Automation of work Tariscope 

Tariscope is a call accounting system (Tariscope Enterprise) or a billing system for telecommunications operators (Tariscope Provider). If there is no need to specify the Tariscope edition in the future, we will use the name either Tariscope or the Tariscope system.

Each Tariscope user has their own set of operations that they most often perform in the system. If it is not a search for some calls, which is performed each time according to specific parameters and which cannot be automated, then the Tariscope Tasks allows you to automatically perform the most common operations on a schedule. Here is a list of tasks that the Tariscope Scheduler can perform:

• Generating reports.
• Creating database backups.
• Archiving call information.
• Updating currency rates.
• Synchronizing subscriber parameters with the company's Active Directory.
• Charging periodic services.
• Sending some information to subscribers.
• Launching applications.
• Performing a group of tasks.

Reports

The most common action in the Tariscope system is generating some reports. If such reports need to be generated periodically, it is more correct to create a corresponding task for the Tariscope Tasks, which will automatically execute this task according to the schedule. When creating a task for generating reports, you can specify the date and time of the first execution of the task, as well as the period after which it will be repeated. The following periods are possible for the execution of any tasks by the Tariscope Tasks, including those for generating reports:

• One-time. The task will be executed only once. If you need to do this task again, you must either change the date of its first execution or set a different period.
• Every minute. The task will be executed every minute.
• Every hour. The task will be executed every hour.
• Daily. The task will be executed once a day.
• Weekly. The task will be executed once a week.
• Monthly. The task will be executed once a month.
• Yearly. The task will be executed once a year.
• At service start. The task will be executed once when the Tariscope Tasks service starts. The Tariscope Tasks service starts automatically when the Tariscope server starts in the Tariscope Start application (when running on Windows) or can be started manually (when running on Windows or Linux).

In the case when it is necessary for the task to be executed, for example, not every hour, but after 4 hours, then this period of 4 hours is set in the Every textbox. The default value is 1.

In the case when the task of generating a report should be performed not for one, but for every subscriber of a certain group, then you can specify such a group of subscribers. Details on how to do this are described in the article "Automatic generation of reports only for a specified group of subscribers in Tariscope".

If the reports that the Tariscope Tasks should generate are related to call information, then to limit the calls that should be processed, you can select the appropriate filter in the Filter list. If this list does not contain the required filter, you can create it in the call view.

The task for generating reports allows you to select the folder where the reports will be stored, set the report file name template, specify whether this report is generated for each subscriber and whether subscribers will have access to their reports through the Tariscope Personal Area.

The generated report(s) can also be received by the Tariscope administrator via e-mail.

Tariscope contains many various report forms. At the same time, it allows users to independently edit existing report forms or create their own. 

Creating database backups

Practically all information of the Tariscope system is stored in the database. Failure of the server where Microsoft SQL server is installed, or hacker attack can lead to loss of all information. Therefore, we recommend periodically creating backup copies of the database and storing them on other servers or media. This operation can be performed manually in Tariscope or using Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio.

But in order not to forget to do it on time, it is easier to create a corresponding task in the Tariscope Tasks. It is possible to set the creation of both a full backup and a differential copy.

Call archiving

The Tariscope installation package contains the installation of Microsoft SQL Server Express Edition. This edition has a database size limit of 10 GB. If the database reaches this size, further processing of new call information will be stopped. Instead of the specified edition of SQL Server, the user can use paid editions that do not have such a limit. But even on such editions, with a significant increase in the size of the database, SQL queries may slow down. Therefore, in both cases, using a free edition of SQL Server or a paid one, it makes sense to periodically archive call information for past periods that are not of interest now.

This operation in Tariscope can be activated manually, but it is easier to transfer it to the Tariscope Tasks. As for the task of creating a database backup, we recommend storing the call archive file on a physically different server or media than the SQL server.

Currency exchange rate updates

This task may be relevant only when calls or services are specified in different currencies and there is a need to convert them into the base currency. The task allows you to automatically obtain the exchange rates of the required currencies from a given web site.

Synchronization of subscriber parameters with AD

This task may be relevant only for users of the Tariscope Enterprise edition, if the company has Active Directory (AD). To perform data synchronization, the Tariscope administrator must first create the appropriate AD profile before creating a data synchronization task. And then in the task parameters, select this profile and set the date, time and period for data synchronization.

Charging for periodic services

This task is relevant only for users of the Tariscope Provider edition who charge periodic services to subscribers. Any services in Tariscope can be charged as needed manually, but it is easier to assign this operation to the Tariscope Tasks. The Tariscope Tasks allows you to create separate tasks for charging periodic services for separate groups of subscribers.

Sending messages

This task may be more relevant for telecom operators using Tariscope Provider when it is necessary to simultaneously send a message to a specific group of subscribers. But this task can also be used by Tariscope Enterprise users. In order for this task to work, you need to configure the email sending settings in Tariscope and specify their email addresses in the subscriber settings.

Running an application

Report forms, which are created on the basis of Report Definition Language (RDL), allow you to perform many different actions with data. But sometimes it is easier to perform some actions with separate applications that users have created themselves. As the simplest example of using this task is copying some Tariscope system logs, possibly with prior archiving and subsequent deletion of these logs, so that Tariscope creates a new log. Tariscope allows you to create a corresponding task that will periodically launch the required application.

Group of tasks

Sometimes it is necessary to perform a group of tasks, and the completion of the tasks depends on the result of the previous task.

As an example of this: a telecommunications operator performs charging periodic services, performs a report that calculates VAT for subscribers for the month, and reports are performed on the formation of invoices, receipts, and acts for subscribers.

Different options for task groups are possible:

1. Independent chain. Each subsequent task in the group will be launched for execution without analyzing the result of the previous task.
2. Dependent chain. Each subsequent task in the group will be launched for execution only if the previous task was successfully completed.
3. Independent chain with feedback. Launching tasks in the group is similar to option 1, but if any task is unsuccessful, an attempt will be made to execute it again. The number of task execution attempts is configurable. If all attempts are exhausted, but the task has not been successfully completed, the next task in the list will still be launched for execution.
4. Dependent chain with feedback. This group is similar to option 3, but if the execution attempts are exhausted and the task has not been successfully completed, the next task in the list will not be executed. The execution chain stops.
5. Run all together. All tasks in the group will be launched simultaneously in different threads, without a queue for their execution.

As we mentioned at the beginning of the article, the Tariscope Tasks implements the tasks that users use most often. At the same time, existing Tariscope users, or those who plan to purchase it, may have wishes for creating new tasks for the Tariscope Tasks. In this case, please send your wishes to the SoftPI support service.