APPENDIX A. Internal modules of the billing engine

Below you will find the descriptions of some modules that allow you to enable or disable certain PortaSwitch features. We suggest that you enable additional modules (that have been disabled by default) only if you understand how they work and plan to use the functionality they provide.

This feature is enabled on the Configuration server by default.

See the Local Number Portability section in the PortaBilling Administrator Guide for more information about this feature.

This is a convenient PBX feature that allows users to put a conversation on hold, move to a different location, and then resume the conversation from a different IP phone by dialing a pickup code. Enable Call Parking when you want to use this feature.

By dialing a Group Pickup Prefix on the phones, this feature permits those phones within the same PBX environment (all accounts under the same customer) to answer each other’s calls. This feature is enabled by default.

The Favorite numbers feature permits the application of a special promotional rating for a group of numbers that are individually defined for each subscriber. After this feature is enabled in the billing engine, the “Favorite numbers” feature is enabled for individual accounts on the Account info page in the Service Features tab of the web interface.

Enabling this module permits the use of the special authorization and rating models for callback service.

This module is used to produce a “routing prognosis” (a list of routes to be used when a specific phone number is called) when requested from the “Test dialplan” portion of the PortaBilling web interface. It should be enabled in order for the web dial plan component to operate correctly.

If you purchase bulk numbers from a telco operator and upload them to PortaSwitch, but some of them are not yet provisioned to PortaSwitch accounts, these numbers may cause routing loops. Someone calls a number; the call is delivered to your network; but since the destination number does not belong to any local account, PortaSwitch considers it to be an outside number and routes it to an external carrier, which then delivers it to your network again, and the action repeats continually, again and again.

In order to prevent this from happening, numbers that do not belong to any local accounts (while currently available in the database) can be “registered” in the DID inventory. When a call is made to one of these numbers, PortaSwitch considers these numbers “not yet provisioned” and therefore, the call fails and shows the following disconnection code: CLD_UNASSIGNED. Therefore, enable this module to prevent routing loops for calls to unassigned DID numbers.

When this module is enabled it takes control of the handling and routing for the PortaSwitch Media server voice applications. Do not forget to activate the UM feature for products that are required to provide UM service:

1. On the PortaBilling Main Menu page, in the Rating section, choose Products.
2. On the Product Management page, click on the name of the corresponding product.
3. Click on the Service Configuration tab.
4. In the Services column, under Voice Calls, select Incoming Calls.
5. From the UM Enabled list, select Enabled to activate UM services for this product.

This module implements various actions, requested by IVR applications (e.g.,  performing a customer sign-up by creating a new account). This module is enabled on the Configuration server by default.

PortaSwitch supports the Paging/Intercom Calls feature, which enables users from the same group to use two phones like an on-door speakerphone. This module is enabled on the Configuration server by default.

See the Paging/Intercom Calls section in the PortaSIP Administrator Guide for more information.

Enable this module if you need a workaround for improperly configured third-party nodes, i.e. when one node sends a call to another one in a non-E.164 format and the BE authorization is inconsistent with access code accounting.