Deploying Cisco® Voice over IP Solutions

432 Chapter 10: Prepaid Services

Architecture for Internally Managed Prepaid Services

The architecture for a network designed to manage prepaid services from within its own

infrastructure can vary depending on the relative locations of the voice gateways. Figure 10-

2 illustrates an architectural model in which the FTP/TFTP servers are local to the gateways

and the RADIUS server is centralized. Both FTP/TFTP and RADIUS servers can be

centralized or geographically dispersed, depending on the nature of the packet telephony

network involved.

Figure 10-2 Internally managed prepaid services network topology.

The billing and accounting components of prepaid services consist of VoIP gateways, TCL

IVR scripts, audio files, a TFTP server, and an integrated third-party, RADIUS-based

billing system.

Hardware and Software Requirements

This section covers the following:

• Network devices

• System platform requirements

• Cisco IOS software and VCWare requirements

• Memory

RADIUS server NTP server

IP network

TFTP/FTP TFTP/FTP

GatewayGateway

End-users End-users

Architecture for Internally Managed Prepaid Services 433

Network Devices

Given the network topology shown in Figure 10-2, you need the following devices to

support internally managed prepaid services:

• Gateways—The debit card application operates on Cisco VoIP H.323 gateways,

including the Cisco AS5300 universal access servers and the Cisco 2600 series, 3620,

and 3640 routers.

• RADIUS server—A standard RADIUS server performs the back-end billing process.

This server must be enabled to parse and understand VSAs and must be able to

respond with the required VSAs, RADIUS codes, and RADIUS return codes. For

smaller-scale deployments, the RADIUS and TFTP servers can be on the same device.

• TFTP/FTP server—This server stores the audio files and TCL script files necessary

to operate the debit card application. The TCL IVR scripts and audio files prompt the

user for information such as account number or destination number, and return values

such as time or money remaining on the card. Approximately 175 audio files exist.

• NTP server—This server has a stratum-1 or stratum-2 clock. All of the devices in the

network must synchronize their clocks to the NTP server to ensure accurate and

consistent accounting records.

System Platform Requirements

The IVR and debit card applications are supported on the following Cisco platforms:

• Cisco AS5300 universal access servers

• Cisco 3620, 3640, 3660 routers

• Cisco 2600 series routers

Cisco IOS Software and VCWare Requirements

To support prepaid services, the Cisco devices in your network must have the following

versions of Cisco IOS software and VCWare installed:

• Cisco IOS Release 12.1 or higher

• VCWare Version 4.10

NOTE Various versions of VCWare and DSPWare are required to complement different versions

of Cisco IOS software. For complete information, please consult the compatibility matrix

at http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/access/acs_serv/5300/iosrn/ioscm/

vcwrmtrx.htm.