Open EMS Suite O&M Agent Functional Overview Version 1.2 Nokia Siemens Networks 1 (18)
O&M Agent The information in this document is subject to change without notice and describes only the product defined in the introduction of this documentation. This documentation is intended for the use of Nokia Siemens Networks customers only for the purposes of the agreement under which the document is submitted, and no part of it may be used, reproduced, modified or transmitted in any form or means without the prior written permission of Nokia Siemens Networks. The documentation has been prepared to be used by professional and properly trained personnel, and the customer assumes full responsibility when using it. Nokia Siemens Networks welcomes customer comments as part of the process of continuous development and improvement of the documentation. The information or statements given in this documentation concerning the suitability, capacity, or performance of the mentioned hardware or software products are given as is and all liability arising in connection with such hardware or software products shall be defined conclusively and finally in a separate agreement between Nokia Siemens Networks and the customer. However, Nokia Siemens Networks has made all reasonable efforts to ensure that the instructions contained in the document are adequate and free of material errors and omissions. Nokia Siemens Networks will, if deemed necessary by Nokia Siemens Networks, explain issues which may not be covered by the document. Nokia Siemens Networks will correct errors in this documentation as soon as possible. IN NO EVENT WILL NOKIA SIEMENS NETWORKS BE LIABLE FOR ERRORS IN THIS DOCUMENTATION OR FOR ANY DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO SPECIAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL OR ANY LOSSES, SUCH AS BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOSS OF PROFIT, REVENUE, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION, BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY OR DATA,THAT MAY ARISE FROM THE USE OF THIS DOCUMENT OR THE INFORMATION IN IT. This documentation and the product it describes are considered protected by copyrights and other intellectual property rights according to the applicable laws. The wave logo is a trademark of Nokia Siemens Networks Oy. Nokia is a registered trademark of Nokia Corporation. Siemens is a registered trademark of Siemens AG. Other product names mentioned in this document may be trademarks of their respective owners, and they are mentioned for identification purposes only. Copyright Nokia Siemens Networks 2007. All rights reserved. 2 (18) Nokia Siemens Networks
Contents Contents 1 Introduction...5 2 Functionality of the O&M Agent...8 2.1 Fault management...9 2.2 Performance management...11 3 Value added functionality...13 3.1 Example application...13 3.2 Integration Framework...14 3.3 Verification Suite...15 4 O&M Agent application programming interfaces...17 5 O&M Agent configuration with O2ML and SDK...18 Nokia Siemens Networks 3 (18)
O&M Agent 4 (18) Nokia Siemens Networks
Introduction 1 Introduction O&M Agent offers an extended O&M interface in Open EMS Suite. The O&M Agent offering consists of ready-made components supporting efficient network element O&M implementation towards Open EMS Suite. The O&M Agent also supports instant adaptations. Figure 1 shows how the O&M Agent and the Verification Suite are reflected against Open EMS Suite. Before reading this document it is recommended that you study the Open EMS Suite Product Description. Nokia Siemens Networks 5 (18)
O&M Agent Figure 1. Overview of O&M Agent and the Verification Suite Integration and mediations An important functionality in Open EMS Suite is the integration of network elements to the platform through various mediations. The customers of Open EMS Suite have the possibility to use off-the-shelf mediations, for example, for integrating a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) capable network element to the system. In order to expand the O&M functionality without multiplying efforts, there is the option to utilize the O&M Agent with the corresponding mediations delivered with Open EMS Suite. In addition, it is possible to create mediations of your own for proprietary or non-standard O&M interfaces that are integrated into Open EMS Suite with its south mediation interfaces. 6 (18) Nokia Siemens Networks
Introduction Figure 2. Possibilities for integrating network elements to Open EMS Suite. Instant adaptation The O&M Agent supports instant adaptation, a concept introduced by Open EMS Suite. This means that adaptations can be created, modified, and deployed as XML files with the Adaptation Software Development Kit (SDK). These XML configuration files are used for configuring the O&M model of the network element as well as the management system at run time. Pure Java The pure Java implementation of the O&M Agent ensures that you can deploy the same binaries in any platform running the Java Virtual Machine, such as Windows, Linux, Solaris, and HP-UX operating systems. Monitoring In addition to the reliable fault management event transmission and efficient performance measurement transmission from the network element applications, the O&M Agent is capable of monitoring the most frequently needed statistics from the operating system resources. The O&M Agent also brings FM reliability and PM scalability for monitoring the third-party SNMP agents found in the system. Nokia Siemens Networks 7 (18)
