LTE EPC Integration (Telrad / Aradial / Extenet)

Introduction

LTE integrations that were implemented in Azotel SIMPLer platform allow operator to provision SIM cards on various EPCs that allows customers to authenticate to the network with LTE devices that are using them. Following is the list of the integrations that are currently available in SIMPLer:

• • Telrad EPC (via iHSS)

  • Telrad EPC (via Aradial Server)

  • Extenet

Each of the interfaces supported requires at a minimum a following set of SIM card attributes provisioned in SIMPLer as these details are essential to authenticate it:

• • IMSI

  • OPCODE

  • KI

  • QoS / Profile details

SIMPLer setup:

• • LTE EPC integration trigger setup

  • QoS / Profiles mapping to Gateway Buckets

Customer Setup:

• • Adding SIM Cars to SIMPLer

  • Adding SIM Cards + LTE devices to customer account

Import Sim Cards from File

SIM Cards, as well as other equipment, can be imported from CSV files using the 'Import Data' tool in SIMPLer. Once the Sim Cards have been imported, they are activated in Aradial with an "unprovisioned" profile, and this profile will change once assigned to a customer.

Below are steps that outline the import process. Note that with a proper setup of the remote API triggers - the SIMPLer platform can activate each imported SIM Card on the synchronized platform (i.e. on Aradial RADIUS server with a chosen group setting)

Note: The same process should be followed for Telrad equipment.

• • Click on the 'Import Data' button from the 'Settings' menu in SIMPLer. (See Fig. 1).

• • Pick the 'Equipment' option from the 'Table to be populated' dropdown menu. Submit your choice with 'Load Interface' button. (See Fig. 2) This will bring up an interface dedicated to uploading Equipment positions to SIMPLer platform.

• • Prepare the CSV file for upload. For SIM Cards used in Telrad environment it should at least contain following six columns:

• 1. Nickname - Unique equipment nickname - SIMPLer will not allow duplicates in this field. This must be in the first column of the imported file

  2. IMSI - International Mobile Subscriber Identity

  3. KI - Key (K) required for authentication

  4. OPCODE - OPc required for authentication

  5. Type - it should be set to 'SIM Card

  6. Status - It should be set to "stock" if you will need to re-assign these pieces of equipment to customers at a later date.

An example CSV file format can be found on the below screenshot (Fig. 4). In a nutshell it must be comma separated with " used as string delimiter

• • Once the CSV file is prepared - columns reflecting the file format should be chosen by double clicking the field name in the left-hand column, you will transfer it to the right-hand column, which represents the fields that will be imported, then select the file to upload and finally click on the 'Upload File' button to start importing process. (See Fig. 5)

• • This will bring a page where data from the uploaded file is interpreted. Any errors will be highlighted and must be corrected before SIMPLer will allow the data set to be imported. Click the 'IMPORT' button once the data set has been reviewed. (See Fig. 6).

Add Sim Cards manually

SIM Cards as well as any other equipment can also be added to the SIMPLer platform manually.

Note: The same process should be followed for Telrad equipment.

• • Click on 'Equipment Details' from the 'Network' submenu to navigate the equipment page that lists all equipment available in the operator instance. There click on the 'Add' button. Alternatively you can directly click on the 'Add New Equipment' option from the 'Network' submenu. (See Fig. 7)

• • Fill out the new SIM Card details. Make sure to use 'SIM Card' as the 'Type' this will enable additional, sim card related details section where the IMSI, KI, and OPCODE can be filled out. The type should also be set as "stock" because this will make it available for selection once you are ready to assign it to a customer. Once done editing simcard attributes click on the 'Add' button. (See Fig. 8)

Customer Account Setup

Below find steps required to set up a customer account in SIMPLer with a SIM Card and a Telrad CPE.

In the case of equipment that was imported to the system, once the process of assigning equipment to customers has been completed completed, any SIM Card account that was previously activated under the server as unassigned, will now take the correct settings from the customer account.

• • Change the customer gateway to 'Telrad - Radius' (See Fig. 9) and change the bucket to whatever it should be for a particular customer - unless the bucket is subscription driven - in which case make sure an appropriate subscription has been set under a customer account.

