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Overview
Conax Contego is a TV platform that streams content to Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB), Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) and Over-The-Top (OTT) based subscriptions.
CRM.COM provides a ready-made implementation of Conax Contego SMS Services Protocol, using the Conax Contego SMS Services Provisioning module, which is primarily responsible for handling the activation and deactivation of signals transmitted to devices. The module can also be used to send messages to the subscriber devices.
Major features
- Integration to Conax Contego 2.0 SMS
- Activation and deactivation of multiple subscriptions simultaneously
- Errors are logged and can be reviewed within the CRM.COM Software.
- Sending of messages to multiple subscribers simultaneously
- Requests not submitted to Conax, can be reviewed through an error file while taking the necessary actions to update CRM.COM accordingly
- Usage of utilities to handle one subscription at a time to pair devices or send messages
- Option to archive old provisioning requests. For more information refer to Utilities
Using Conax Contego SMS Services
- Conax Contego SMS Services implementation submits requests on Conax Contego system asynchronously using FTP.
- Subscription actions update subscription provisioning state.
- Provisioning Requests run identifies all subscriptions whose provisioning state must be updated in CONAX Contego system and creates 'Pending' requests
- 'Pending' requests coming from CRM.COM are grouped together into a file which is then transferred through FTP in order to be processed.
- Conax provides 'Accepted' and 'Rejected' requests to CRM.COM through 'Error Handling' runs and CRM.COM subscriptions are updated accordingly.
Setting Up Conax Contego SMS Services
Provisioning Provider
The parameters that are necessary to access the CA/OTT platform and to map the CRM.COM services and physical goods to be provisioned can be supplied from Provisioning Provider Data Entry page.
Provider fields
The table describes the standard sections of a Provisioning Provider Data Entry page and explains how the fields in the page are used.
Mandatory
Configurable
| Main Information | |
|---|---|
| Provider Information |
|
Connection Parameters |
User Name, Password: Credentials used to login to the CA system. Character Set Encoding used by the web services (defaults to UTF-8). |
Distributors
| |
Distributors are used to associate the services and devices (installed items) of a subscription with the provisioning provider. Multiple distributors on a subscription represent separate viewing locations. Each device can offer different services. In a pay TV subscription, for example, two distributors can represent the decoder and channels available in a living room and bedroom. Create the distributors that can be provisioned through the provider. One or more provisioning distributors must be present for a provider to be 'Effective'. ADD a new distributor and supply the information required in the modal. | |
| Main Information |
|
| Allowed Services | Define the services available through the distributor. Once a distributor is selected, only the services defined as 'Allowed' will be available for selection when adding subscription services. Two options are supported:
The available services are filtered and validated against those defined in the 'Services' section, which can be provisioned by the associated provider. |
| Restrictions | Minimum/Maximum Optional/Mandatory service restrictions determine the number of services that can be added to the distributor. Restrictions per Service Type: Define the minimum and maximum number of services that can be added to the distributor, from specific Restrictions per Physical Good Type: Define the minimum and maximum number of installed items that can be added to the distributor, from specific |
| Dependencies | Define |
Services | |
One or more service mappings must be present for a provider to be 'Effective'.
An ID is not mandatory for a non-provisioning service (i.e. a service whose product type is not set as 'Used for Provisioning'). | |
Physical Goods | |
A list of devices that are necessary for provisioning through the provider. For example, a decoder and a smartcard, or only a decoder or only a modem. A specific device type may be mandatory for a certain provider. The Installed Item Alternative Code represents the ID of devices communicated to the CA/OTT platform. | |
| Operations Parameters | Maximum Number Of Records in Each File: The maximum number of client IDs that can be included in each file, which cannot exceed 20000 (the default value set automatically if no other value is specified). Renewal Frequency in Months: A subscription sent to CONAX SMS always has an end date (calculated using the Add Subscription End Period in Months). Add Subscription End Period in Months: The period to calculate the end date of a subscription service when a request is sent to activate it. If not specified, it defaults to '1' and it cannot exceed '36'. Cancel Subscription End Period in Months: The period to calculate the end date of the deactivation. months used to set the Cancel Subscription End Date. If not specified, it defaults to '1' and it cannot exceed '36'. Renew Subscription End Period in months: The period to calculate the subscription's end date once the 'Renewal request' is sent. If not specified, it defaults to '1' and it cannot exceed '36'. |
|---|
Related configuration areas
Mandatory modules must be configured for the provisioning module to work.
