Implementing OSS for IP/MPLS Networksand Services
Requirements and Issues
Signaling

Ananda Sen Gupta
Product Manager, MPLS Solutions
OSS Division, Agilent Technologies
Vice Chairman, International
Development
MPLS and Frame Relay AllianceAgilent in Communications
Manufacturers

DesignManufacturing

Service Providers

Installation&MaintenanceManagement

Operations Support Systems- software and systems which
automate processes for
managing the service
provider’s businessAgilent Restricted

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Agenda• Service Provider Strategy and OSS Framework• Requirements for Managed Service Providers and NetworkOperators• IP/MPLS Network and Services

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Service Provider StrategyPlatform approach for insight andproductivity

Rich data sources
Passive probes – signaling and voice data

Link Monitoring System

Network element data

Service/Network Assurance Platform

Active test service data

RF Assurance Platform

Instruments, e.g., protocol analyzers

2G, 2.5G& 3G

Revenue
Assurance
ServiceAssurance

VoIP &Managed
IP Services

Customer
Assurance

NetworkAssurance

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OSS Framework• Need an open OSS platform on the market with many different
ways to talk to other platforms• A rich development environment that allows the SP to build whatit needs when it’s needed• Off The Shelf Applications for Next Generation Service
Assurance rather than point solutions• A framework that will allow the SP to plug in best of breed
applications as needed –• working with other OSS solutions and sharing informationfrom these diverse sources to build an integrated, correlated
view of Network health.

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Typical OSS Layers
Customer/Service
Customer/ServiceManagement
Management(Correlation,SLA,etc.)(Correlation,SLA,etc.)

SDKs

Open Interfaces

Applications
Applications(ie:(ie:Fault,Fault,Performance)
Performance)

State
StateModeling
ModelingNetworkNetworkDiscovery
Discovery&&Representation
Representation

Collection
Collection(Mediation)(Mediation)
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Page 6Service Management Layer
Presentation
Layer

Service Faults &Performance History
Correlated to theCustomer

Executive Management &Service Operation
Product Marketing
CenterNetwork Operations
ServiceCenters
Dashboard(Drilling toService
Components)

Service
Service
ManagerManager
CustomCustomDashboard
Dashboard

Open Interfaces/APIs
CustomCustomService FM
Service
Reports
IDEAS
Reports
ServerService
Service
Alerts/Alerts/
EventsEventsManagement&ModelingService
DMP
DMP
Service DMSDMP Model
DMP(AFM)
Server(ASM)(ASM) (AFM) Model

CustomCustomServiceService
ReportsReports

Data
Mgr

ServiceService Data
KPI’s/
KPI’s/ T/Arch
KQI’s
KQI’s

ConfigConfigTool
Tool

Open Interfaces/APIs

Service Mgmt
Integration
Layer

XMLXMLGW
GW OSS/J
OSS/J
TT
TT
HTTP/
HTTP/
TIBCO
TIBCO
Other
OSS

OSS/J
OSS/J
FM
FM

OSS/J
OSS/J
PM
PM

Other
Fault Mgmt
PerforOSS
Troublemance
Ticketing
Mgmt
SystemSystemFile/
DBFault Mgr
QoS Mgr

networkalarm
policies

Active service
tests & service
thresholds
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Managed Services SP requirements• How do I differentiate my service offering?
• How do I retain my customers?
• How do I generate more revenue from my customers?

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Page 8Sample Questions Answered• Service Differentiation:• With the Customer view GUI and the SLA report, the SP canquickly show the customer how the service will be handled, andhow SLA parameters are tracked• Customer Retention:• Regular SLA reports made available to customers and alsointerface with a CRM will help track customer issues vs. SLA
violations if any – results in better customer service• Generate more revenues:• By tracking the service QoS and usage of the customers, SP canrecommend to the customers when to move to the higher categoryof service depending on the customer needs

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Network Operations customer
requirements• Converged network means great savings – how can I rapidly
deploy these networks?
• How can I ensure service guarantees?
• How can I guarantee security?
• How do I quickly locate a problem?
• I have multiple NMS. How do I reduce that number?

