IBM

Tivoli Netcool Service

Assurance:
Overview and high level
analysis

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Agenda

Disclaimer & Introduction

IBMs Service Assurance Keynote

Terminology

Overal portfolio & the Netcool CCAI methodology

Netcool Fault Management Fault, RCA, Deployment & Integration, IP

Common Platform Strategy Integrated Portal

Netcool Performance Mangement Vallent, Proviso

Netcool Service Quality Mangement (SQM)

Open discussion/Q&A
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Disclaimer
All material is my own, or readily available
in the public domain
There is no guarantee of information being
up to date
Information correct as of last year

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IBM Says:
IBM Service Management (ISM)
An Integrated Approach to Getting Business Results

Visibility

Control

Automation

See
your
business

Govern
your
assets

Build
agility
into
Operation
s

Only IBM
delivers
integrated
visibility across
audiences.

Only IBM
delivers
integrated
control across
business &
assets.
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Only IBM delivers

integrated
automation
across business &
operations.

HP Says
Control: create a single view

Reduce human operator effort and Mean Time to Repair

Eliminate facilities costs through NOC consolidation

Automate

Decrease operator effort, MTTR and time to revenue

Transformation

Break down silos and create a common approach

Reduce CAPEX and redundant spending
Difference: Visibility is classified under Control: single view, and
adds Transformation to the mix
Governance not mentioned (under Transformation?)

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Briefing Terminology
Probes

In Netcool speak, a probe is a passive, standalone software

module used to collect, parse and forward alarm information
and process it into Netcool events
This is equivocal to an AM in TeMIP speak.

CCAI

Methodology employed to depict the 4 logical layers of Network

Management Collect, Consolidate, Analyze, Inform
Further described in the next slide

Dashboards

This is a generic description for webified components and not a

product in itself

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The CCAI method and Netcool

Webtop
INFORM

Roles of products in the Tivoli Service Management

suite can be broken down by function. At the
collection and consolidation layer, we have:

Dashboards

Web-Based
Graphical Display

Network and
Service Topology
Visualization

Native Real-time
Product Displays

Historical
Reporting
& Analysis

Impact
ANALYZE

Real-Time
Data Integration

Business-Context
Correlation

OMNIbus
CONSOLIDATE

COLLECT

Topology
Correlation

ITNM

Service-Level
Correlation

TNPM

Scaleable
Aggregation

Discovery,
Topology and
Root-Cause Analysis

Performance
Management

Real-time &
Historical Events

Logical & Physical

Network Topology

Performance
Data

Event Probes

Auto-discovery

Physical
Plant

Transmission
Layer

Network
Layer

Dataloaders

Application
Layer

Service
Layer

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OMNIbus - a highly scalable event manager and

aggregator, which collects data from element
managers and other concentration points via probes.
ITNM - a product which discovers, builds a
topology and monitors a network and can perform
root-cause analysis on the discovered information.
TNPM - an integrated performance-management
system that collects and correlates performance data
from discrete network elements.
Once the data has been consolidated, it can be
further processed in the analysis layer:
Impact - is a processing engine that can correlate
and process different kinds of information coming
from products in this family and external third-party
databases.
TBSM - is a dedicated product for correlating business
and service-level information.
The inform layer lets us visualize the results. In
addition to displays native to each product we have:
Webtop - a web-based graphical display engine for
event and business information.

Fault Management & Core Netcool Architecture

Event List

(web-based GUI framework)

Topology-based RCA
& event-enrichment

Network Inventory &

Topology

Network
Model

Event collection, normalization,

state tracking,
Device level correlation

Object
Server
Events & Alarms
Collection, normalization,
enrichment, pre-classification

Discovery &
Modelling

Rule &
Lookup
files

OMNIbus Probes &

Precision SNMP & Ping MONITOR

Servers / Network / NMS / EMS

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Visualization
Event enrichment.
Business logic.
Service Impact

Impact

Data Source
Adaptors (DSA)

3rd party systems

TopoViz
Webtop

Netcool Omnibus Probe Architecture

TCP/IP

Communication

Send events to ObjectServer over TCP/IP. Communicate

with O/S to keep in step and employs a store and forward
facility if the connection is down

Data Normalisation

Map the tokens to event fields. Defines the deduplication and generic clear settings. Uses
Rules Files

