGN service providers compete to offer customers
simpler, more user-friendly services. Knowledge of each customer's telecom
profile is key to competition among these service providers. Data is at a
premium.
Databases and directories are becoming essential components of every
robust network. So where can service providers get accurate data in a
timely manner? Line Information Databases (LIDBs). LIDBs are the only
databases that collectively maintain most of the working lines in North
America and contain information ranging from the customer's name to their preferred language. Service providers can retrieve data from LIDBs
based on a telephone number.
LIDBs have evolved in concert with a rapidly
changing industry, offering new and creative solutions in response to
industry needs. For instance, do you know:
- Where the caller ID name is obtained, before it is displayed on a
caller ID device?
- Where you can find an indicator of the primary language
associated with a line, so that calls can be routed to the correct
operator?
- How an IXC or LEC can avoid losing millions of dollars from
misdirected billing messages that might otherwise become uncollected
or un-billable?
- How a certain service provider knows when to apply the resonant
voice of a distinguished actor welcoming callers to the
"XYZ" Network?
- Where a service provider can get an indicator that identifies the
type of line (university, hospital, prison, etc.) for prevention of
fraudulent/unauthorized phone charges?
The answer to all of these questions is: From LIDBs. All this
information, and more, comes from LIDBs, which are distributed databases
that have been in place in the network for more than 15 years. LIDBs are
essentially "line level" databases with a variety of
applications and purposes. In the mid-1980's, LIDBs were placed in the network
primarily for one purpose: validation of alternately billed calls
(collect, calling card, and bill to third party). However, LIDB
capabilities have since evolved to address critical industry issues.
LIDBs are the largest line level databases of working telephone numbers
in North America, but may be the best-kept secret for data solutions in the
industry. LIDBs are agile, high-performance databases that have served -- and continue to
serve -- the extensive needs of the PSTN. Smart service
providers are aware of this enormous data repository and include it in
their service plans.
What's In An LIDB?
LIDB platforms are manufactured by multiple vendors, however, their
functionality and user interfaces are well defined in a number of
Telcordia Generic Requirements. These specifications ensure a uniform
interaction between an LIDB and its clients across the nation. (An LIDB
client, in this article, refers to any authorized entity that retrieves
data from a LIDB, regardless of the protocol used.) The primary
requirements document is GR-1158-CORE. It describes the query-response
transactions, the performance criteria, and the data "catalog"
for each line stored in an LIDB.
Each line in an LIDB belongs to a specific service provider, called an
Account Owner (AO). The AO typically selects the LIDB for storing its
customer records. The LIDB may be owned by a service provider or by a
separate entity.
LIDB records store the following elements, which are important to many
forthcoming industry applications:
AO
(service provider ID)
|
In
an environment of resale, portability, and unbundling, LIDBs
provide the industry with an accurate AO indicator (obtained from
reliable service order processes) in an efficient, cost-effective
manner.
|
RAO
|
LIDBs
can store both numeric and alphanumeric Revenue Accounting Office
(RAO) codes. The industry
uses RAOs to perform timely bill settlement processes.
|
ZIP
|
This
field has multiple uses.
It may be used to properly route a call to the nearest
franchise (e.g., nearest pizza delivery store) when the customer
dials a general number, or to authenticate customer claims and
orders and to enhance 311 services.
|
FLI
|
The
Foreign Language ID (FLI) is critical to service providers
offering customized services, or operators of international
carriers.
LIDBs support more than 50 language identifiers.
|
SOE
|
The
Service or Equipment (SOE) indicator in an LIDB offers more than 30
indicators of the type of line, such as Hospital, Prison,
Dormitory, Centrex, PBX, etc.
|
Value Of Data Stored In An LIDB
LIDB data is administered by a dedicated Administrative System (AS).
The AS receives its data feed from service order processes or directly
from account owners of the line records. LIDB responses, therefore,
contain the most accurate and recent service information available. As
customers change service providers, the changes flow to the AS, which in
turn updates LIDB records with the new AO. Other databases and local
caches are quickly outdated in today's environment of high customer
turnover. For those companies involved in the exchange of billing
messages, an LIDB can help to avoid a dreaded reject code 50.