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Page 10Sample Questions Answered• Rapid deployment roadblock: uncertainty regarding network capacity &quality makes it difficult to deploy all services• Tools: Complete multi-layer network viewer and service quality
tools give SP ability• Result: Know how every service and layer is performing, thus being
sure about deploying new services, and knowing exactly how
network behaves as the service is deployed• A per-Service quality view allows SP to know exactly how aparticular a service in the network performs• Troubleshooting a problem quickly• Complete network view as well as fault detection tool view gives SPability to pinpoint the location of a fault in the network

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IP/MPLS Network and Service Market
Service Providers building MPLS networks to offer:• IP/MPLS services for internal reasons• To support VoIP
• To support IP/MPLS VPNs (a.k.a. BGP/MPLS VPN or Layer 3 VPN)
• To allow convergence of non-IP (ATM/FR/Ethernet) networks over single
IP/MPLS core using Layer 2 multi-point VPN or Layer 2 over MPLS
transport• This includes wireless traffic convergence over IP/MPLS core

• IP/MPLS Services to external customers• Layer 3 VPN service• Layer 2 over MPLS support connecting multiple sites (VLAN, Ethernet)• Guaranteed QoS for all services using backup LSPs, DifferentiatedServices features

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Enterprise Customers Looking to Service
Providers for IP/MPLS Managed Services• IP/MPLS Services• Layer 3 MPLS VPNs
• Virtual Leased Line• Layer 2 MPLS Point-to-Point Transport or LSP, withDiffServ• Virtual Private LAN Services (VPLS)• Enterprise Roadblocks for Managed Services adoption – unavailability of:• Service Level Agreements (SLA) Tracking and Report• Network and service availability• Customer service response time
• Throughput, Latency and Jitter requirements• Customer Network Management (CNM) – customer
visibility into service
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BusinessOpportunitie Customerss

MPLS Network/Service Mgmt
Wireline Service Providers, “Managed Service” Provider
Wireless Service Providers
Cable Service Providers, Enterprise Network Operators
New MPLS network/
service deployment

MPLS
VPN/QoS
Manager

Network Migration toMPLS for Voice / for Data

NetworkConvergence

Enterprise ManagedServices

Service Fulfillme
MPLS
Active TroubleFault
Securit&shootin IdentifiPath/QoTestntySManage g Tools cation Network (ProviPlanningManagerrsioning)

Network• Probe/Agent configuration, control, resources management, test scheduling

NetworkElements
Routers,
Switches

Passive
Monitoring
ProbesActive Testing
Probes &Agents

Topology Discovery

Hybrid Network – ATM/FR/Ethernet/POS Transport
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MPLS Service Assurance¾ Three critical problems to be solved¾Customer Service Quality¾Service mapping to SLA signed with individual
customers¾ Network Service Quality¾QoS of the traffic flowing through LSP’s and VPN’s¾Discovery and Tracking¾ Know what the physical network is¾ Know what the Routing Topology is¾ Know where the LSP’s are¾ Know where the VPN’s are
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End-to-End MPLS/VPN QoS
Customer-SpecificUtilization

Customer-SpecificUtilization
VPN End-to-End QoSdelivered by Provider
ProviderAccess RoutersCore NetworkPE

MPLS

CEPE
Central SitePE

CE
RemoteOfficeCustomer
Edge Router--may or may not be
managed by Provider

CECore MPLS QoS
and Performance

RemoteOffice
Customer
Edge Routers--may or may not be
managed by Provider

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MPLS/VPN Management- CE Data:• Utilization• Error Rates• Router Health• Latency• Packet Loss
• Jitter• DNS• LDAP• etc.

CE- CBQoS MIB- MPLS VPN MiB- MPLS LSR MiB- PE Interface
Data:• Utilization• Error Rates• Router HealthPE

DNS, RADIUS, LDAP, etc- Full Mesh PE PE:• Latency• Packet Loss
• Jitter• Core I/F Utilization & Rates

MPLS
MPLS
Core
Core

- VRF Aware SAA- Service Tests:• DNS• LDAP• RADIUS• etc.

PE - Downstream PE CE:• Latency• Packet Loss
• JitterCE

Active Test
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QoS Solution Needs for VPN Services• Service Management based on Class-of-Service for convergednetworks• CoS monitoring for Data (best effort, business, priority), Voice, Video• End-to-end monitoring of service health, per VPN with active tests• Correlate performance events with Service and Customer impact• QoS Reporting per VPN, per application by CoS• Latency, Jitter, Packet Loss
• Availability• In/Out traffic policy including drops• Monitor and report on VPN Device Health• Configurable device availability and performance data reports via
MIB collection• Management platform health monitoring
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QoS Solution Needs for VPN Services…
• SLA management and Reporting by CoS• Active SLA management per VPN, customer• Real-time SLA alerting and reporting• Historical SLA reporting per customer, service• Performance alerting and analysis• Configurable alerting thresholds• Performance metric Baselines and trend reports• Configurable Notification and Action services

