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Section overview

Rates Generator is is a tool aimed at making rates management more flexible and versatile by allowing setting up specific rules that will be applied to codes and rate tables in general. Additionally, it allows both generating a new rate table for vendors or updating new ones. Section The section is presented in a form of a table with the following columns:

Screenshot: Rates Generator form

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Column	Description
ID	Identification number of a rates generator
Name	Name of a rates generator
Reseller	Name of a reseller, whom a rates generator belongs to
Description	Additional information about a rates generator

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Button/Icon	Description
	Allows creating a new rates generator
	Allows downloading a rate table with rates generator rules in .csv or .xls formats
	Allows deleting a rates generator from the system

Creating a New Rates Generator

In order to To create a new rates generator, you need to press New click the New Rates Generator button and a pop-up creation form will appear. It consists of general settings and additional ones settings. The list of general settings include includes the following fields:

Screenshot: General settings

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Field	Description
Name	Specify the name of a new rates generator
Reseller	Select the reseller, to whom a newly created rates generator should belong
Service	Choose the service to be applied for the respective rates generator (calls, smsSMSs, data, etc.).
Code Deck	Select the code deck that will be used to name destination codes in a new price list if the Adjust Results option is checked
Currency	Specify the currency of rates in a new price list
Description	Additional information about a current rates generator

To refine your results, you can use the following additional criteria:

Optimization Options

ScreenshotScreenshot: Rates Generator form/ Optimization sub-panel

Information blockBlock

Description

Simple Optimization

It allows applying the same price for all codes inside the same code name by using three options.:

min

minimal minimum available price.

max

maximal maximum available price.

avg

average price of all available.

Example

For instance, if the USA code name consists of 3 codes with 1, 5, and 6 USD rates, respectively, depending on a chosen option, the results will be:

Code

Source Rate

»

Result Rate for min

Result Rate for max

Result Rate for avg

1201

1

6

4

1202

5

1

6

4

1203

6

1

6

4

Vertical Optimization

This option allows replacing the longer codes by the shorter ones within a Code Name.

Target < Parent

If a current rate is less of an entered percent, then it will be optimized. The longest codes will be merged to the shorter codes within the same code name.

Target > Parent

If a current rate price is above an entered percent, then it will be optimized. The longest codes will be merged to the shorter codes within the same code name.

Example

For instance, you have the USA code name that consists of 5 following codes: 120, 1201, 1202, 120345, 120456 with 1, 1.05, 0.98, 1.5, 0.6 USD rates, respectively.

Then, you need to specify the Target < Parent and Target > Parent fields: let's say 10% for each field. The Parent code is the shortest sub-code within a Code Name (e.g., 120 is a sub-code for 1202, 1203, 1205 but not for 121, 1222, etc.). Thus, the boundaries for vertical optimization are 0.9 USD and 1.1 USD with parent's code rate of 1 USD. As a result, 1201 and 1202 codes will be merged into 120 code since they are located within the specified interval. On the other hand, 120345 and 120456 codes will remain unchanged.The resulting rate table with vartical vertical optimization will have the following look:

Source Code	Source Rate	Target < Parent	Target > Parent	Result Code	Result Rate
120	1	10% (0.9)	10% (1.1)	120	1
1201	1.05
1202	0.98
120345	1.5			120345	1.5
120456	0.6			120456	0.6

Horizontal Optimization

This option allows applying the same rate to codes of the same lengths within a Code Name.

Target < Parent

If a current rate price is less of an entered percent, then it will be optimized. The price will be set for all codes with the same length within a respective code name.

Target > Parent

If a current rate price is above an entered percent, then it will be optimized. The price will be set for all codes with the same length within a respective code name.

Example

For instance, you have the USA code name that consists of 5 3 following codes: 120,120345,120456 with 1, 14, 15 rates, respectively.

Then, you need to specify the Target < Parent and Target > Parent with 5% and 10%. For this type of optimization, the system will check each code that matches the optimization rule (be of the same lenghtlength) as a parent one. In our case, 120345 and 120456 will be checked. For . Therefore, the boundaries for 120345 code will be 13.3 USD and 15.4 USD. Since 120456 code has 15 USD rate that matches the interval, its rate will be changed to 14 USD. As a result, the generated rate table will have the following look.

Source Code

Source Rate

Target < Parent

Target > Parent

»

Result Code

Result Rate

120

1

5%

10%

120

1

120345

14

120345

14

120456

15

120456

14

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Attention

Please be advised that we don't recommend to use using all types of optimization within one rates generator. Simple optimization is designed to work solely, thus, no other type will work, if simple optimization is enabled. However, you can enable verical vertical and horizontal optmizationoptimization within the same rates generator. Nevertheless, we recommend to enable only one type of optimization per rates generator.

Adjust Options

The Adjust Results checkbox enables results adjusting by data from a currently selected Code Deck. It means that the number of codes in your source rate table (specified in rules after a new rates generator is created) must be equal to the number of codes in your Code Deck. If your Code Deck has only 5 codes, but a rate table has 10, those extra codes, that are not specified in a selected Code Deck, will be removed from a generated rate table. On the other hand, if your Code Deck has 15 codes, but a rate table has only 5, 10 extra codes will be added to a generated rate table with parameters, specified in this information block. A detailed example is provided in the table below.

