Splynx datasheet
Product Overview
Splynx is a software framework created for Internet service providers and network
administrators.
Software provides useful things such as billing, invoicing, central configuration and monitoring
of equipment, hotspot billing, client portal etc. Main difference between Splynx and others is
how the system can be customized – Splynx provides the easy way to create additional
modules or to integrate with 3rd party software solutions. This is achieved because of system
design. Splynx is a powerful set of modules and open application interfaces (API), this is the
reason we call it Framework.
Features and Benefits
Splynx operates in several areas. Each ISP manages access to his network centrally, also
system of ISP should work with finances efficiently, pair payments from bank account or
process payments from gateways automatically. Block non-paying customers in right time is a
must. Communication with customers via different communication channels is also important.
1. Network management
Central authentication of customers
NAS can be connected to Splynx with Radius server. Splynx Radius server supports Cisco,
Mikrotik, FreeBSD, UBNT Edge routers, Juniper. With own Radius server Splynx can
authenticate any PPP or VPN type of connections such as PPPoE,PPTP,L2TP, OVPN etc. Also
Splynx is able to authenticate Wireless customers based on MAC address or perform DHCP
authentication.
In Mikrotik RouterOS, instead of Radius Splynx can setup local authentication via API. Splynx
creates rules (secrets) for customer authentication and then Mikrotik Router performs
authentication locally without requesting Radius server. This setup have own advantages (no
need of Radius server) and disadvantages (same customer should always connect to same
router).
Splynx Radius server is capable of processing thousands of requests and module is scalable for
over 100 000 online concurrent sessions.
Speed limitation
If you use Radius, Splynx sends to NAS information about speed limits in Rate-limit attributes.
This is supported by all vendors and Splynx has complex Radius engine, which supports adding
and configuration of different attributes and variables.
In case of Mikrotik RouterOS setup you can benefit from creating complex Queue Trees with
Mikrotik API. Splynx pushes the queue rules to Mikrotik router and can define such things as
priority per plan/customer, aggregation per router/sector or aggregation of customers per tariff
plan.
Bandwidth manager
Important part of Splynx ISP Framework is a smart bandwidth management. Customer speed
can be defined based on amount of traffic consumed in month/week or even day. Also Splynx
can setup maximum online time in hours per customer.
Examples of bandwidth manager are below
1. double speed in night hours
2. don’t count traffic on weekends,
3. slow down high downloaders based on daily transferred data
4. provide access to customers in certain period of day time
5. provide time-based access
6. aggregate customers to groups
Blocking of non-payers and further redirects
Both with Radius and Mikrotik API, Splynx manages blocking and processing non-paying users.
This can be achieved automatically, when non-payers are blocked after period of time without
payment, or administrator can block customer’s account manually. Customer receives IP from
predefined pool or his existing IP address can be added to address-list for non-payers. Then
administrator can easily setup a redirection rule and send customer to special webpage. Splynx
has 4 special webpages for different blocks of customers. These webpages are fully
customizable as many other parts of Splynx ISP Framework.
IP address management
There are several ways how to manage IP address assignments. Many administrators even in
large enterprises are using excel sheets, because of lack of smart IP address management
tools. We suggest to use our engine for IP address management . This module is connected to
customer’s database in Splynx. When IP address or subnet is assigned to customer for his
access, IPs will be locked in IP address management tab as well. Main benefit of this
approach is avoidance of IP conflicts when several customers get same IPs or IPs from wrong
ranges. With our IPAM an overview of the actual situation is always available.
Network monitoring
Splynx monitoring is based on SNMP, RRD and Ping tool. Administrator can setup monitoring
for any OID supported by hardware vendor and draw charts with Splynx. Moreover our
monitoring supports awesome weathermaps. We use open source project in
Splynx – [Link]
It’s very powerful tool for visual interpretation of networks and is simple to connect this
system with Splynx ISP Framework. Network monitoring supports sending alerts via email and
sms gateways.
2. Billing and invoicing
Transactions
The whole billing process inside Splynx is based on transactions.
Transaction is added when :
1. Splynx charges a customer for billing period
2. Customer pays money
3. Administrator adds or removes money to/from balance of customer
Because of transaction system there is always a clear history what was made with customer’s
balance and why it was changed.
Billing period
Splynx can charge every month in prepay mode or postpay mode.
Prepay mode – for example we are charging customers 1st of May for period 1-31 of May.
Postpay mode – customer is charged 1st of May for previous month (April).
Billing day can be 1st of month, or each customer can have different billing day, it can depend
on the date when he was connected.
It means that some customer can be charged for 12.04 – 11.05 and other for 25.04 – 24.05.
Also is available feature of postponed billing, which means that invoice for period 1-31 of May
is generating during May.
Billing engine is very complex and can be configured to special needs of each ISP.
Multiple services
One customer can get many different ISP services – Internet connection, public IPs, TV, VOIP,
mobile calls etc.
All these services is possible to define in Splynx and then add to particular customers.