It is up to the client whether it queries the LIDB for the AO in real time
or after the call has been completed. Carriers experiencing losses due to
lack of billing and collection agreements can take advantage of
LIDBs' real-time capabilities and block potentially un-billable calls.
Data Retrieval
Most LIDB queries and responses are delivered over the SS7 network
using the Transactions Capabilities Part (TCAP); however, hub providers
can also perform protocol conversion for many of the LIDB's non-PSTN
clients.
An LIDB is designed to meet the needs of platforms engaged in the act of
providing service. Some of these platforms require their service data in
less than two seconds from the point of query launch. For this reason, an
LIDB's response time to a query is fast, dependable, and well within the
timing parameters of the platform requesting the data. Service providers
can also access an LIDB to satisfy their post-call and post-sale data
needs, as is the case for billing clearinghouses.
While all LIDB query types use TCAP, each query has a different
function. Most service providers are familiar with LIDB queries for
validating alternately billed calls and for caller ID, but LIDBs also
support two other query types: Originating Line Number Screening (OLNS)
and GetData. OLNS queries provide an LIDB client with a rich set of
information about the line originating the call, such as the foreign
language identifier or the line's AO. GetData is a very flexible query
that allows clients to customize requests to retrieve particular data in
support of various services.
Security
The fact that a LIDB returns millions, if not billions, of data
elements to its requesters daily raises the issue of security. LIDB
networks restrict access to authorized clients -- those with an established
business relationship with the LIDB owner -- thereby cutting down on spam
and denial-of-service attacks.
LIDBs also have a sophisticated set of
"data access" controls. Once an LIDB accepts a query for
processing, a complex set of criteria and conditions are applied based on
the AO, the identity of the query originator, the data element requested,
and the query type or operation requested. Based on the authorization
criteria of the AO, an LIDB allows, denies, or limits the information
requested. Because the AO determines the authorization criteria, each AO
is in complete control of its own customer data, regardless of the LIDB
owner.
What's Next?
Industry efforts are underway to develop a new Transmission Control
Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) interface using the Lightweight
Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) for Search and Update Requests. This new
interface will allow query functionality --
similar to that of the current SS7 GetData capability -- in the IP domain.
The National LIDB Product Team1 recognizes the
benefits of TCP/IP's widespread use and economic advantages.
Specifications for the interface, the necessary security architecture, and
the specific Data Screening requirements have been published in
GR-3103-CORE and GR-3697-CORE.
An LIDB's value lies in its ability to continue to provide useful data
to the industry. LIDBs are evolving to support new data elements, such as
e-mail addresses, line type (e.g., DSL), new service providers (e.g., cable
and ISPs), customer message notification preference, and service start
dates. Traditional service providers, as well as Internet service
providers, will have the flexibility and the advantage of choosing either
SS7 or TCP/IP. Either way, service providers can obtain the necessary data
to expand their opportunities for offering new and useful services to
their customers. The value of LIDBs continues to reside in their ability to
respond to industry needs by offering creative data solutions.
The longevity of LIDBs is due to the proven record of meeting customer
needs and helping service providers remain competitive in this fast paced
industry. Data was important 15 years ago, but it is even more important
today. LIDBs offer easy, efficient access to a wealth of customer
data, nationwide.
1The National
LIDB Product Team is an organization of LIDB owners dedicated to promoting
the use and evolution of LIDBs. It seeks to support the introduction of new
LIDB-based services, exchange information, resolve technical issues, and
anticipate future needs. It is concerned with national telecommunications
issues requiring data solutions. When appropriate, the National LIDB
Product Team meets with industry groups to resolve issues of mutual
interest. [back]
Hala Mowafy is a senior systems engineer at Telcordia
Technologies, a communications software and solutions provider. David
O. Cooper and Denise P. Gilmore are LIDB product managers at Verizon
Communications.
|