Overview
ISO/IEC 10164-10:1995 - "Information technology - Open Systems Interconnection - Systems Management: Usage metering function for accounting purposes" specifies a systems management function and information model for collecting resource usage metering information. Positioned in the OSI application layer and aligned with CCITT/ITU-T X.700/X.742 and ISO/IEC 7498-4, the standard defines services, objects and protocol elements for acquiring usage data that can be used in charging or accounting systems (note: actual charging/billing processes are outside the standard’s scope). The specification is generic and intended to be extended for application-specific use (examples in annexes include PSTN and X.400 MHS metering).
Key topics and requirements
- Usage metering models: Abstract models for accounting, usage metering, usage records and relationships between accountable objects, control objects and data objects.
- Management information: Managed object classes, attributes, notifications and actions necessary to represent metering state and events.
- Usage metering control and data: Functional packages for metering control, metering capabilities, metering actions, notifications and conditional data reporting.
- Record formats: Model and templates for usage metering records and reports intended for downstream accounting systems.
- Service definitions: Service primitives for action invocation, notifications and data report delivery (usage metering action service, notification service, data report notification service).
- Protocol elements & abstract syntax: Specification of abstract syntax (ASN.1 modules in annexes), elements of procedure (action invocation/receipt, response, notifications) and negotiation of functional units.
- Conformance & templates: Conformance clauses, parameter definitions and annexed templates (ASN.1 definitions, MCS/MICS/MOCS/MIDS proformas) to aid implementation.
- Scope constraints: Defines acquisition and representation of usage information; it does not define charging algorithms or billing workflows.
Applications and who uses it
- Network operators and telecom providers - collecting usage records (call minutes, data volume) for downstream billing systems.
- Systems management and TMN implementers - integrating metering into centralized or decentralized management architectures.
- Software vendors & integrators - implementing managed object classes, ASN.1 schemas, and management agents/gateways that export usage data.
- Enterprises running metered services - tracking resource consumption (e.g., message handling, PSTN, network services) for chargeback or audit.
Practical uses include standardized collection of metering events, interoperable usage-report delivery, and providing an extensible framework for application-specific metering functions.
Related standards
Keywords: ISO/IEC 10164-10, usage metering, accounting, systems management, OSI, TMN, ASN.1, usage records, metering data.
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