Integrated Telecommunications Management - Why, What and How?

Integrated Telecommunications Management - Why, What and How? Masayoshi Ejiri Fujitsu Ltd. ejiri@otrs.ts.fujitsu.co.jp Abstract Technology convergence and deregulation of telecommunication industry removes business boundaries and network boundaries making open network and open market environment. As a result, telecommunications services are provided by multi service providers combining extremely dispersed telecommunications functions and technologies. To meet customers demand which want to enjoy seamless services in any environment, the excellence of integrated telecommunications management becomes key differentiater for service providers to survive in strictly competitive environment. The paper intends to clarify why we need to integrate, what substance we need to integrate and how to realize integration for integrated telecommunication management. Firstly the paper overviews telecommunication functions from open network point of view, then discusses business process integration and impact of multi service provider environment and also refers to multi domain management concept based on service providers strategy. Finally software issues of management systems which will practically realize management integration are discussed and conclude that to achieve seamless management, common understanding of Why, What and How is indispensable among service providers, vendors and customers through global cooperation and collaboration. Keywords: Telecommunication Management, Integration, Technology Convergence, Deregulation, Multi Service Providers, Telecommunications Function, Business Process, Operation System, Multi Domain Management, Software Architecture, Managed Object, Interface, Reference Point 1. Introduction Telecommunications industries are facing drastic evolution accelerated by technological progress and improved customer demands. Convergence of information (computer) technologies and telecommunications technologies takes away the boarder of public networks and customer premises networks and causes divergence of functions in telecommunications networks for providing new services as well as existing ones. IP over XX or XX over IP are the typical examples to show this convergence and divergence. On the other hand, globally expanding deregulation of telecommunications industry push the industry into open market world. The open market soon brings multi service providers environment and keen competition where tens of thousands service providers are playing survival business. Combining dispersed telecommunications technologies and functions provided by multi service providers, every services are apt to be offered in complex way. But end user wants to enjoy sophisticated services with seamless manner (end to end flow through with unconsciousness of the dispersed functions and providers) with cheap price. To realize this rational end users' demand, the integration of telecommunications management is key issue and the excellence of integration is becoming a differentiater in competitive telecommunications industry. This paper firstly views technology convergence and 14

Routers Routers Routers Routers Nodes Interface IN IN IN IN nodes IN nodes IN nodes nodes Clients Clients Clients Clients WSs WSs WSs WSs WSs Terminals Terminals Terminals Terminals -- Voice - - Voice Voice - Voice Voice -- Data - - Data Data Data - Data Data etc etc etc etc etc etc Set Set Top Set Set Set Top Top Set Boxes Top Top Boxes Top Boxes Boxes Transport Network (WDM, SDH, ATM, FTTX, xdsl, Ethernet, etc) OSS OSS Elements OSS OSS OSS Elements OSS Elements Elements SWs SWs SWs SWs Servers Servers Servers Servers Fig. 1. New Telecommunication Network Architecture functional divergence of telecommunication services and networks addressing to proposed new network architecture. Then the paper describes business process model of telecommunications management and process integration and process automation are discussed. Thirdly, multi service providers environment is outlined where virtual service provider concept and multi domain management concept are discussed. Finally, the paper refers to software architecture of management systems and suggests that plug and play software based on detailed analysis of business process and functions of telecommunications management is key enabler for seamless telecommunications services. 2. Integration of Telecommunications Functions Telecommunications networks have been developed and introduced strongly influenced by technology trend, business environment and customer demands. Today s convergence of computer and telecommunications technology is removing technology boundary of public network facilities and customer premises equipment [1]. In the day where almost all messages are digitized and processed by computational technology, the boundary mentioned above dose make no sense from technical point of view. Moreover recent open market accelerates the removal of the business boundary. Soon the existing UNI (User Network Interface) and SNI (Service Node Interface) concepts will become bygone ones. Today telecommunications network architecture should be reconsidered by reflecting new technology trend and customer demands. Fig. 1 shows new network architecture based on the technology convergence, where three layers architecture (transport networks, interfaces and nodes) is proposed Regarding to interfaces, most of them will physically be implemented in transport and/or embedded in nodes as the shape of interface cards. Fig. 1 also suggests that seamless services management means node to node (e.g., desktop to desktop) integrated management. For further discussion about seamless service management, service functional architecture in conjunction with proposed network architecture should be clarified. 15

