1 Identification of the requirement
The deployment of converging networks, technologies and
services, requires the enhancement of network management
surveillance and control capabilities to support effective network
and service operation management of the network and services, as
detailed in the Annex to this Question. Input to this question is
highly desirable from the Network Management Development Group (NMDG)
and Quality of Service Development Group (QSDG).
2 Text of the question
How should the E.410-series of Recommendations be updated to
reflect the enhancement of network management capabilities?
Studies under this Question will include:
- NM operational guidance
- NM surveillance
- NM controls
- NM planning and organization aspects
Considerata for the new Question on Network Management
New services (Over the Internet, UPT, and mobile, etc.) have
been planned and/or introduced in all networks which are
characterized by different traffic profiles and which need to be
handled by the network managers, particularly during periods of
network congestion or performance degradation in real time. The
introduction of such new services and/or new networks may generate
new or unusual traffic flows in the network, and the effect of
these new traffic flows may not be fully understood when the
service is introduced.
Network management studies for Convergence of the Internet and
Switched network, IP and IN Services have to be further developed.
Essential is to investigate the specific needs for different
services and traffic types.
New studies are invited concerning the potential modification
of normal routing procedures for switched ATM and IP traffic in
order to provide Network Management Controls for handling
unanticipated traffic loads. The routing studies to be considered
in this manner should be based upon accepted standards.
The introduction of such new services and/or new networks
requires the collection in real time of traffic and network data,
additional respect to those already specified in the E.410-series
of Recommendations. In particular, the need of selectivity and
enhancement of NM surveillance and control has to be further
analysed to cope with the variety of services and traffic types.
Interworking between different networks is developing and
problems in one network (or in the interface between the networks)
have the potential to cause problems in the connected network.
The specification of call detail records, in addition to call
failure records (already defined in detail in Recommendation
E.411), is required and for further study.
Network management controls are effective in alleviating
congestion in the network, and can also help during fault
recovery, and these controls could be applied automatically for
the new data networks (IP, ATM, FR) and in any case should be
coordinated with the internal flow control and fault recovery
mechanisms.
With the increasing size of Network elements (e.g. routers,
exchanges) and transmission systems, failures of such facilities
may have a severe impact on service if network management actions
are not pre-planned and implemented.
The exchange of real time information between the network
elements of the national and international networks and/or OSSs is
essential for the optimization of telecommunications services and
therefore it should be further investigated for inclusion into the
E.410 series.
The telecommunications management network (TMN) can support a
wide range of network management functions between a network
management centre (or operation system) and network elements. The
network management functions can be useful components in the other
layers in the TMN-model and vice versa.
Network Management and Quality of Service are closely coupled
and cooperation between the NMDG and QSDG is required and helpful
in the evolution of the E.410 series.
The introduction of new routing schemes especially when
interworking with IP-based networks may create new considerations
for network management.
The impact of severe mass calling events may require new
techniques and controls for handling the situation, e.g. the use
of devices implemented in the customer terminal equipment, should
be taken into consideration.
The advantages of having destination performance parameters
should be investigated. This could, e.g. be useful for the network
manager to decide which way to route a call/packets or which
calls/packets to control.
Dynamic reallocation of circuits or bandwidth does affect the
area of network management and creates new challenges for the
network manager.
Relations between NM, configuration management and Quality of
Service when NM controls are active have to be further
investigated.
A constant alignment of the E.410-series of Recommendations or
other Recommendations edited by different Study Groups which have
the duty to examine the area of network management from
perspectives which are different from those under the control of
SG 2 (especially SG 4, 11, 13, NMDG and QSDG) has to be pursued in
order to ensure consistency in the functional and operational
texts which have been assigned to SG 2. This goal could
require some synchronization between the relevant work programmes.
Within this considerata the consistency in the terminology
defined in E.600 (ex. definition of circuit group and circuit
subgroup) has also to be investigated more carefully.
Careful consideration needs to be applied for the convergence
of networks (Public Switched and IP) and impact to Network
Managers.
3 Expected results
A revision of the E.410-series of Recommendations is expected
during the study period reflected in the table below which will be
updated on an ongoing basis:
Area |
Target date |
Priority |
B-ISDN |
2003 |
Medium |
IP |
2001 |
High |
UPT |
2002 |
Medium |
Mobile Networks |
2002 |
High |
4 Relationships
The following are considered relationships from and to the
Question on Network Management:
FUNCTIONS:
- System Requirements (OS, Network Elements)
- Engineering and Planning of the network
- Routing and Numbering from an NM perspective
- TMN (Business Management, Service Management)
- Maintenance
EXTERNAL
GROUPS/FORAS
- Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF)
- European Telecommunications Standardization Institute (ETSI)
- TeleManagment Forum (TMF)
- North American Network Operators Group (NANOG)
ITU
- SG 4 TMN and Network Maintenance
- SG 11 Signalling Requirements and Protocols
- SG 13 General Network Aspects
INTERNAL inside SG 2
- Network Management Development Group (NMDG)
- Quality of Service Development Group (QSDG)
Primary: NMDG, SG 13, SG 4, IETF
Secondary: SG 11, ETSI, TMF, NANOG
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