IMSI and MSISDN Pools (FT-1009.007)

About this document

Scope

This document provides background information as well as a functional description of the FT-1009.007 IMSI and MSISDN Pools standard feature. The described feature is supported from the release version 4.0 onwards.

Note

IMSI and MSISDN Pools is a standard feature and does not require a special license.

This feature is part of the SIM Onboarding & Provisioning functionality with number FN-1020.

Feature Availability

Feature overview

Goals

The aim of the IMSI and MSISDN Pools feature is to provide capabilities for CSPs to manage all IMSIs and MSISDNs grouped into pools that have been made available to them by the Network Provider.

Functionality of the feature

IMSI Pools

IMSI Pools are groups of IMSIs that exist independent of being permanently assigned to an ICCID or MSISDN, and they allow for the use of the Multi-IMSI concept (future).

IMSI Pools created in CMP can either be dedicated to a single Account or shared by all Accounts. In case the pool has a dedicated Account, IMSIs in the respective pool are only available for use of the dedicated Account.

CMP provides capabilities to recycle IMSIs once the SIM has been set to Resource Status PURGED. If recycling of the IMSIs is enabled, IMSIs that become unassigned from a SIM Card can be assigned again after the quarantine period is over. The quarantine period defines the number of days an IMSI is blocked (i.e. not available for use) before it can be used again in a new assignment.

To populate the IMSI Pools, IMSIs are loaded into CMP via SIM File Upload, however, the IMSI Pools, that follow the simple resource lifecycle (DRAFT-ACTIVE-INACTIVE), must be activated first to be available for File Uploads.

The minimum details in a SIM Upload File are ICCID, and IMSI.

MSISDN Pools

In most cases, SIM Cards ordered from a SIM Vendor will be pre-provisioned with an IMSI-MSISDN combination. By creating a pool of these MSISDNs, CMP handles them as a resource that can be reassigned to different IMSIs from the same Network Provider.

MSISDN Pools created in CMP can either be dedicated to a single Account or shared by all Accounts. In case the pool has a dedicated Account, MSISDNs in the respective pool are only available for use of the dedicated Account.

CMP provides capabilities to recycle MSISDNs once they have been unassigned from an IMSI. If recycling of the MSISDNs is enabled, MSISDNs that become unassigned from a SIM Card can be assigned again after the quarantine period is over. The quarantine period defines the number of days an MSISDN is blocked (i.e. not available for use) before it can be used again in a new assignment.

To populate the MSISDN Pools, MSISDNs are loaded into CMP either via MSISDN File Upload or by SIM File Upload which includes the MSISDNs. However, the MSISDN Pools, that follow the simple resource lifecycle (DRAFT-ACTIVE-INACTIVE), must be activated first to be available for File Uploads.

The minimum detail in an MSISDN upload file is one MSISDN per line.

Dummy MSISDN Pools

Dummy MSISDN Pools are a special kind of MSISDN Pools. The Dummy MSISDN Pool is a PUBLIC pool set up in ACTIVE status at installation. Note that it cannot be created or modified via GUI.

Dummy MSISDN Pools consist of Dummy MSISDNs that are used for MSISDN release in the HLR. Some HLRs cannot release an MSISDN and have no MSISDN assigned to an IMSI. Therefore, in order to release the MSISDN, the MSISDN is replaced with a Dummy MSISDN. Dummy MSISDNs cannot be recycled, once used for releasing a regular MSISDN it won’t be available for further MSISDN release operations.

Since only the Resource Manager Admin User is allowed to upload MSISDN to the Dummy MSISDN Pool, in case the number of available Dummy MSISDN falls below a given threshold CMP will notify the Admin User.