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Field

Description

Tag

Specify a tag that will be applied to new rates, if such were created by a rates generator. Let's leave the default @ tag

Policy

Select the policy (regular or additive) that will be applied to a code(s), present presented in a code deck, but not in a source rate table. For example, Regular policy

Rate

Define a rate for code(s) codes, which are present in a code deck but missing in a rule's source rate table. For example, 7.5 USD

Setup Fee

Define a setup fee for a new rate(s). For example, 8 USD

Min Volume

Indicate minimum volume for a new rate(s). 6 sec, for instance

Interval

Specify the interval for a new rate(s). For example, 2 sec

Grace Volume

Determine grace volume for those rates. For example, 2 sec

Time Profile

Define a time profile for a new rate(s). For instance, leave the default all time profile

Example

Let's say our DEFAULT code deck contains 5 codes: 1201, 1202, 1203, 1204, 1205. But our source rate table comprises of has 4 codes: 1201, 1202, 1203, and 1205. If you enable Adjust Results and specify the above-mentioned fields with respective parameters, a new rate rabletable, created by a rates generator, will consist of 5 codes: 1201,1202, 1203, 1205 with their original parameters and a new 1204 code with the following ones (see screenshot above):

Field	Value
Code	1204
Code Name	According to DEFAULT code deck
Rate	7.5
Setup Fee	8
Min Volume	6
Interval	2
Grace Volume	2
Time Profile	all time
Tag	@
Policy	Regular

If a source rate table misses more than 1 code from the selected code deck, all added codes will havethe identical parameters, specified in the respective fields above.

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Attention

Please note, if you enable the Adjust Results option but don'y t specify the Rate field, new rates for missing codes won't be added to a new rate table

Advanced Options

The Advanced Options information block is designed to resolve cases when rates generator rules are created for different source rate tables that share certain identical codes. By specifying the following fields, you can configure what will the rate system will use use for these codes:

Screenshot: Advanced Options information block

Field

Description

Detect fakeFake

Enable detection of fake rates if at least a specified number of rates is present in all source rate table, specified in generator rules.

Skip distanceDistance

A percentage value of difference between the average rate value and a particular rate from all rates, used for the Detect Fake operation.

Rate positionPosition

Define what rate from a total amount of rates left after Detect Fake operation will be used for a certain code.

Rate Rates are ordered from the chepaest cheapest to the most expensive, thus. Thus, if you specify 1, The system will use the cheapest rate, if 2 - the second cheapest, and so on.

Example

Let's say we have 4 rules in our rates generator, each with a different source rate table. Each rate table has a rate for the 1201 code, but with difference different prices in USD:

Rate Table Name	Rate
RT 1	0.98
RT 2	0.2
RT 3	1.1
RT 4	1.7

In Advanced Options of rates generator settings, we've specified values, seen on the screenshot above. It means that the system will pick all 4 rates for the 1201 code and execute the following actions:

Count an average rate for all 4 rates that equals 0.99 USD.
Count the interval of 15% for average rate of 0.99 USD that is between 0.85 USD and 1.13 USD. Then, the system will compare all rates and skip 1.7 USD rate from RT 4 and 0.2. USD rate from RT 2.
Since the Rate position field value is 2, the system will pick the second cheapest rate for this code that is 1.1 from RT 3 and apply it as a basic rate for 1201 code in a new rate table, created by a rates generator.

Quality Options

The Quality Options information block contains additional parameters for a more precise rate generation, based on the Summary Report. System The system will analyze the report taking into account a specified time interval, specified in a report, minimum event value for codes, specified in generator rules, as well replace rate values for unmatched codes, and will generate a new rate table or update an exisiting one existing one including these parameters. Information The information block consists of the following fields:

Screenshot: Quality Options information block

Field

Description

Analyze periodPeriod

Define a number of hours to analyze the Summary Report for. For example, 24 hours

Code min volumeMin Volume

Define a minimum event volume for a certain code. For example, 60 min for Calls service

Unmatched pricePrice

Define price for all codes which do not satisfy quality parameters (Code min volume value), For example, 100 USD

Example

For example, you created a new rates generator and set up 3 rules for the following codes: 1201, 1202, 1205 with 1.5, 2.5, and 5.5 USD rates, respectively. In Quality options, respective parameters are same as indicate in the example (see screenshot above). If you press either Generate To file, Create Rate Table or Update Rate Table button on May 16, at, for example, 15.25 PM, rates generator will run a Summary Report with the following parameters:

Field	Value
Period	May 15, 15.25 PM - May 16, 15.25 PM
Code	1201, 1202, 1205
Total Volume	60

Subsequently, report showed that billed volume for 1201 code is 79 mins, 1202 - 49 mins, and 1205 - 61 mins. As a result, a newly generated rate table will contain the following data:

Code

Old Rate

»

New Rate

1201

1.5

1202

2.5

100

1205

5.5

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Versions Compared

Old Version 3

New Version 4

Key

Section overview

Creating a New Rates Generator

Optimization Options

Adjust Options

Advanced Options

Quality Options