O&M Agent 2 Functionality of the O&M Agent The O&M Agent interacts with the following main components. Application programming interfaces The rich set of application programming interfaces (APIs) of the O&M Agent guarantees that you can integrate network element applications with/using various technologies such as Java RMI, J2EE, C/C++, SNMP, or a simple exchange of XML files. The example application provided with the O&M Agent is a powerful tool for system integrators and the developers of network element applications for learning to use the APIs of the O&M Agent. By using the integrated components and tools, you can save a significant amount of time when developing and testing a new network element. Verification Suite The Verification Suite verifies the O&M model consistency and applicability towards the management system and provides simulation capability for the R&D personnel of the network element before starting system level integrations. With the Verification Suite that is available with the O&M Agent offering you can easily verify the O&M Agent implementation in a network element without a full-flavoured management system communicating with the element. This reduces testing and integration effort. The Verification Suite is equipped with illustrative graphical user interfaces to visualise for example the details of outgoing alarms, or performance management data from the network element. O&M Interface O&M Agent includes all the functionality required for efficient telecom as well as IT-level network element integration to Open EMS Suite. It provides an ultimate O&M Interface implementation for reliable fault management over SNMP and efficient performance management over bulk data exchange. This enables the network element R&D to 8 (18) Nokia Siemens Networks
Functionality of the O&M Agent concentrate on the business logic of the network element without a detailed O&M interface implementation towards the management system. Mediation solution The mediation solution provided by Open EMS Suite is responsible for communicating with the agent based on the O&M Interface specifications. The mediation solution feeds the mediated O&M data towards the south mediation interfaces of Open EMS Suite. Finally, the data is visible in the applications such as Monitoring Desktop and Reporting Desktop. Adaptation SDK Adaptation Software Development Kit (SDK) is used to create the O&M model of the network element in XML configuration files. The same configuration files are then used at run time to create adaptations in the management system. The following chapters provide more information on the fault and performance management capabilities of the O&M Agent and the O&M Interface. 2.1 Fault management A telecom network is composed of various network elements. The essential feature of the O&M Agent and the O&M Interface is their capability to detect faults and generate alarms. Examples of faults that may occur in the network are: Hardware failures: malfunction of a physical resource within a network element Software problems such as bugs or database inconsistency Communication failures between two network elements Besides the alarm reporting functions, the O&M Agent and the O&M Interface must: provide means to synchronize alarm situation in a network element and a management system fulfil high reliability requirements. Nokia Siemens Networks 9 (18)
O&M Agent The requirements listed above can be refined to the following main functions implemented by the O&M Agent: Online alarm events Reliable Notification Mechanism Alarm log Alarm synchronization Co-operative acknowledgement The fault management principles of the O&M Agent using Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) are illustrated in the figure below. Figure 3. Fault management principles of the O&M Agent The O&M Agent fault management functionality covers the following: Reliable alarm sending to the network management server using SNMP traps Alarm clearing by a network element application Mechanism to change alarm severity Alarm acknowledgement by the management system or a network element application Sending alarm notification to the network management server when an alarm is cleared or changed 10 (18) Nokia Siemens Networks
Functionality of the O&M Agent Supporting reliable notification mechanisms (alarm ID, notification ID, alarm log) Fulfilling the acknowledge concept (the network management server uses the SNMP set method to acknowledge an error) Alarm synchronization Alarm history accessible for network element applications Alarm filtering based on severity, managed object class, or a specific problem 2.2 Performance management The performance management of the O&M Agent and the O&M Interface provides means to evaluate and report on the behaviour and effectiveness of a network or a network element. The role of performance management is to gather and analyze statistical data for the purpose of monitoring and correcting the functioning and effectiveness of the network (optimizing), network elements, or other equipment/resources aid in planning, provisioning, maintenance, and quality measurement. The O&M Agent uses SNMP in performance management to notify Open EMS Suite of the availability of new measurements. In order to achieve better performance and scalability, the performance indicators (PIs) of applications or network element resources are first compiled inside the network element to an XML file using application callbacks. This is done on defined schedules that are retrieved from the management system also in XML format. After a result file has been compiled, a notification is sent to the management system to initiate an FTP session for the retrieval of collected PIs. On the management system side, the mediation components process the resulting file accordingly and feed it up to the south mediation interfaces of Open EMS Suite. Finally, the results can be viewed with the reporting tools of Open EMS Suite. It is also possible to use a push-type measurement result upload to the management system. Instead of using the SNMP, the network element automatically initiates an FTP session towards the management system to push the result files forward. The performance management principles of the O&M Agent are illustrated in the figure below: Nokia Siemens Networks 11 (18)