| Manual Link | Area | Description | Configuration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Products |
| Configure the physical good and service types, and the physical goods and services that will be offered to subscriptions, by adding them to the provisioning provider. | Mandatory |
| Communications | Communication Queue External System | Set up the external system that will be used to handle mail messages created for the provider. | Optional |
Handling Subscriptions Through Batch Processes
Billing > Provisioning > Conax Contego SMS Services
Processing provisioning requests
Provisioning request runs are used to create and submit new provisioning requests when a modification to a subscription affects its activation status. When the process is executed, the system searches for subscriptions that meet the following criteria and sends the respective requests to the CA/OTT platform (so that the services, hardware and status of the subscriptions match on the two systems):
- Subscriptions have services that should be activated ('Active' in CRM and 'Inactive' in CA/OTT platform).
- Subscriptions have services that should be deactivated ('Inactive' in CRM and 'Active' in CA/OTT platform).
- Subscriptions have a set of installed items that are defined in CRM and not in CA/OTT platform.
The process also gathers and submits to the CA/OTT platform all requests that are pending in CRM.COM, which were created by one of the following (if supported by the provisioning provider):
- Web APIs
- Provisioning provider utilities that are not set to be executed immediately.
- Batch processes, such as mail runs or fingerprint runs, that are not set to be executed immediately.
Provisioning request runs are created when a provisioning request process run definition is submitted.
Handling rejected requests
Once the provisioning processing run is executed, the respective provisioning requests sent to Conax through FTP, remain in a 'Pending' life cycle state. Once Conax is updated it creates the responses for CRM.COM (i.e. such as reports on whether requests have been rejected or have failed).
CRM.COM is then synchronized to Conax Contego based on these responses which are handled by Error Handling Files Runs reverting changes done to subscriptions in case of an error in Conax.
Error Handling file runs are created through the 'error handling run definition' once submitted.
Sending mail & bark messages
Mail runs are used to send messages to subscriber devices. The messages can be displayed in the set-top box (STB) mailbox or directly on the screen (once or repeatedly).
Messages can be scheduled to appear as soon as they are sent or at a specific time.
The process run does not create the messages; the messages are created in the system as communications (through notifications) and remain 'Pending' in the communication queue until the mail run is executed. The mail run identifies the communications that should be handled by matching each entry in the communication queue 'Communication Queue External System' with one defined in the mail run.
The table describes the sections of 'mail and bark messages run definition' Data Entry page, and explains how the fields in the page are used.
Mandatory
Configurable
| Main Information | |
|---|---|
Input Settings | |
Sequence: The sequence that should be used to send the message. This is the order by which the messages will be handled by Conax.
Process Immediately: Determines if the request will be sent directly to Conax or created and processed subsequently by the provisioning request processing run |
Handling a subscription through a utility
Billing > Provisioning > Conax Contego SMS Services
Utilities are used to handle one subscription at a time.
Pair Smartcards & STBs
Pairs a smartcard with an STB (New) or add a single STB to an existing pairing (Update).
Specify the smartcard and the STB which should be paired. If the selected smartcard or the STB are already paired then the existing paired device is automatically loaded. Select 'Express' Priority if you need the pairing to be handled by Conax as soon as possible.
If the request is successful then each 'item subscription provisioning distribution' is updated by setting the 'Item is initialized' to 1
Send mail & bark messages
Sends on-screen or inbox messages to a subscriber device.
.Start by selecting the Type of message to be sent and provide the rest of the required information. Unlike Message Runs, no Communication is related to messages that are sent through the utility as the text to be included in the message is provided through the utility.
| Main Information |
|---|
Sequence: Defines the sequence that should be used to send the message. If not specified then the system Defaults to '255'. Display Duration in Seconds: Defines the duration in seconds for which bark messages will appear in the STB. If not specified, then the system defaults to '20'. |
Conax Contego SMS Services Command Mapping
The table below displays the CRM.COM processes that trigger each Conax Contego SMS Services command (a request) as well as the parameters sent for each request.