Data Parsing

Tokenize the event stream so it can be

manipulated

Data Collection

Passive, non intrusive Data collection from

various interfaces

SNMP

ASCII
API

logfile

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TL1

Q3
CORBA

Tivoli Netcool Probe Library

FDF Probe
Lucent ITM SC Probe
Adam NOMS Probe
Radius Probe (P135)
FIFO Probe
Lucent OMC
ADU Probe
RoboMon EMS Probe
FLEXR Probe
Lucent
SNMS Probe
Agile Probe
Servelec Probe
Freshwater Sitescope Probe
Marconi EMOS Probe
Airspan Sitespan Probe
Siemens ACVD Probe
Fujitsu ICS Probe
Marconi PFM Probe
Alcatel 5620 Probe
Siemens DCO Probe
Netcool Knowledge
Library SNMP
support
(175 MIBs), including:
Fujitsu Netsmart Probe
Marconi PSB Probe
Alcatel 5620 SAM Probe
Siemens EWSD Probe
Gateway for Clarify
Marconi ServiceOn Access Probe
Alcatel DSC Dex TSM
Siemens HMS Probe
Gateway for Flat Files
Marconi ServiceOn Data Probe
Alcatel MT20 Probe
Siemens NetManager Probe
Gateway for HP ServiceDesk
Bridge MIB RFC 1493
ATM Forum MIB RFC 1695 for ATM switches
31 different Cisco
MIBs (including
MPLS VPNs)
Marconi System X Probe
Alcatel NMC 1300 Probe
Siemens Radio Commander Probe
MIB-II RFC 1213/2096
ATM Forum PNNI (Single Pier) MIB
21 Nortel MIBs
Gateway for IBM DB2
Metrica NPR Probe6 different Extreme Networks MIBs (inc VLANs)
RMON MIBs
ATM Forum ILMI MIB
Alcatel OCB 283 Probe
Siemens SMN-OS Probe
Gateway for InformixATM Forum LANE Client MIB
OSPF MIB
Juniper MPLS VPN support
Motorola OMC-R IDEN Probe
Alcatel OMCR 1353 Q3 Probe
Siemens Switch Commander Q3 Probe
BGP MIB
Frame Relay MIB RFC 1315
Motorola OMC-R Q3 Probe
ifStack MIB Gateway for Metasolv TMS
FDDI MIB RFC 1512
Alcatel OMC-R Probe
Siemens TNMS Corba Probe
Gateway for MS SQL
VRRP MIB
Mototola OMC-R 3GPP Probe
Alcatel OMC-S Probe
Siemens TNMS SNMP Probe
Gateway for MySQL (ODBC)
NET 5000 Probe
Alcatel OSOS TSM
Simnet Probe
Gateway for ODBC
NET Promina Probe
Alcatel S12 Probe
SNMP EMS Probe
Gateway for Oracle
Netlabs Probe
Alcatel SMC 1360 S12 Q3 Probe
SNMP Probe
Gateway for Peoplesoft Vantive
NewNet SMS Probe
AMS Probe
Snyder PDS Probe
Gateway for Peregrine Service Center
Nokia Netact for Broadband Probe
Aprisma Spectrum Probe
Socket Probe
Gateway for Remedy ARS
Nokia Netact for Wireless Probe
ARCOM Probe
stdin Probe
Gateway for Reporter
Nokia NMS100 Probe
Ascom PANMAN Probe
Sun Management Center Probe
Gateway for Siebel 6 eCommunications
Nokia NMS2000 Probe
Ascom TimePlex TimeView Probe
Sun SNM Log Probe
Gateway for Siebel 6 Field Service Desk
Nokia SBT Probe
Avaya Definity G3 Probe
Sun Solstice Enterprise Manager Probe
Gateway for SNMP
Nortel BSSM Probe
BMC Patrol Probe
Sybase Probe
Gateway for Sockets
Nortel DMS TSM
CA Unicenter TNG Probe
Syntax Probe
Gateway for Sybase
Nortel DMS10 Probe
Castlerock SNMPC Probe
Syslog Daemon Probe
Generic Logfile Probe
Nortel EAI Probe
CEMF Probe
Syslog Probe
Glenayr VMS Probe
Nortel EC1 Probe
CFS Probe
Tandem Probe
Heartbeat Probe
Nortel EVDO Probe
Ciena Oncenter Probe
Tekelec LSMS Probe
HP IT/Operations Probe
Nortel FMBB Probe
CLOG Probe
Telco Research ORBi-TEL Probe
HP NNM Probe
Nortel Magellan NMS Probe
CMS400 Probe
Tellabs 2100 Probe
HTTP Common Log Format Probe
Nortel MDM Probe
Comverse Probe
Tellabs 8100 Probe
HTTP Server Error Log Probe
Nortel Meridian Probe
Dantel Pointmaster Probe
Tibco Probe
Huawei T2000 MML Probe
Nortel MG9000 Probe
Datawatt Probe
VantagePoint Probe
Hughes Probe
Nortel OMC-R Q3
Probe
Dawcom Probe
IBM Netview Probe
Nortel OSSI Probe
DEC VAX OpCom Probe
IBM/Tivoli TEC Oracle Probe
Nortel PTM Probe
DFMS Probe
IBM/Tivoli TEC Sybase Probe
Nortel PWI 3GPP Probe
Eagle STP Probe
IBM/Tivoli TME 10 TEC Adapter Probe
Nortel STP Probe
ECI LightSoft probe
IDNX Probe
Nortel USP Probe
ECI eNM, EMS-XDM and EMS-Syncom probe
INET Geoprobe Probe
NT Event Log Probe
EIF Probe
Informix Probe
Octel Probe
Email Probe
IOC Probe
ODBC Probe
Ericsson ACP1000 Probe
Ion Networks Sentinel 2000 Probe
Okeford Probe
Ericsson AXE10 TSM
KBU Probe
Open Nervecenter Probe
Ericsson BNSI Probe
Kodiak EMS
Oracle Probe
Ericsson CN-OSS Probe
Landis Probe
Oryx EMS Probe
Ericsson MD110 Probe
LightWatch Probe
Ping Probe
Ericsson OSS-RC Probe
Lucent 5ESS Probe
Polycenter Watchdog Probe
Ericsson RANOS Probe
Lucent ECP Probe
Prognosis Probe
Ericsson Xmate Probe
Lucent ITM NM Probe
Pulsepoint Probe
Exec Probe