Client STB STB PC PC Telephone Telephone CPN CPN Service Application POTS POTS VOD VOD Conference Conference IP IP IN IN Service Control access/call access/call connection connection configuration configuration session session Trail SOT SOT SDH SDH FDDI FDDI WLL WLL xdsl xdsl PON PON Medium Optical Optical COX COX pair pair Radio Radio Fig. 2. Telecommunications Services Functional Architecture Fig. 2 shows an example of layered functional architecture of telecommunications services. Some functions (boxes) are usually implemented in one physical network element provided by one service provider. But in open network and open market environment, it is necessary to cope with the possibility that each function is implemented in individual network element provided by different service provider. Therefore, after service functions are defined, the most important thing is to define the reference points and their interfaces between service functions for discussing seamless service management. Management information in each function is exchanged through the reference point and is integrated appropriately to finally realize seamless service management. Integrated management capability contributes not only to seamless services but also to services enhancement and service creation by adding new attractive service features. For example, today IP services are called best efforts type services and usually network itself may do it s best efforts and guarantee nothing against customers in terms of QoS (Quality of Service). But above mentioned integrated management will possibly be able to manage QoS and guarantee SLA (Service Level Agreement) of IP services. This means integrated management adds much value to IP services to be called guaranteed service. 3. Integration of Business Process In order to provide telecommunications services to customers, a service provider is requested to pursue many kinds of business process and their integration. Fig. 3 shows a basic process model, where two kinds of services to customers are defined [2, 3]. One is information transmission services such as POTS, IP, leased line services and so on provided by network elements (s). Service Management Service Plane Operation Services OpS Operator Operation Customer Managing Plane Information Transmission Services Business Management Information Service Planner Network Planner Fig. 3. Scope of Telecommunications Management The other is operation services provided by "operation" which will be achieved by collaborative work of operators and Oss (Operation Systems) to perform customer care function. How quick and accurate the operation can meet customers requirement is key evaluation point of operation services.in recent competitive environment, most service providers are recognizing the importance of operation services and 16

going to improve quality of operation services as a strategic differentiater from other service providers. Moreover the operation in Fig. 3 strongly affect efficient use of s. Through the operation s are assigned statically and dynamically to customers.the efficiency may results cheaper services. Therefore, excellent operation and operation services based on effective process integration become the most important differentiater for competitive service providers. Customer TM PM SO AM NP Customer faced Operation Mediation faced Operation AM : Account Management SO : Service Order PM : Performance Management TM : Trouble Management NP : Network Provisioning Fig. 4. Basic Service Operations Architecture Main process in the operation is shown in Fig. 4 [3]. Operation services are primarily provided by customer faced operation of each process. But for competitive operation services, it is strongly requested to realize vertical integration from customer faced to faced operation within each process and also Horizontal integration linking each process. This integration is indispensable for one stop shopping concept and end to end flow through operation services. provided by on line real time basis using intelligent customer terminal associated with sophisticate OSF (Operation System Function) in service providers facility which will result drastic operation cost down and service grade up by speedy and accurate response to customers. 4. Integration of Multi Service Providers Deregulation of telecommunication industry is expanding globally in short term and tens of thousands service providers are coming into this open market [1]. Existing business boundaries are removed and telecommunications, broadcasting and computing services are merged to become new telecommunication services which encourage new entrants to the market. Many service providers are providing a great variety of value-added services combined both of their own resources and other providers services. Most of existing big carriers and new common carriers are going to expand their business to global market by connecting other carriers networks joining hands each other. Today, no provider can offer his all services without cooperation of other providers. Fig. 6 shows this multi service providers environment as a service delivery chain from end users point of view, where end users can select services freely regarding group of service providers as a virtual service provider. The service provider which directly contact end users will usually play as an agent of end users and also as a delegate of concerned service providers. Trend Customer Virtual Service Provider LAN Corporate End End Users WAN Telecom I I I Customer faced faced OSF operator faced OSF Operator OSF Network element // network OSF : Operation Service Function (with security check function) m@ w Long Line VAN VAN Dark Fiber #w Local?w Access Carriers International Í&w Fig.5. Operation Services Interfaces Process integration is aiming at process automation as a target. As shown in Fig. 5, the operation services interface will gradually move from human support one to machine support one, Operation services will finally be Vendors Fig.6. Service Delivery Chain Within the framework of the virtual service provider, one service provider will become a customer of other service provider(s) and also will become provider to 17

