New Choices for Network O&M

For long-term business development, an enterprise must have a plan to deal with different competitive environments. This plan is a strategy for the enterprise. According to Jack Welch, CEO of General Electric, strategy means making clear-cut choices about how to compete.

Most telecom operators face the same problems as other enterprises. They must make strategic decisions at different stages and different levels; that is, make choices about industry value chain, target customers, operation models, and opportunities implied by different business models.

To develop new services and attract more subscribers, operators are gradually transforming into full-service operators. This transition is itself a choice. Because full-service operation leads to more dedicated bearer networks, core networks, and access networks, O&M has become increasingly complicated. So how do operators choose their network O&M modes?

Choices for Network O&M

There are few choices for network O&M when a single service type is being offered and the network is simple in structure. But where multiple services are offered and network architecture is complicated, different network O&M modes come with different efficiencies and costs. This directly impacts an operator’s profit and even their competiveness within the industry.

The following network O&M modes are currently available:

■    Independent O&M

When single-service operation is transformed into full-service operation, independent O&M is a natural and easy choice. However, dedicated networks are physically and logically separate and are often not effectively integrated. Many independent O&M systems may have been adopted that cannot be shared. This results in high O&M costs.

■    Managed Service 

Managed Service is another O&M choice that is usually offered by a third party. To lower O&M costs, the third party manages networks of different operators. So the O&M center may be far away, and perhaps only a limited number of networks can be managed.

■    Centralized O&M

For multiple dedicated networks, centralized O&M may be adopted. Different Element Management Systems (EMSs) can be integrated for unified management through unified interfaces. Centralized O&M has the advantages of high efficiency and low cost.

Unified Network O&M

To solve the problem of managing multiple dedicated networks and to reduce OPEX, ZTE developed NetNumen™ U31―a unified network management solution.

NetNumen™ U31 is a scalable carrier-class network management solution that can manage the whole network including access, bearer, core, and service layers in a centralized way. It helps operators achieve high O&M efficiency with lower TCO, and has become their preferred choice.

For seamless interconnection with OSS, NetNumen™ U31 supports a variety of northbound interfaces such as CORBA, SNMP, FTP, SOAP and CLI. It also provides configuration, alarm, and performance data for building a complete, flexible BSS/OSS.  Its useful functionalities and tools help operators out of O&M trouble.

■    Data check: NetNumen™ U31 performs a data consistency check that lightens the workload of O&M staff. It also performs health checkup and intelligent inspection of all network devices to reduce O&M costs.

■    High security: NetNumen™ U31 provides complete access authority control and detailed log records. A highly secure networking solution prevents malicious attacks. Data backup and disaster tolerance supports remote disaster recovery to guarantee high data security of the network.

■    Intelligent networking: NetNumen™ U31 supports three access modes: GUI, WEB, and MML. These are used to meet different scenarios, user behaviors, network requirements, and bandwidth restrictions. A highly reliable security control mechanism allows users to access the network management system anywhere and control the network remotely.

NetNumen™ U31 also provides effective tools to boost O&M service efficiency. Measurement Report (MR) replaces Drive Test (DT) for locating problems in coverage, interference, and adjacent cells quickly and accurately. This helps lower OPEX and boost working efficiency. A user-based end-to-end protocol trace tool is used to support multiple Network Elements (NEs), multiple signaling trace modes, and multiple presence modes. This helps speed up complaint response time. Quick fault locating, network quality optimization, user behavior analysis, and industry trend forecast also improve network quality, increase business revenue, and enhance customer satisfaction.

NetNumen™ U31 supports flexible centralized or distributed networking modes to accommodate different operation scenarios. For a small-scale network, a unified network management system integrating multiple EMSs can be used to lower O&M costs. For a large-scale network, operators can choose to combine logically relevant EMSs or separate some management functions for the purpose of load sharing. In this way, users can manage all NEs through a single client.

Conclusion

A complete operation support system helps enhance an operator’s competitiveness. With the distinct advantages of high O&M efficiency, low O&M costs, and modular structure for adapting to changes in network evolution, ZTE’s NetNumen™ U31 is ideal for building a competitive O&M system.