_\|/_    [ GBH ]     Gwahn Burnin Haxorz     [ GBH ]   _\|/_


BT Network Administation Support System Development
SYSTEM X and OMC network operations..
BT PhoneBone tekniq By hybrid <hybrid@dtmf.org>
NOT TO BE SHOWN OUTSIDE BT. GBH internal awarez.           [  _\|/_  ]
                                                           |   GBH   |
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PART I (Introduction to BT managment on the PSTN)

Introduction

The technology within the network has advanced through digitalisation of
both transmission and switching, and the introduction of computer contolled
network elements. The greater reliability of this technology and the ability
to manage and configure the elements remotely has created new opportunities
for efficiant managment of the network.

These opotunitys have been translated into a vision for the future operation
and managment of the network, initially through the Network Administration
Task Force (NATF) and subseqent refinements in terms of architecture (Network
Managment Architecture), and process (Strategic Systems Plan (SSP)).

THE VISI0N

The vision can be summerised as:

-+ end-to-end network managment
-+ functioncal coverage of the whole network life cycle
-+ fully integrated functionality
-+ high levels of automation/decision support
-+ conformant to architectual objectives:
        a) network managment hierarchy
        b) co-operative network architecture
        c) open systems platform

End-to-End managment

It is essential to be able to manage networks made up of elements from
different vendors and different generations of equipment in a consistant
manner, so that the network can be viewed as a complete entity which provides
a managed service platform.

Whole Life Cycle

Networks and services must be managhed from 'cradle to grave' (figure 1),
covering:

-+ forecasting
-+ requirments analysis
-+ detailed dimensioning and project planning
-+ data building
-+ installation and commisioning
-+ maintenance/billing/traffic managment
-+ repair
-+ performance
-+ enhancment/withdrawal


             future service          |             pre-service
                                     |
                                     |
             requirments             |             data building
                                     O
             forceasting           /   \           installing
                                 /       \
             performance       /           \       commissioning
                             /\              \/
                           /                   \
     FIGURE 1            /                       \        NETWORK AND
                       /                           \      SERVICE LIFE
                     O---------------<---------------O    CYCLE
                   /                                   \
                 /                                       \
               /   statistics    billing    maintenance    \

                   traffic managment        repair


Hands free operation

It is essensial to give network managers a high level of automation in order
to eneable them to cope with the levels of complexity involved, vast amounts
of data, apparently random nature of problems, and the need for speed,
accuracy and consistancy in decision making. This requires:

-+ incidents to be analyised automatically with the manager's concurance
   being sought to the solution offered;

-+ automatic restoration of service to be achived whenever possible;

-+ jobs depached to the workforce based on an optimum approach to jeopardy,
   costs, tactics and company image.

-+ customers notification of service affected generated automaticaly to the
   approproate customer-facing unit; and

-+ performanace statistics kept and analysed on all key proccesses.


Development challenges

The challenge for the system developers is to be responsive and meet new
requirments quickly, while producing enduring systems which fit within an
integrated set-the jigsaw-- the whole evolving towards the Network
Administration Implementation Program (NAIP) and SSP vision in a cost
effective manner.

The developers have to move from a possision of well over 200 systems, most
of which do not interwork, and many of which no longer offer all the
essensial fucnctions, to a set of around 40 fully integrated high
functionality key systems.

Functions must be brought into line with the required buisness proccesses and
must evolve to match the demands of new network technologys, for instance,
planning rules for fibre systems must be continually reviwed to encompass
increasing capacities and repeaterless operation.

Systems must also take account of the changing operational organaisations
and procedures, framework which can evolve without damaging the software
investment already made. Solutions have to be achived within four planes of
change as illustrated in figure 2.


               -+ linked planes of change

 +--------+    +------------------------------------------+
 |        |    |                                          | -+ people
 |        |    |                                          | -+ groups/duties
 |   N    O-><-O--                                        | -+ skillz
 |        |    |   USER ORGANISATION                      | -+ procedures
 |   E    |    +-------------------o----------------------+
 |        |                        |
 |   T    |    +-------------------|----------------------+
 |        |    |                   |                      | -+ maintainence
 |   W    |    |                   :                      | -+ planning
 |        O-><-O--                                        | -+ repair control
 |   0    |    |   NETWORK MANAGMENT FUNCTIONS            | -+ traffic/control
 |        |    +-------------------o----------------------+ -+ data building
 |   R    |                        |
 |        |    +-------------------|----------------------+
 |   K    |    |                   |                      | -+ computers
 |        |    |                   :                      | -+ terminals
 |        O-><-O--                                        | -+ database
 |        |    |   COMPUTING AND HOST ARCHITECTURE        | -+ etc.
 +--------+    +------------------------------------------+


PART II (Adminstration of BT Network layers) ohday.