O&M Agent Figure 4. Performance management principles of the O&M Agent O&M Agent performance management functionality covers the following: Measurement result file generation for the management system as XML files SNMP notification on the availability of measurement data Data collection based on measurement schedule and adaptation Alarm triggering based on the measured data Measuring indicator values using the SNMP from external SNMP agents Direct XML - Open Measurement Standard (OMeS) - result file upload from applications to the O&M Agent Support for default measurements in standard environments Linux, Solaris, HP-UX, MIB II 12 (18) Nokia Siemens Networks
Value added functionality 3 Value added functionality The main purpose of the O&M Agent is to support the O&M Interface of Open EMS Suite as described in the previous chapters. But in order to integrate network element applications more efficiently and to provide more O&M data off the shelf, the O&M Agent offering includes a set of tools and utilities described in the following chapters. 3.1 Example application The O&M Agent package includes a simple application example to demonstrate how to build an application that can be properly integrated with the O&M Agent. You can use this application as a starting point for your own application development. The application example includes: Source codes with descriptions of the interface usage Build scripts to get executables up and running quickly Interactive command line menus to trigger O&M events from the application The built-in functionality of the sample application s user interaces includes: Simple FM test Send test alarm Clear test alarm Show alarms in alarm table Send any alarm Clear any alarm Simple PM test Nokia Siemens Networks 13 (18)
O&M Agent Add measurement Remove measurement Upload the TestResult.xml file 3.2 Integration Framework An essential component of the O&M Agent is the Integration Framework. It provides a configuration platform for different kinds of adapters that can communicate with the technologies most commonly used in the network element systems. It also translates information to a format that can be further processed by the O&M Agent core. In addition, it is capable of alarm triggering based on the measured data by the available adapters. An overview of the O&M Agent and its interfaces to other applications and modules is illustrated in the figure below. Figure 5. Overview of O&M Agent architecture The built-in adapters of the integration framework are: 14 (18) Nokia Siemens Networks
Value added functionality BRM (Basic Resource Monitoring) Adapter: capable of using operating system commands to parse statistics from the operating system level SNMP Adapter: capable of converting SNMP traps to O&M Interface alarms and of converting SNMP variables to the O&M Interface measured indicator values 3.3 Verification Suite The Verification Suite is a set of applications that you can use to verify that an agent is compatible with the O&M Interface. The Verification Suite tools have been created to reduce the workload of developers who create agent programs using the O&M Interface. With these tools, the developers have, starting from the first day of agent development, a Network and Service Management (NSM) simulator compliant with the O&M Interface. If the O&M Agent is used, developers must use the Verification Suite tools to ensure that the metadata they have designed matches with the information sent through the O&M Agent. The different tools of the Verification Suite are Java-based programs using Swing. The tools are quick to install, simple to start and easy to use. They show all the necessary information that refers to the fragment and solution set used. Further, errors related to the misuse of the O&M Interface or the difference between the information sent by the agent and the metadata are clearly displayed to the user. All the tools also generate a report of the verification session. This report shows, for example, whether the O&M Interface implementation and configuration are compliant with Open EMS Suite. The report is very useful if the tools are used with automated tests. Nokia Siemens Networks 15 (18)
O&M Agent Figure 6. Main window of the SNMP Fault Management Verification Suite tool The Verification Suite tool family consists of the following tools: SNMP Fault Management SNMP/FTP Performance Management 16 (18) Nokia Siemens Networks
O&M Agent application programming interfaces 4 O&M Agent application programming interfaces To make the application integration to the O&M Agent easy, there is a fair number of application programming interfaces to suit the internal technologies used in network element applications. The fundamental design principle has been to provide easy-to-use APIs between the agent and applications and to hide the complexity of the main functionality from the network element R&D personnel. The creation of a new alarm from the network element application is an example of the benefits. Submitting a reliable alarm with all the potential processing possibilities requires basically only one function call, sendalarm, with parameters to be submitted towards the O&M Agent. While the APIs are easy to use, the O&M Agent offering includes an application example with source codes to demonstrate the API usage in actual code. The sample application can also be used as a starting point to make product level integrations. Currently, the O&M Agent provides the following interfaces to the applications: Java API (client library) J2EE (a J2EE bean client library) C/C++ (C client library) XML (direct XML-file feeding possibility) Note that the XML interface supports uploading O&M data only. Nokia Siemens Networks 17 (18)
O&M Agent 5 O&M Agent configuration with O2ML and SDK The Software Development Kits (SDKs) provided with Open EMS Suite are used for creating the object model for network elements. The model includes, for example: Classes Attributes Measured indicators Alarm manual pages As a result, the SDKs produce O2ML-compliant XML files that are deployed to the O&M Agent. It is also possible to use an XML editor to create and modify O2ML files. Together with the Integration Framework, SDK is also used for mapping the object model to the operating system commands and SNMP. 18 (18) Nokia Siemens Networks