If customer has VOIP or Mobile services, Splynx can process CDR files from different PBX
systems and charge customer.
The customer then receives one common invoice for all services, including calls, data and SMS.
Also all his data from CDRs are visible on Splynx client portal and customer can view his
statistics and calls details.
Invoices
Splynx provides an ability to work with or without invoices.
Without issuing invoices, Splynx just receives payments and charges customer every billing
period without creating any official documents.
In case when invoicing is required – Splynx is able to generate invoices automatically. Also
administrator cas issue invoices manually.
PDFs of invoices are fully customizable.
Requests
Sometimes companies don’t issue the invoice directly to customer, but sends him a request for
payment or pro-forma invoice.
It is a non-taxable document and also balance of customer is not changed, when Splynx
creates these types of document.
The main reason for this billing approach is to prevent paying of VAT tax for non-paying
customers.
When customer pays amount of money specified on request PDF, company can issue a tax
invoice.
Payments
Splynx can support all possible payment gateways and process different bank statement
formats. Splynx has a pairing engine and payment processing inside the core of the system.
Some of payment gateways as Paypal are enabled by default. Our developers can add support
of payment gateway per customer, based on their needs and bank or gateway format.
Splynx can process thousands of payment transactions and pair them with accounts in the
system. This brings full automatization of the process for accounting department of ISP.
Imports and exports
All invoices, request and payments can be imported to any accounting software.
Splynx supports different formats of export and other formats can be added, because all
export/import operations are done via stong Splynx API.
Framework can be integrated with accounting software such as QuickBooks, then invoices and
payments will be synchronized in these two systems automatically.
Also with Splynx you get a flexible tool for importing/exporting whole customers database or
parts of database.
3. Customer relation management
Splynx works with smart template engine, called Twig.
With Twig it’s easy to create any kind of HTML templates and we use it for generation of
documents such as agreements, connection protocols etc.
All emails to customers can be send as HTML message with unique structure and company
design.
Client portal is fully customizable with Twig templates, as a result each ISP can have his own
client portal for customers.
Splynx has an internal CRM, which shows all communication and history of customer. This
communication is based on email messages, SMS, tickets, or commentaries.
Splynx can automatically send invoices and information about services/payments to customers
via email or/and SMS. We have 3 types of reminders, which are sent to non-paying customers.
4. API, Administration and logging
Open API
All parts of Splynx are available through API. Other applications can create customers, set
them plan, get statistics, documents etc. The bank processing API is very popular and used by
our customers, because each ISP has his own bank or payment gateway formats.
Each ISP company can create own custom module and integrate it directly to Splynx or leave it
as standalone application, which will collect and push data from/to Splynx database. Or our
customers can request us to create a custom module.
Examples of custom modules created by Splynx team from our customers :
1. management of CableTV modems (Digi TV, Serbia)
2. mobile calls processing from mobile CDRs (Aircom, Spain)
3. Hotspot software integration (iBound, South Africa)
4. Cashdesk system for payment processing (Acerco Telecom, Spain).
5. Integration with LTE services (Skywire Technologies Pty, South Africa)
Full description of Splynx API is available on [Link]
Permissions
All administrators can have different type of access to the Splynx system. Manager, installer
etc. We have preconfigured permission levels in Splynx. Also there is a way how to define
permissions per individual Splynx user. These administrators can login to networking
equipment if Radius login authentication is set on devices. Then request from device is sent to
Splynx and access to the device is granted accordingly to administrator’s permission level.
Logging
All changes and actions are stored in Splynx central logging system. There are many different
logs from API communication, Radius server, Administrator’s actions, changes of plans etc.
Plans of tarrif changes are stored in separate table, so administrators can see when Splynx will
change tarrif plan and setup new speed limitation.
References
Splynx is used in more than 100 networks after few months of launch. Below is a list of some
our customers with full integration of Splynx in large networks and commercial subscription
license:
Skywire Technologies Pty, South Africa – [Link]
Aircom, Spain – [Link]
XtriNet-LTD, Jamaica – [Link]
Acerco Telecom, Spain – [Link]
Himnet, Turkey – [Link]
Perspektiva Ltd., Russia – [Link]
MasInternet, Spain – [Link]
5. Technologies
System front-end is written in PHP programming language. Database is MySQL. The back end
consists from different parts. Monitoring is made in NodeJS for high performance, Radius
module is Perl based.
The whole UI part is JQuery and Bootstrap based.
Templates of the system are made in Twig PHP template engine.
Hardware Requirements
CPU: 2 cores and more
CPU Core speed: 2400 Mhz and more
Memory: 1 GB and more
HDD: 32 GB and more
Network interfaces: 1 and more
Splynx supports Virtual Machines – VMWare, XEN, KVM, Hyper-V
Splynx Isp Framework can’t work on OpenVZ containers.
Software we are using:
OS Linux: Debian 7, or 8 or Ubuntu (14.04, 14.10 or 15.04) , PHP 5.4, 5.5, 5.6, MySQL server
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