CallSim-vs-CallGen Nov02

ATS Network & Billing Update

November 2002

by Paul Gilbert, ATS

Editor’s Note: As SimCall’s 10th anniversary approaches, one of its main creators finds a compelling comparison in his archives between SimCall’s call simulation technology and call generation systems used for revealing revenue-leaking switch translations errors. An old e-mail dialogue, as relevant today as in 1998 when it occurred, was the source of this article.

An Entire Universe of Possible Calls

The number of test calls that can be made in a given amount of time, as a percentage of the total number of possible dialing combinations, is one big area of differentiation between the two systems of testing for translations errors. For every 10 calls a call-generator makes (3-4 minutes), SimCall simulates from 10,000 to 1,000,000 calls (depending on the switch type and the system used). On average, SimCall validates four orders of magnitude more dialing combinations in a similar time frame. That's a 10,000 to 1 ratio. This means you’ll catch more-revenue affecting errors more quickly using SimCall.

Locating and Correcting the Root Cause

Call generators tell the end user little or nothing about the translations that were used by a failed call. Tickets from call generators provide only a fraction of the information that SimCall provides. The tech can see the problem not only more easily given a SimCall report, but can see error patterns in translations that allow failed calls to be grouped by actual translations errors. With SimCall’s interface, the end user can sort and filter to manipulate these patterns into their most useful form for better decision making and prioritizing.

Costs of Network Usage and Resources

A call generator must tie up dial tone that otherwise could be sold to customers. A call generator must compete with customers for switching and network resources. From CPU cycles to switching paths to outgoing trunks (which may be in short supply to some destinations), a call generator requires availability of facilities for which revenue is not generated. In addition, many test calls must be paid for. This can total hundreds of thousands of dollars a year for a large company. Test calls must also be tracked so that they don't fall into un-identified toll, creating more work for other groups. None of these pitfalls exist for SimCall because it simulates calls off the network.

Maintenance Efforts

SimCall maintenance efforts are small compared to test call generator systems. Test number and test line administration are a constant headache and require far more person hours than anything having to do with SimCall. Particularly in today's world of mobile/cellular phone number ranges, CLEC's, large business Centrex customers, and more number-gobbling factors, maintaining good test numbers for all available (particularly new) NXX's within the geographical area of interest is a daily battle. In fact, there are typically 15% or more of terminating NXX's that cannot be tested with call-generators because test numbers are un-available, or no longer work.

In addition, insuring that a call-generator's test lines are working (have dial tone) and are assigned to the correct class of service is another constant maintenance effort. And unless prodigious sums have been spent on end-office hardware, typical call-generator implementations cannot originate from many Rate Center/Class-of-service combinations without reconfiguring their test lines.

Setting up and understanding SimCall's databases can be difficult, initially, though the effort is well worth it; and SimCall is being refined to be more intuitive, despite its vast functionality, all the time. Setting up and understanding a call-generator's databases is also difficult, initially. Ongoing maintenance might be tedious, if good processes have not been developed, and this is true for both SimCall and call-generator systems alike.

Purchase/Lease Costs

Typically, SimCall is less expensive than a call-generator system, due primarily to it not needing hardware in the switch.

Conclusion

There are things that a call generator can do that SimCall can't and vice versa, but there can be no question that SimCall is unmatched in finding translations errors that affect billing, and, in many cases, routing.

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