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Simplified RCA example

Something fails in network lots
of devices are unreachable

Device Failure
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Precision
Topology-based
Event
Something
fails in network
lotsCorrelation
of devices are
unreachable
sub-system
identified
the root-cause
Root Cause is highlighted in topology

Symptom Events

Root Cause
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Network Visualization

Unified web-based view of both events and topology

No-maintenance topology maps

Web-based wizards for easy configuration

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* Coming in Precision IP 3.7

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Event Reduction and filtering when, where & how

1 At source:
Probe Rules Files: Conditional filters and event pre-classification
2 By the ObjectServer:
Built in and user (administrator) defined
Automations Triggers, Actions
De-duplication Same Node, Port, Slot, Type, EventID
3 RCA Engine - Add on ITNM (AKA Precision)
Based on correct pre-classification & Topology Model
4 User filtering at the event list
5 Logic based Add on Impact
Grabs events and executes policies that match specified
conditions
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Does this strategy work?

As we move up the stack in the previous slide, it is implied that each layer
added will provide a magic reduction in alarm volume and complexity . In
many cases, this could be far from true !!!!
- Complex and extensive configuration
- Every alarm has to be configured
- Predominantly suited to IP network management
- Some things you cant correlate and do not fit the RCA & Topology
architecture (Telco/Tx/Optical/Mobile)
True or False? Can we say .
- HP leverage an extensive Telco capability, with
more mature products
- HP have a more integrated portfolio across the
different tech silos
- IBMs add on products ITNM (Precision), PM
(Proviso) predominantly IP solutions

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Conclusion: This is a
strong pitch and has
been proven in many
cases; however it takes
a strong task force and
requires a full
consultative approach
which must encompass
operations (people,
process).

Netcool Deployment Knowledge base and IP capture

Mature, extensive user community
http://netcoolusers.org/home
Searchable archive, 5+ years of forum data Q&A, Issues and solutions, advice, support
Independent, yet Netcool product managers , founders and gurus are frequent, active
contributors

Netcool GAT

Tools and Utilities

MIB Database
MIB2R download mibs as a rules file template

Common equipment, and IBM or Micromuse deployed rules files and

RCA configurations (ITNM) captured in out of box support
Not perfect!!
Under the legacy Micromuse business model; partners always deployed product
SIs seldom willing to contribute IP back into the community
Every environment is different, and has diff req. Were All in the same boat regardless
of product used

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Deployment and Integration

Procedure for adding new NE types

Is there a productized probe?

