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Exploring the Activation Process

<div id="content"><div class="parentsection"><div class="section"><div tabindex="0"><h3></h3></div><p tabindex="0">You know by now, that SAP Convergent Charging can create usage-based fees, recurring fees and one-shot fees. When processing usage data, the trigger for such processing is obvious: SAP Convergent Charging processes or "rates" a chargeable item, when such an item is sent to it using the dedicated API. The system executes all charges involved in the process and creates the corresponding billable items.</p></div></div></div>

The Term: Activation

<div id="content"><div class="parentsection"><div class="section"><div tabindex="0"><h3></h3></div><p tabindex="0">But how does this work for recurring fees and one-shot fees? As these fees are time-based, you could think the system looks at its system time and – as this date and time progresses – creates the corresponding recurring and one-shot fees as they become due. As a result, the term "now" for a contract would match what users would consider "now". When a recurring fee is due at the beginning of a calendar month, you would see the system create the fees when the clock at our wall states the 1<sup>st</sup> of a calendar month 12 am.</p><p tabindex="0">Well, this is NOT exactly how it works.</p><p tabindex="0">The system date and time is strictly spoken not the frame of reference when it comes to the creation of time-based fees. Instead, each contract item (which is referencing a charge as you will see in the subsequent lessons) keeps track of a so called "last activation date". Recurring fees and one-shot fees will be created up to this date for each contract item (or charge). What does this mean?</p></div></div></div>

Dependency Between Usage Fees, Recurring Fees and one-shot Fees

<div id="content"><div class="parentsection"><div class="section"><div tabindex="0"><h3></h3></div><p tabindex="0">A contract item can be activated to a date, which is different from the date which is considered as "now" by users of the system. As a result, SAP Convergent Charging will not create all recurring and one-shot fees up to "now". Instead, it will only create those recurring and one-shot fees, that are due up to including the activation date.</p><p tabindex="0">The following video takes you through the activation process step by step:</p><div class="kalturaVideoLessonWrapper"><div aria-label="Video" class="kalturaVideoLessonContainer" data-testid="video" id="1_l0scoy1s"></div></div></div></div></div>

The Activation Process

Implementing SAP Convergent Charging

Learn how the activation process works in SAP Convergent Charging, including contract activation, recurring fees, and activation methods. Understand the importance of timing in triggering fees within a contract.<br><br># This description was auto-generated #

Activation Process - Third Draft.mp4

In this video, we will explain how the activation process works. We live in a world where time constantly progresses. The current date and time is what we consider now. Let's assume we create a contract with a start date in the past. This is possible in SAP Convergent Charging. The contract uses a charge with a recurring rate that has its recurring period synchronized with the calendar months. These are created pro rata at the beginning of each period. The fact that in the user's reality now is somewhere in the second half of February does not trigger any fee. The contract needs to be activated up to a certain date to trigger time-based fees. Let's activate the contract to the 10th of February. Such an activation can be executed by calling a dedicated API and providing the activation date as well as the contract ID. As a result, the system will now consider all recurring and one-shot events due between the last activation date and the requested activation date. As there is no such last activation date, the system will consider the time from the contract's start date up to including the requested activation date. Within this time interval, SAP Convergent Charging will list all recurring and one-shot events and execute them in chronological order. The last activation date will be set to the date and time for which the last recurring event or one-shot event was triggered, and not the requested activation date. Now let's wait to somewhere around March 20th. Without any activation of the contract, no fees will be generated. Let's assume the contract is activated once again, this time up to, including, the 25th of March. This time the system checks the time period beginning at the last activation date to including the requested activation date for any fees to trigger. The system processes any fees due in chronological order. The last activation date is now moved again to the date and time the last recurring event or one-shot event was due. You should know about three ways to activate a contract. One way is to call a dedicated web service. This allows the activation process to be controlled from another system like a job scheduler, for instance. A second way is the activation scheduler of SAP Convergent Charging. It is enabled by default and runs every morning at 12am. During each run, it activates all contracts of a system to the current system date. A third way is by rating a chargeable item. Chargeable items will implicitly activate a contract item or charge to the consumption date of the chargeable item. This activation is executed before the chargeable item is rated. Let's see how this works. In our example, a chargeable item is to be rated with a consumption date set to the 7th of April at 12 a.m. When the system processes the chargeable item, it will first check for any recurring or one-shot fees due between the last activation date and the consumption date of the chargeable item. As the chargeable item has its consumption date after the recurring fee on the 1st of April is due, the recurring fee is triggered first. After that, the chargeable item is rated and the corresponding fee is created. We assume the fee charge for the chargeable item is 5 in this case. The last activation date will be moved to the date the last recurring event was executed. As you can see, the last activation date is only moved to the date and time the last recurring fee was triggered for. If an activation is requested for a time prior to the last activation date, no additional recurring fees or one-shot fees are created. The same is true when a chargeable item is rated that has a consumption date prior to the last activation date of the charge. No recurring fees or one-shot fees are created. The chargeable item, however, is rated as usual. You should now have a good understanding of the activation process. This understanding is especially important when recurring fees and usage fees are triggered within the same contract.