Type of Question

Continuation of Q10/4 and parts of Q16/4 (2001-2004): revised text.

Reason for the Question

Under increasingly complex business situations we are confronted with growing challenges from deregulation, new competition, cost pressures, emerging technologies and a constant requirement to develop and deploy new services to meet customer demands. Next Generation Networks are anticipated to bring about a convergence of voice, data and multimedia for both wireline and wireless as well as increased demand to be able to manage services running over the networks. It is also expected that the necessary inter-working of ISDN, PSTN, Ethernet, IP, ATM,MPLS, Frame Relay and other network technologies not only will necessitate the inter-working of their respective management technologies but would benefit from the convergence of these various network management solutions. 

The vision for NGN program is based on the separation of application services from the transport network. IP is considered to be a basis of the ubiquitous end-to-end transport[1] for a global NGN[2].As data traffic grows due to increasing Internet applications telecommunications networks are evolving from digital circuit switched technology to packet switched technologies. The leading packet technologies being deployed are ATM and Internet Protocol (IP), with IP currently providing a common layer 3 infrastructure. This predominance of packet technology as universal transport gives impetus to Voice over IP (VoIP) service with the result that today’s telecommunication network will evolve from its present circuit switched nature to a mixed packet/circuit switched network with an increasing proportion of IP traffic. In addition to VoIP, networks are evolving to carry services over packet-switched networks that have traditionally been carried over circuit switched networks, e.g. multimedia over packet, voice over ATM. 

Since conversion from existing telecommunications networks to an NGN is going to occur over a long time with gradual evolution and the two networks will coexist in different ratios in different countries, the network management scenario should accommodate flexible integrated management of networks. This Question is the lead Question on Management of NGN as well as TMN for IP management and responsible for the establishment of the overall framework, coordination and liaison activities.

Text of Question

How do TMN concepts and technologies need to evolve to accommodate the expected evolution of today’s telecommunication network to a mixed network including IP concepts and technologies and to NGN ?
What kinds of Management Recommendations are needed to address ?

• Architecture for managing mixed and IP networks 
• Management services and functions (FCAPS) for mixed and IP networks ?
• Information Models for managing IP networks: NE, Network and Service level ?
• Interworking among existing and new technologies introduced to support IP ?
• Architecture for managing converged networks
• Architecture for managing NGN Services
• Role of traditional TMN FCAPS relative to TMF concepts of FAB in managing NGN
• Management and control requirements resulting from the application of eTOM to NGN

• Work plan and initial report on Management evolution for managing NGN – 2000
• Includes identification of existing, relevant work activities inside and outside the ITU-T and relationship to TMN
• Maintenance of a cooperative relationship with IETF and to ensure harmonized management standards for mixed and IP networks. [This will include identification of work areas in the IETF for which individual questions within SG-4 should establish liaison at the expert level].
• Development of a framework for the management context of mixed and IP Networks
• Develop a framework for the management of NGN networks and services
• Provide a forum for a Technology watch that may impact management
• Updates to M.3017 to support the management of networks migrating towards NGN