Is there a generic probe for this interface? (SNMP,
Corba, HTTP, ASCII, TCP/IP or Socked, Telnet, TSM)
Has anyone volunteered anything to the user
community?
If SNMP, there may be an out of box or GAT rules file
Otherwise, generate one using M2R you need only the
MIB file

BYO! (Extensive services cost)

Create an additional layer beneath the probe to interface

with the equipment and send the data to a socket or other
generic probe
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More on building probes

SDK available long ago, is no more
No formal new probe has been developed for
years
None likely to be
Poor mans integration build something
that will send SNMP traps
Better off finding a way to get the event data
stream and send it to one of the generic
probes ()
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Netcool Integration (ObjectServer)

Open & Free interface

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Presentation Layer TIP

TIP - Tivoli Integrated Portal
Web based for integrating multiple products
Aggregated views that span server instances
Common Data Warehouse:
correlated resource schema

Correlated Fault and Performance views

Generate reports with cross-product data
SSO
Reduced Admin overhead
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IBM Has Acquired Vallent Corporation

Private company, founded in 1990, HQ

in Bellevue, WA
Over 400 employees worldwide
Rich wireless industry background as
combination of WatchMark, Comnitel,
and Metrica
Over 200 communication service
provider customers worldwide
Deep industry business partner and
OEM relationships

Acquisition has closed effective

February 13, 2007
Vallent joins Netcool within the IBM
Tivoli division
Vallent extends IBMs ability to
address the emerging needs of
communications service provider
clients
Vallent Transfer of Trade now
completed.

Vallent Portfolio Overview

Industry-leading service quality and wireless network performance management

ServiceAssure provides direct visibility of the customer
experience
Rapidly identifies service and customer-impacting
problems for quick resolution
Enables end-to-end enterprise SLA management
Improves customer care effectiveness with detailed
information on service quality

NetworkAssure manages multi-technology,

multi-vendor wireless networks with a
comprehensive view of performance metrics to
optimize and forecast usage, investment and
capacity
Scalable, high volume processing of wireless
file-based data
Wide range of supported wireless
technologies, devices and vendors

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Positioning Vallent in the E2E portfolio

Pitched as an integrated portfolio covering wireless, wireline, IP, and IT domains

Service Quality Management Solution

Netcool

Vallent

Availability & Business

Service Management

TNPM Wireless

RAN

Wireless
Core
Network

Netcool
TNPM

Tivoli

IT Automation, Security
& Storage Management

IP Network
Service Delivery
Platform (SDP)

Wireless Access Network

Core IP Network
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Broad coverage for

visibility into all
network layers
Scalability to handle
growing complexity
Modular deployment
to provide immediate,
incremental value
Integration capabilities
to leverage existing
investments

TNPM for Wireless in brief pt1: Drivers

Delivers
Network quality management
Report key performance indicators (KPIs)
Score market and regional success

Performance optimization
Monitor daily and hourly performance
Isolate, analyze and resolve service affecting
problems

Trending and capacity planning

Plan infrastructure expansion
Forecast capacity exhaustion

Tivoli Netcool Performance Manager for Wireless provides critical metrics

that help operators manage network infrastructure

TNPM Feature Highlights

Macromedia enterprise-class Rich Internet
Application framework
Brings the flexibility of a thick client to the web
Provides powerful on the fly report customization
All report data loaded into the browser
Change layout and charting options
User Filtering
Add/drop columns, resources from the report
Slice and Dice into desired format; i.e. clean up and export for customer report
Save as new report, export etc.
Report can change immediately other report tools will have to resubmit and process at
server end which can take a long time
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User Focused Feature Set

Fast intuitive web based

user interface

User defined workspace

User created CONTENT
Near real-time auto update
latest data

TNPMW reporting allows

rapid, menu driven ad-hoc
reporting
Interactive data-access and
charting

Easy access to predefined

report definition, reports
and schedules

Flexible Report Parameters

Analyze logical and physical areas of

the network

Search for network elements

Select one or multiple network

elements

Select KPI thresholds

(e.g. blocking > 5%)

Analyze a single date or a date range

Run reports for period total, busy hour,

system busy hour

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Charting and Graphing options

Comprehensive set up user defined
charts and graphs

Tabular
Line Plot
Horizontal Bar
Horizontal 3D Bar
Vertical Bar
Vertical 3D Bar
Pie Chart
3D Pie Chart
Area Chart
Stacked Horizontal Bar
Stacked Horizontal 3D Bar
Stacked Vertical Bar
Stacked Vertical 3D Bar
Overlaid Plot (Dual Y-axis)

Configurable Drill Down

Configure drill down and up reports via hyperlinks between reports

Easily Creation of New KPIs

Drag and drop definition

of KPIs using User Defined
Calculations tool
Allow Web users to create, save and
use UDCs
Immediate validation
of KPIs