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Sample of MPLS MIB Tests• MPLS-LSR-MIB Tests
MPLS Interface Utilization•Interface Failed Label Lookups¾ Interface Out Discards•Interface In Discards¾ Interface Out Fragments•Interface In Labels Used

¾ Interface Out Labels Used•Interface In Packets¾ Interface Out Packets• MPLS-VPN-MIB Tests
MPLS VPN Route Statistics•

Routes Added•

Routes Deleted•

Current Number of Routes

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Network embedded & software
agents active tests• End to end active testing to measure availability, performanceand quality metrics
Customer
AccessQoS Active
Tests:ICMP Echo
TCP Connect
DNS
DHCP/LDAPHTTP (secure)
FTP
Throughput

Peer
Connectivity

RemoteRemoteAgent/Probe
Agent/Probe

POPPOP

RemoteRemoteAgent/Probe
Agent/Probe

Backbone or Core NetworkPOP
RemoteRemoteAgent/Probe
Agent/ProbeRemote
RemoteAgent/Probe
Agent/Probe

POPCustomer
RemoteRemoteAgent/Probe
Agent/Probe

Customer
RemoteRemoteAgent/Probe
Agent/Probe
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SLA Deployment with QoS tools• Set realistic levels of service goals• Collect real data about the performance of the services• Determine behavior of services over time
• Define service levels (SLAs) that can be guaranteed• Define different levels of service for each customer• Model each customer and of the Customer’s services independently• Deliver customer expectations• Identify, isolate and fix potential problems before they become SLAviolations• Verify customer compliance, not just service provider compliance• Measure customer throughput and equipment availability• Report on their usage behavior

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Real-Time SLA Monitoring
Preemptive SLA Alerting¾ Determine if an SLA
is in/out ofcompliance prior tocompletion ofcompliance period¾ Take remedial action

Point ofno return

before SLA isviolated¾ Prioritize
troubleshooting withknowledge of SLA
compliance failure
severity levels¾ Multiple ways toview status

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Page 23Topology Tracking• Discover the IP, MPLS and VPN topology• Track topology changes and emit change
notifications for event correlation and root causeanalysis• Provide GUIs to visualize the topology and service• Provide context and APIs for integrating OSS
components

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IP/MPLS Topology: Providing Context
There is aproblem withvoice quality

There is aproblem with thiscall.

That calltook thisroute

These routes
changed at this time

There is a
performance
problem with thiselement.

Leverage
topology toprovide context
That route includes
theseelements/interfaces

There is a alarmproblem with thiselement.

That VPN
uses theseroutes• SignallingCollection
Probes• Active Tests• Performance
Measurements
AgentsSS7

SS7PSTNPSTN
IAD PB
EnterpriseX• AlarmCollection
Gateways

IAD PB
Enterprise
X
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Voice Quality Troubleshooting Scenario
Launch a root cause
query by selecting thepacket loss interval forthe given source/dest

Launch topology,
performance or
fault in context
for thoseelements, time,and problem
identifiedTopology
ServerIdentify voice quality
degradation in a given
measurement period

Given IP end points,
time window andproblem retrieveroutes/paths that thiscall took at that time

Display
unidirectionalroutes/paths of
the RTP packets
at the time of thecall
Displaymeasurements
specific to the
problem on
elements identified
and during thetimeframe of thecall
Display alarms
specific to the
problem on
elements identified
and during
timeframe of thePage 26
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Actual problem: No VoIP calls going through (due to VPN misconfiguration)
Proactive Mode (a full running system):
1. Inventory System “is informed” that a VPN is being set up for customer
X so that VoIP calls can be run over it
2. MPLS QoS test tool gets this information (through automated or manualmeans) and is set up to check QoS of the VPN and track SLAparameters
3. As the VPN QoS falls below the SLA requirements (due to zero traffic!),
MPLS QoS tool sends an alarm to the Fault Management System
4. The Topology Tracking tool finds that the VPN does not exist
5. The device is re-configured correctly
6. The tools re-check the network and service to ensure all calls are upand running and getting the requisite QoSAgilent Restricted

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Summary• A strong OSS strategy and implementation is key to rapid
deployment of MPLS networks and applications• No need for large single OSS solution block• Service Providers need to have toolkits with open API’s so thatthey can be integrated with existing OSS solutions• The toolkit has to be able to provide interface to the ServiceProvider Network operations as well as the customers using
the services• A complete service assurance solution will need to look at both
performance and fault to ensure service quality

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Page 28Questions & Answers
Thank You!
ananda_Sengupta@agilent.com