ENERGy

Description

In recent decades, network operators have invested billions of dollars in infrastructure. This not only includes hardware, but also management tools designed to optimise network use. The pressure to achieve a return on this investment, through economies of scale, for example, is enormous. In 2002, $US 32 billion (about 3% of total revenue) was spent on operations support systems (OSS) and the integration of dissimilar systems. ENERGy aims to provide a unified generic platform for the delivery of global management services.

Heterogeneous networks mean complex management

Communication networks are designed to reach operational objectives such as higher data rates, higher throughput, more capacity, etc. Achieving optimal solutions for various specific (sub-)markets results in a patchwork of heterogeneous environments, where end-to-end services are provided by distributed sub-systems and limited by complicated inter-system exchanges. Achieving a coherent and universal management of such an architecture requires critical and focused effort. Furthermore, the interoperability between the components of the various systems requires technical adaptations that will influence their performance.

Operation of an end-to-end service requires co-ordination of the various systems and devices. There are few systems that can do this automatically.

The ENERGy project aims to improve this situation through the exploitation of relevant enabling technologies. Its objectives are:

• to co-ordinate the management of heterogeneous network services and resources; the deployment and configuration of network equipment (servers, hubs and switches, for example); applications and services; control, monitoring, update, and report of network status (Quality of Service, Faults, Security level, …) with a strong focus on auto-configuration and self-management;
  
  
• to simplify network management by transcribing network information into a form manageable by humans with improved interpretation of high level management objectives such as Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and correlation of networks alarms;
  
  
• to master the complexity of network heterogeneity, which is increasing due to greater numbers of stake holders and a wider range of technologies. The aim is to ensure co-operation between private, corporate and public operators while the expertise of those mangaging end-to-end service operations will be enhanced and supported by computer-based analysis;
  
  
• to provide reliable services: a network with a high Quality of Service (QoS) and minimum downtime. The network management systems (NMS) must detect and repair network faults and errors while the network must be protected from security threats. With information retrieved from the network, NMS must automatically implement network policies to ensure the best service for end-users;
  
  
• to be cost conscious: NMS must keep track of, and report on, network resources and service usage.
  
  

Provide the right tools to manage networks
 
We intend to provide the security mechanism that will enable the security of network data to be maintained.

• Automation (or computer-assisted operations) in service and policy management: investigation of underpinning technologies that can be used to automate network management operations.
  
  
• Web-based Network Management: the most efficient technologies with which to build prototype interfaces will be identified and used. The use of web services will be focused on the QoS measure and fault diagnosis.
  
  
• Security management: the implementation of security safeguards will provide reasonable assurance that all components related to security, transaction processing and network availability are well protected, preventing any unauthorised access while assisting with the verification and recording of the current network configuration. Tele-management and tele-distribution: probes deployed in the networks will provide information (eg security and QoS data) that’s relevant to the management QoS and SLA. These probes can be managed (software update, dispatch of security log, …) via a generic distribution console that can be managed remotely or from a single point of administration is an important challenge.