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).

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

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.

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:

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