other service provider(s). Therefore in most case service provider-service provider interface is to be identical to that of service provider -customer. To realize seamless services, close cooperation of related service providers is essential based on integrated management including service delivery chain management where management information flow and relationship of these service providers are to be managed. Due to telecommunications business evolution, these kind of relationships are to be dynamically changed. So that flexibility of integrated management is become essential and each service provider is requested to organize his management systems to flexibly meet this dynamics. Service Mgmt. NW Mgmt. Mgmt. Customer A/M A/M Fig. 7. Example of Integration Model 5. Multi Domain Management A/M In previous sections 2, 3 and 4, functional integration, process integration and multi-service providers integration are discussed and as practice complex integration of these three types should be considered. Business and service evolution strongly request flexibility and dynamics not only to the integration but also to each management systems, which means that any systems will possibly be interfaced to other systems. Fig. 7 shows simple example of system integration where both of agent and manager functions are emphasized as an essence for the integration. Those systems which were developed individually and have no agent function soon meets the difficulty to be integrated and in many cases agent function implementation in old systems will be rather expensive than replacing whole systems using new technology. Therefore, at the beginning of systems development, the system should be designed to have capability to implement agent function later even though the system is required to have only manager function at that moment. It may almost be impossible to predict future integration form precisely but it may be possible to pick up management groups and/or management components to be integrated in future integrated management form. One component, called Domain, is formed to manage some kinds of managed object and some of these domains are integrated to form a new integrated domain. The new domain will also be integrated together with other domains to form a higher level domain. Fig. 8 shows an example of multi domain management concept formed by above mentioned way of integration [4]. The formation of domains is basically depend on the strategy of service providers and will probably be dynamically changed due to the change of business strategy, even though new formation should ensure the Access Service DM E-E Service DM Backbone Service DM E-E NW DM CPN NWDM Access NWDM Backbone NWDM Ethernet FDDI PON ADSL WLL SDH Path NWDM PDH SW DM DM: Domain Management for Upper DM Domain Fig. 8. Multi Domain Management 18 SW A SW B

seamless management. To ensure the seamless management under these unpredictable changes, it mostly depend on internal structure (software architecture) of each management systems. In next section the software architecture issue is discussed from actual management systems integration point of view. 6. Management Systems for Integration The flexibility of multi domain management is depend on the flexibility of each management systems and system s flexibility is much depend on the software architecture deployed in the system. TMN defines functional and physical architectures for telecommunication management and defines the interface for integration of layered OSs (Operation System). OS OS User User OS GUI Upper Upper OS OS Communication Control Application Communication Control Lower Lower OS OS or or Managed Objects Fig. 9. OS Software Structure Data Base Other Other OS OS Although the function to be realized in each OS is different, many common micro functions can be picked up in each systems. Fig. 9 shows OS software structure commonly applicable to most OS where common micro functions are implemented in related boxes as the form of software. If the software is developed in the way of package and the package has plug and play capability, OS can easily meet the change of integration by replacing specific portion of software packages (replacing by software down load is usually pursued). Fig. 10 show the example of interface integration by specific mediation device and embedded MD(Mediation Device) function in NM(Network Management) OS. NM OS has the capability to be plugged in different types of MD software packages to meet different interfaces integration. EM OS SNMP Application itself is in some cases needed to modify to meet change of the environment. Usually it seemed to need long time to touch up it, therefore plug and play concept is desired to apply this application software area. Fig. 11 shows layered software architecture applicable to object oriented systems. In this architecture, detailed analysis of functional architecture discussed in section 2 and business process discussed in section 3 is necessary to pick up and define many kinds of common functional components and also domain specific functional components as well. Then plug and play software is to be realized in application area and also middleware (MO service) area. If the software in management systems is developed based on the architecture shown in Fig. 11 with plug and play features, the change of domain integration will affect to concerned systems only replacing small portion of software packages for keeping the seamless management. To realize practical and effective plug and play software package, global communication will be indispensable to make up common understanding on the issues discussed in previous sections in the paper such as service function, process integration and multi domain management. Those issues are directly related to define function and interface to be implemented in each software package. Today s direction of systems development is that new software to be developed should be minimal and the reuse of software should be maximal based on common understanding in global market. 7. Conclusion CMISE MD EM OS NM OS MD EM OS The telecommunications industry is now in the process of great evolution making open network and Standard NM/EM Interface CORBA/IDL MD Fig. 10. Integration of Interfaces Proprietary EM OS 19

