A poorly assigned resource during a manual break-fix cycle may cause a fallout
case that results in further manual rework. To avoid cascading errors, Network
Integrity checks should be performed every time a manual interaction occurs with
the network. In order to be practical, the results of this check should be available
before the operator has moved on to his next assignment, hence the need for
speed in analyzing individual elements.
Even if no manual interaction were taking place, the data and algorithms in BSS
and OSS systems would sometimes collide with one another. This drives the
need to check the entire network much more often than traditional audits would.
A nightly audit of configuration data has a profound effect on Network Integrity
levels, but requires a very scalable and secure data collection framework.
The final piece that’s required to achieve Network Integrity is Gold Standard
auditing. Each service provider conducts extensive analysis on how best to
configure their networks to optimize service delivery. This knowledge is captured
in methods of procedure, and in automation scripts and processes, and the
configuration of provisioning and fulfillment systems.
Even so, things fall through the cracks. In addition to comparing the raw data
from the network to the normalized data in OSS systems, the service provider
needs to be able to apply rules-based analysis to configuration data. With such
a capability in place, when a misconfiguration is detected, it will be easy to find.
When a rule is changed, it will be easy to analyze the network for violations. The
management of a Gold Standard dataset is essential to getting network integrity
levels close to 100%. It is also essential to controlling operational costs as the
amount of configuration data in the network continues to grow exponentially.
With the advent of cloud services and the mobile internet, capacity in the network
is being added and changed at unprecedented rates, and services are changing
the utilization of the network in real time. This environment will no longer tolerate
periodic “Get Well“ programs.
A Network Integrity practice can be set up that puts the service provider on an
actively managed “Stay Well“program. There are significant technical challenges
to succeeding with this practice, but these challenges are independent of the
underlying network technology and can be deployed enterprise wide. Meeting
these challenges has an immediate return on investment through improved asset
utilization, improved network and service provisioning performance, reduced
fallout, and the avoidance of costly outages and break-fix work.
About Nakina Systems:
Nakina Systems provides Network Integrity Management solutions to the telecommunications industry worldwide. Our solutions enable service providers to introduce new services and grow networks more rapidly and with fewer outages by automating the discovery of network equipment, reconciling with inventory systems, auditing software in the network, and centralizing management of network security. Nakina’s solutions power integrity in the world’s largest networks, and they are provided in partnership with the world’s largest and most advanced equipment manufacturers.
Nakina’s solutions work in next generation networks – whether LTE, Ethernet, IMS, or optical – where network complexity has increased. Our Tier I credentials have been earned by deploying solutions that achieve extreme limits of scalability, resiliency, and adaptability to changing requirements.
To learn more about Nakina Systems visit us at: http://www.nakinasystems.com/?src=pipeline_august