-+ Interface Architecture

The interface architecture provides the means to link all the pieces of the
jigsaw together. By a mix of Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) products and
pragmatic proprietry products, (for example, SNA, DECNET), a communications
infastructure will be deployed to connect users to systems, systems to other
systems for information sharing, and systems to the network elements they are
managing. Key standards for these interfaces are being defined in the Co-
Operative Networking Architecture (CNA-M) prgramme.

-+ Data Architecture

Data architecture offers the ability to standardise what the processes need
to talk about. Defining the structure and format of the key information
items provides a common currency which may be shared by the complete family
of support systems. The object orientated style of the CNA-Managment
communications protocols will ofrce the standardisation of objects as well
as simple data structures in the CNA-M programme and external standards
bodies like ISO, CCITT and the OSI Network Managment Forum.

-+ System (Computing) Architecture

The system architecture defines how a particular system is constructed,
rather than the fucntional role it plays within the jigsaw. This deals with
the following main conponments.

-+ computer hardware
-+ operating system
-+ database managment system
-+ transaction proccessing
-+ communications drivers
-+ man -- machine interfacing (MMI), and
-+ application programming interface (API).

There is a drive by the computing industry to create standard open interfaces
to these elements, based on UNIX/POSIX and X Open standards to produce the
open platform. The system developers are also driving towards reusable sub-
functions and utilities. These two initiiatives are being bought together
in the Generic Systems Architecture (GSA).

-+ Integration and evolution

SSP, ONA-M, Generic Systems Architecture and the Network Control Architecture
Board (NCAB) 5 year vision for support systems evolution have all
contibuted to creating a clear picture of how support systems will look in
the future. It is important, however, that a very pragmatic approach is taken
to realising this vision.

-+ SWITCH MANAGMENT

BT switch managment is carried out by the OMC (Operations Maintanace
Center) for local exchanges and the operations and maintanance unit support
system (OMUSS) (an OMC derivative) for trunk exchanges. This system has
clocked up over 3000 system months of reliable service sinse its introduction
n 1984. As the first majour network managment system, it has paved the way
for the NACC/NOU structure.



 +-------------+                     +---------+              +-----------+
 |             |<-----------------.  |  NMW2   |              |           |
 |  CSS        |<---------.       |  +---------+              |   DCSS    |
 +-------------+          |       :                           |           |
                          |    +--:-------------+             +-----------+
                          |    |                |
                          |    |     NOMS 2     |-------------------.
                          :    |                |                   |
                          :    +-/--------/--|--+             +-----:-----+
               .- - - - - : - -/- -.    /    |                |           |
               |          :  /     |  /      |                |   NOMS 1  |
               :/         :/       :/        :                |           |
           +------+  +---/--+  +--/---+  +---:--+             +-----------+
           |      |  |      |  |      |  |      |               | | | |
           | FAS  |  | OMC  |  | TMS  |  | OMUSS|               : : : :
           +------+  +------+  +------+  +------+               ALARMS
               :\        :\        :\        :\
               |         |         |         |
               |         :         |         :
               |    .----------.   |     .----------.         .----------.
 .--------.    |    |          |   |     |          |         |          |
 |        |    :    |          |   :     |          |         | INTER-   |
 | HOUSE  O=========O  LOCAL   O=========O  TRUNK   O=========O NATIONAL O===
 |________|         |          |         |          |         |          |
                    |____:_____|         |____:_____|         |__________|
                         :      \       /     :  ______
                         :        \   /       : |      |
                         :          x         : |______|
                         :        /   \       :
                    .----:-----./       \.----:-----.         
                    |          |         |          |         
                    |          |         |          |         
                    |   DDC    |-------->|   DESS   |
                    |          |         |          |         
                    |__________|         |__________|         


-+ CSS   :      Customer Service System
-+ NMW2  :      Network Managment Workstation
-+ DCSS  :      District Control Support System
-+ NOMS  :      Network Operations Managment System
-+ FAS   :      Fibre Access System
-+ OMC   :      Operations and Maintanance Center
-+ TMS   :      Transmission Monitoring System
-+ DDC   :      District Data Collector
-+ DESS  :      Digital Exchange Support System
-+ OMUSS :      Operations and Maintenance Unit Support System


There are over 60 systems in field serivce, with over 10,000 registered
users, covering all trunk and local System X and AXE switches. Enhancment
continues to run at a considerable pace, working its way into the field
through two major realeses per year.