Domain Specific Application Common Application MO Service MO Generation Fig. 11. Object Oriented Software Architecture open market environment. New technologies and new service function are coming into telecommunications network and services. Multi service providers are going to provide end to end services by linking these technologies and function and also linking other service providers services. To meet customer demand to realize seamless services, integrated telecommunication management is essential and these dispersed function and services should be managed suitably to fit the integration. Firstly it is necessary to establish common understanding of service function architecture and business process model and also definitions of the function, reference points and interfaces within them, which will lead to Managed Object definition. Then it also be needed to have common understanding of software architecture and packages to be implemented in specific management systems to ensure the smooth exchange of management information meeting dynamically change of domain definition. To establish these common understanding globally, ITU-T activities about TMN contribute to it from standardizing perspective and NMF (Network management Forum) activities contribute to it from product oriented perspective. There are other consortia and organizations where above mentioned issues are discussed. Moreover, international conferences and symposia such as NOMS (Network Operations and Management Symposium), IM (Integrated Management) and APNOMS (Asia-Pacific NOMS) are good place to understand latest concept and technologies exchanging participants expertise and opinion. Excellent seamless services will be realized through global discussion and establishing common understanding among service providers, vendors and customers. Their cooperation and collaboration are the must for the integrated telecommunication management. Finally I would like to thank Prof. Jong-Tae Park (KNU), Prof. James Won-Ki Hong (POSTECH), Mr. Seong-Boem Kim (Korea Telecom) and other KNOM members who collaborate with me in telecommunication management area and encourage me to submit the paper to KNOM review. [References ] [1] M. Ejiri, The Paradigm Shift in Telecommunication Services and Management ISINM 95 Keynote Speech, in Proc. IFIP, May 1995. [2] M. Ejiri, FOR WHOM THE ADVANCING SERVICE/TWORK MANAGEMENT NOMS 94 Keynote Speech, in Proc. IEEE, February 1994. [3] M. Ejiri, Advanced Service Operations and Operation Systems, Special Feature, NTT REVIEW Vol.6 No. 3, May 1994. [4] M. Ejiri, Competitive Telecommunication Management and system Development IEICE 20

Trans. Commun. Vol.E80-B, No.6 June 1997 (Special Issue on Network Operations and management). Masayoshi Ejiri is Associate general manager, Telecommunication Network Systems Group at Fujitsu, Japan, is responsible for world-wide telecommunication management business/technology strategy for Fujitsu after joining Fujitsu 1995. Ejiri began his professional career in 1967 at NTT, the year he graduated from the University of Tokyo. He engaged in various business areas in NTT, including transmission systems development, visual communications system development, digital transmission network management system and director of telephone office. Last five years in NTT, he has been an executive manager responsible for strategic planning and system development on service/network operations systems. He was a general co-chair of NOMS 96 held in Kyoto, Japan. And, he was also a general chair of APNOMS 98 held in Sendai, Japan. He is a chairman of Telecommunication Management committee in IEICE, Japan, and vice-chair of NMF Japan committee. 21