Validation - validate KPIs

immediately
KPI groups
PCalcs Vallent recommended KPIs
UDC User defined KPIs

Extensive list of standard

mathematical functions

License Model
Base (Foundation) license for TNPM
- One time only and valid for both Wireless (Mobile) & Wireline (IP)
Tech Packs
- i.e. GSM, GPRS, UMTS etc
- Core tech packs: COTS
- Non Core: Custom development
- Pre packaged KPI, reporting that applies to specific network technology
Data Adapters
- Vendor specific
- Will unpeg the data and normalize it
i.e. data from multi-vendor environment converted into common
format, across resources, time and common KPI naming
- Version releases aligned to NEP release schedules (maybe)
Roadmap strategy based on having a common PM solution regardless of
technology - to facilitate the evolution to NGNs.

Legacy Vallent Performance

Management Portfolio
* Account Numbers at time of acquisition shown in parenthesis
NetworkAssure (NA)
Scalable PM
Vallent converged PM

Metrica Performance
Manager (MPM)

Prospect

Watchmark PM

Metrica NG PM

(21)

Metrica/NPR

Metrica Legacy PM

(60 + Alcatel OEMs)

(20 + Motorola & Lucent OEMs)

Pros/Cons for HP:

L
J
J
K

IBM gained a large install base/market share (wireless)

IBM didnt know the tech Pack shortfall was HUGE in the Next-Gen platform
Leaves opportunity for others inc. HP to catch up whilst IBM invest the R&D
This advantage doesnt count as much for Green Field sites
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Network Performance Management

TNPM & TNPMW
Tivoli Netcool Proviso (TNPM)

Vallent NetworkAssure (TNPMW)

Product:

Function:

Synopsis:

Wireline / IP

Wireless

Performance Management

Performance Management

Separate products with completely different architecture. One is pitched at

WIRELINE the other for WIRELESS
Not integrated, not in a single interface/common PM platform
IBM intention to combine the front end into a unified solution, however
deployment complexity will remain as both foundation need to be
implemented. They will likely remain DIFFERENT platforms for a long time to
come

TNSQM Solution in brief ...

SLA and Service
Performance Management

Real-time
Service Status Monitoring

Off-the Shelf
Service Models
Historical, Real-time
and Predictive
Service Analytics

Open, flexible interfaces

for integration
with 3rd party OSS

Prioritisation
and Root Cause
Analysis

Customer Experience
Management

Value-added, productised
integration with broad
Tivoli Service Management
Portfolio

Broad Network, Service, IT, Transactional and Operational Data Source Support
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IBM Tivolis Service Quality Manager Solution

Real-time Service Status Management allows service providers to quickly assess the impact of

events on the performance or availability of a revenue-generating service. It does this by providing a

dashboard that correlates service indicators across business and technology components

SLA and Service Performance Management allows service providers to establish and ensure

aggregate service quality levels. It does this by comparing current and historical quality levels to
established targets, discovering and analyzing the root cause of quality issues throughout the service
path, and providing comprehensive lifecycle management of internal, external and 3rd party SLAs
written against these quality targets

Customer Experience Management provides a detailed analysis of an individual subscribers

experience and correlates this back to broader service quality trends. It does this by analysing
individual subscriber transactions and comparing these to service quality aggregated by service,
location, subscriber group and device type.

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Product Mix
Tivoli Business Service Manager

Vallent ServiceAssure

Product:

Function:

Synopsis:

Real-time Business

Customer-centric Service

Service Management

Quality Management

TBSM already existed and is being pitched as the real time component. Similar
to SQM Lite (SAC) in HP
But these are 2 disparate and completely different products, with numerous
areas of overlap
HP advantage here is that with BAC, it already has a single platform for SAC +
SQM, with the former enabling an attractive entry point for operators
IBM try to pitch a unified SQM solution that is not really the case (yet)

TNSQM Service Solution (COTS)

What is a TNSQM Service Solution?

IBM Service Solution

Library

It is an installable component on the TNSQM product designed to enable service providers monitor
and report on the service quality delivered to their end customers for a specific service offering (e.g.
VOIP, Blackberry email, IP-VPN).

Tivoli Netcool Service Quality Manager (TNSQM)

VOIP

SLA/Service Reporting

BlackBerry

SMS

IPTV

Blackberry

IP-VPN

IPTV

VOIP

IP-VPN

SLA/Service Monitoring

Voice Mail

Historical Trending
Root Cause Analysis
Data Persistence

GPRS

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Thank you for your attention !

Any Questions?
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