• • Once the customer gateway / bucket changes have been submitted - a RADIUS subsection (highlighted with green on the below screenshot) will appear under the network details on customer details page. Next click on the 'modify' next to Equipment Detalis - this takes to customer equipment management page. (See Fig. 10)

• • Find both Telrad CPE and SIM Card that the respective customer is using and click on the 'Add' button next to them to add them to customer assigned equipment. All equipment in "stock" will be available for selection here. (See Fig. 11).

• • Once both Telrad CPE and SIM Card have been added to 'Customer Equipment' - choose the recently added Telrad CPE from the 'Equipment Attached to' dropdown in the SIM Cards section. This will tie SIM Card to Telrad CPE and allow for some additional automatons to be set i.e. the IP address displayed under the customer equipment will be automatically updated based on the IP currently attached to the SIM Card. (See Fig. 12).

• • After the above step is completed - a RADIUS Details section will appear under customer details fully set with appropriate credentials (based on SIM Card IMSI attribute) as well as there will be two entries in the 'Equipment Details' table. (See Fig. 13).

• • The last step in the process of setting up a customer account is to add a static IP address to the customer account. Click on 'modify' button in the 'Customer IP Table' section of the Customer Details page. (See Fig. 14).

• • Generate the IP address from our pre-defined IP Pools, or Define the IP address manually. Select the IMSI on the SIM Card from the 'RADIUS Username' dropdown. This will ensure that the IP address will be allocated to the Telrad CPE via a RADIUS session off the Aradial Server. (See Fig. 15).

• • Note that only 'current' customers will get an access to the internet (and their CPE provisioned with the proper QoS as per the bucket). So it might make sense to change the customer account status to 'current' while installing. Aradial accounts for customers in any other state than 'current' will be put into 'suspended' state at the Aradial server.

MAP Aradial Group to SIMPLer bucket

Each production used group that has been set under Aradial must be mapped to a bucket in the SIMPLer platform for every operator instance that is interfacing with a particular Aradial server. Below are steps that outline how to do so.

• • Log to the operator instance in the SIMPLer platform

  • Navigate to RADIUS server tab and than click on Group Reply button from the left side menu. (See Fig. 17).

• • Review the group names found on the RADIUS Group Reply page and check if your new group is missing from it. Note that each group name from Aradial will automatically be prefixed with operator instance name followed by a underscore (i.e. zone1_). If your group is missing - do click on the 'Add' button. (See Fig. 18).

• • On the 'Add Group Radius Reply' page click on 'Define new Group' radio button, then fill out the group name field exactly with a group name as per Aradial requirements, make sure that 'FreeRADIUS-Internal' dictionary is set. Pick the 'Acct-Type' from Attribute dropdown, ':=' option from 'Op' dropdown and fill out 'Value' field with 'Accept'. Verify the form and than click 'Add' to confirm adding a new group. (See Fig. 19).

• • Verify the the new Radius Group has been added (see Fig, 20).

To complete mapping of the RADIUS group to a gateway bucket - do navigate to 'Gateway Details' page from 'Network' popup menu. Then click on the blue 'B' button to get to the buckets page of the 'Telrad - Radius' gateway. (See Fig. 21).

• • Fill out new bucket details - it is a good practice to use the Group name as a bucket name for easy mapping - that being said it is not mandatory. Fill out Downlink / Uplink details - these fields are informational and will not used by the Aradial integration - that being said it is best to fill them out as accurately as possible - so that CSR's know what speeds customers can expect. Click on 'Add' button to confirm adding new bucket then click on 'Update Buckets Table'. (See Fig. 22).

• • Navigate back to buckets page by clicking 'Modify Buckets' button. (See Fig. 23).

• • Click on 'Radius Groups' button for the recently added bucket. (See Fig. 24).

• • In the console window please Click on the 'Add' button. (See Fig. 25).

• • Pick the recently added RADIUS group name from dropdown, make sure that 'Current' is set as the type and click on 'Add'. (See Fig. 26).

• • Verify that the RADIUS group for current type assignment is listed on the summary window. This concludes the setup. (See Fig. 27).