4. CUSTOMIZATION › 4.2 Defining Charging Elements, Invoice/Credit Categories › 4.2.1 Defining Charging Elements

4.2.1 Defining Charging Elements

Charging elements identify:

o The data elements that are to be billed

o The computation codes associated with the charging elements

o The invoice categories in which they will be reported

o The units in which they are measured

o Whether or not the element resides discretely in the
  database or must be calculated from other data elements

You should research each element that is used for charging.

Some charging elements are not carried permanently in the
CA MICS product files. These elements may be computed from
other elements or they may be created by user exits.  CA MICS
Accounting and Chargeback can charge for these elements.

Because each charging element must be associated with a
computation code, the terms are often used synonymously.
However, the same charging element can be associated with
more than one computation code.

For example, you might want to charge CPU time by zone and
see a separate line item and description on the invoice for
each zone.  To do this, you would define multiple computation
codes associated with CPU time, each having a different
description.  Then, in the Rate Table, you would specify a
different computation code and rate to be used for each zone
(using control variable charging).

Although charging elements must be defined in the Charging
Element Table before they can be used in a charging
algorithm, this does not cause the element to actually be
used for charging.  For it to be used for charging, you must
specify the computation code associated with the charging
element in a Rate Table charging algorithm.

A default charging element table is distributed with the
system.  However, to provide maximum flexibility, you may
make additions or changes so that the reporting structure is
consistent with installation requirements.  Typically, user
computation codes are added to define new charging elements
for debits, field-developed applications, or external files;
or to provide for more granularity of descriptions as in the
earlier example.  You should use a computation code above
8000 for any computation codes that you add.

Before you can delete a computation code that has been used
in a rate table, you must delete the computation code from
all charging algorithms in which it has been used.  This is
the case even if the computation code has been used for a
journal file that is currently not active.

If you delete a computation code that was used at one time,
but is no longer present in any of the charging algorithms,
the associated description will be deleted.  Consequently,
any reports from previously created files containing that
computation code will not show its description.

You must run the CHRGELEM job in sharedprefix.MICS.CNTL after
changing the Charging Element Definition.  This job executes
the Invoice Category generation and then generates the
following formats in sharedprefix.MICS.MCOLIB:

  $ACTCOMP--This format relates each computation code to its
            charging element name and indicates whether the
            charging element needs to be computed.

  $ACTCMPF--This format relates each computation code to its
            description.

  $ACTCICF--This format relates each computation code to an
            invoice category.

  $ACTCPUF--This format relates each computation code to its
            units description.

  $ACTCSRC--This format relates each computation code to its
            data source.


STEPS TO DEFINE CHARGING ELEMENTS

 __  1. Select Option 5, Charging Element Definition, on the
        Parameter Specifications menu to display the Charging
        Element Definition panel and make the changes that
        you need.  Use the Select line command to change the
        specifications for a charging element.

 __  2. Submit the job CHRGELEM in sharedprefix.MICS.CNTL.
        If you made any changes, you are automatically asked
        to submit this job when you END from the Charging
        Element Definition panel.

        You can also submit this job from TSO as follows:

             SUB 'sharedprefix.MICS.CNTL(CHRGELEM)'

 __  3. If you changed the element name of a charging element
        that is being used in the Rate Table Definition for a
        unit, you must submit the MAGRUN job for the unit.

        You can submit this job from TSO as follows:

             SUB 'prefix.MICS.CNTL(MAGRUN)'


Use the following sections to define charging elements:

    1 - Charging Element Worksheet
    2 - Charging Element Example
    3 - Table of Default Charging Elements