Activation and deactivation commands are not directly triggered by the execution of Subscription Actions. Once the Provisioning Request Processing Run Definition is executed, the system is checked against the logic available under the Trigger Logic column, and the respective Conax Contego command is created, provided the necessary conditions are met.
Conax Contego SMS Services Command | Usage | Triggered by | Trigger Logic | Command Parameters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ADD_SUBSCRIPTION | Activates subscription services |
| Has at least one 'Effective' or 'Short Term Effective' subscription service, which is not authorized1. |
|
| CANCEL_SUBSCRIPTION | Deactivates subscription services |
| Has at least one 'Not Effective', 'Regretted', 'Swapped', 'Removed', 'Cancelled', 'In Resting' or 'Short Term Not Effective' subscription service, which is authorized1. |
|
| RENEW_SUBSCRIPTION | Renews subscription services |
| Has at least one 'Effective' or 'Short Term Effective' subscription service, which is authorized1. The subscription provisioning distributor's authorization date AND the 'Renewal Frequency' defined in the Provider's configuration is less than or equal to the current date. |
|
| CREATE_PAIRING | Pairs Smartcards and STBs |
|
|
|
SEND_MESSAGE | Send messages to subscribers |
| For requests through the mail & bark definition
|
|
1. 'Authorized' is a field kept in CRM.COM for every subscription service which represents its state at the provider.
- authorized = active (1)
- not authorized = inactive (0)
2. 'Initialized' is a field kept in CRM.COM for every installed item which represents its state at the provider.
- initialized= registered (1)
- not initialized= not registered (0)
Conax Contego SMS Services Business Examples
Subscription with multiple viewing points
Scenario 1
Company ZX offers to its customers the option to have multiple viewing points per subscription. This enables its customers to have a separate box and card in each of the rooms, and choose between having the same channels or different channels available through boxes. The maximum number of viewing points that can be added to a subscription is 4.
Solution
For each set of box and card that will be made available to subscribers, CRM.COM must have a different provisioning distributor available, in order to set the channel availability and restrictions per box.
To support this, the following distributors must be set up in the Provisioning Provider.
- Main
- TWIN1
- TWIN2
- TWIN3
Send mail messages to subscriber's box
Scenario 2
Company ZX would like to send personalized messages to its subscribers, that will be directly accessible via their Set-Top Boxes (STBs). Specifically, it wants to be able to send:
- Messages that can be accessed via the subscriber's STB inbox.
- Messages that are shown on the subscriber's TV.
Solution
Agents should use the "Mail & Bark Messages Utility" and the appropriate type for each of the above method of communication. The agents should type the message that they would like to send to the subscriber.
Messages that can be accessed via their STB inbox | Mail Message |
|---|---|
Messages that are shown on their TV | Bark Message |
Notes
- If you are using a previous release, view CRM.COM Release Changes.
- Use the WEB API to create and manage Conax Contego SMS Services provisioning requests from an external system. Refer to the Conax Contego SMS Services WEB API for a comprehensive list of available actions.
Glossary
| CRM.COM Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| CA | Stands for Conditional Access (system), which in this case is Conax Contego. |
| Mail Message | A message sent by the provider to the customer, that appears in the Set-Top Box (STB) mailbox, either when received or at a specific time. |
| Bark Message | A message sent by the provider to the customer, that appears directly on the screen, either when received or at a specific time. |
| DVB | Stands for Digital Video Broadcasting and is a suite of internationally accepted open standards for digital television. |
| IPTV | Internet Protocol Television delivers television content using the internet Protocol, instead of the traditional terrestrial satellite signal. |
| OTT | Stands for Over The Top and is media content, such as audio or video, which is delivered over the internet with no intervention from the service Provider. |
| FTP | Stands for File Transfer Protocol. |
| Provisioning State | The provisioning state of a Subscription service (i.e. a channel) that can be either 'Active' or 'Inactive'.
|
| Service CA ID or Provisioning ID | The ID that is used in Conax Contego to identify The subscription service for which signals should be sent to the subscriber's device. |