        +------------+           +--------+             +------------+
        | EXCHANGE A |<----------|        |<------------| EXCHANGE Z |
        |            |---------->|        |------------>|            |
        +------|-----+           +----|---+     ^       +------|-----+
               |                      |         |              |
 ==============|======================|=========|==============|=============
               :                      :         :              :
        +------:-----+      +---------:---------:---+
        | ALARMS HAN |      |                       |      +---
        | DELING SYS |<-----|         O M S         |----->|  O-O
        +------:-----+      |                       |      +---
               :            |                       |
               |            |                       |      +---
               |            |  SRS            LECS  |----->|  |_\
               |            |                       |      +---
          +----:----+       |                       |
          |TERMINAL |       | USER FACLITYS/DUTIES  |      +---
          |DISPLAY  |       | DEC VAX H/W           |----->|  (  )
          +---------+       +-----:---:---:---:-----+      +---
                                  |   |   |   |
                                  |   |   |   |
   A) ADMINISTRATION USERS       /   /     \   \    
   B) MAINTANENCE USERS         |   |       |   |
   C) REMOTE USERS              ^   ^       ^   ^
   D) OTHER SYSTEMS             A   B       C   D


-+ OMS  :    Operational Maintanence System
-+ SRS  :    Subscribers Record System
-+ LECS :    Local Equipment Computer System


The system is based on a VAX/VMS platform with Oracle relational database,
its pwn basic forms/menus man --machine interface and X.25/V.24
communications drivers. The Exchange interfaces are conrolled through
flexable data-driven translators and the basic structure of the system is
highly modular. The priority evolution steps for OMC are:

-+ interoperability with CSS, the transmission network survailance (TNS)
   system and workforce managment (NOMS2)
-+ additional exchange interfaces for advanced services unit (ASU) etc.,
-+ adoption of advanced workstation (NMW2) man --machine interfacing
-+ donation of functions to Generic Event Managment (GEMS).


-+ Transmission Managment

The transmission monitoring system (TMS) provides a comprehensive survailence
system for the transmission aspects of the network. While the OMC manages a
smaller set of complex network elements, the TMS faces the challenge of
collecting, collating and displaying information from a vast array of
physically dispersed conponments. After field-trial stages and recent
product trials in London, the TMS is now being rolled out into the three
pilot NOU catchment areas. The major TNS functions are:

-+ alarm reception, display, filing, retrival and archiving
-+ alarm association and comparason;
-+ performance data proccessing and display
-+ access to other systems (for example, the junction network system (JNS)
   database)).


-+ Local Access Managment

The flexible access system (FAS) is a system which has been developed to
manage fibre in the local loop. Systems have been installed for the City
Fibre Network and Docklands. The support system, the service access control
center (SACC), once more shares a common lineage and technology platform with
OMC combined with the ICENI database produced by NMD, and used as an
element in the service desk and facilies managment systems. FAS was the first
system to attempt to adopt the network managment hierarchy, with well
defined interfaces between the service access control center (SACC) (network
level controller) and element managers developed by equipment supplyers. It
also adopted the network managment workstation (NMW1) to remove a multitude
of various terminals.

Until the future of the FAS is fully determined, the SACC will not be
enhanced and evolved. However, the structure of future advanced local access
managment is being considered based on experience of FAS, LLOFT (the local
loop optical fibre trial) and cable TV managment.


-+ Data managment and performance analysis

The digital exchange support system (DESS) consists of many applications
which are grouped together under a single code name. Some of the functions
these appications perform are:

-+ data build for new exchanges and major upgrades
-+ generic network performance statistics by analysiing the large volume of
   data generated bt switches
-+ providing national reference source for charging information, and
   associated validation tools to ensure charging integrety
-+ provding a database and tracking mechanism for all exchange insident
   reports; and
-+ a register of the hardware and software build levels for all exchanges in
   the network.

DESS is a major system which runs on the largest VAX cluster configurations
in the world. It supports a population of 2000 users, 140 of which may be
similtaniously logged into the system. A typical daily workload for DESS
would be analysing 1-4 Gigs of exchange generated data, producing 35
thousand pages of printout, and writing or reading 1500 exchange cartridges.

COMMING SOON... NOMS INTERNAL NETWORKING OPER4TIONS.

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+----+ GBH -+o
     |
     +----> psyclone -+o     +[ 4 HORSEMAN OF THE PSTN NINJ4 APPOCALIPZ ]+-- 
     +----> hybrid   -+o     +[           GWAHN BURN'IN H4X0RZ          ]+--
     +----> gr1p     -+o
     +----> kp       -+o-----+[  _\|/_  ]
                              |         |
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