The use of TMF Application Framework in

NOC operations and planning

Pavle Vuletić, AMRES

TF-NOC, 15.2.-16.2.2012, Dubrovnik, Croatia

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A reminder – TMF and TMF Frameworx

Founded by BT and AT&T in 1988

International non-profit organization
with over 700 members in 195 TMF Framework
countries
TMF documents are available to TMF
members, restricted to third parties
Membership fees based on the
annual revenue – Corporate fees
between 1.600$ and 55.000$
Affiliate membership - free
TMF Frameworx - describe network
management from different
viewpoints:
• Business process framework (eTOM)
• Information Framework (SID)
• Integration framework (TNA)
• Application Framework (TAM)
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Application Framework

A 302 page document describing an ideal set of applications that

support the operations of an ideal ISP. Last version 4.5, September
2011.
A unique frame of reference for understanding the relationship between
different OSS/BSS components and a common view of component
applications.
Loosely based upon and mapped to Process and Information
Frameworks (eTOM and SID respectively).
It is not prescriptive: any operator can use it according to their
requirements (as a standardisation language for procuring applications,
for standardising components, for facilitating application integration, as a
baseline model for comparing OSS/BSS with an idealised approach,
etc)
Also has a layered structure as other TMF documents

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What are the aims of the TAM
framework?

To be used as a common application language

For application procurements, functionality specifications
To define some standard application requirements
Enable modular software deployment, software reuse, standard
interfaces to other OSS/BSS components, EMS systems..
To enable automation of the business processes in NOC
Easier component integration/addition
For OSS developers
To give new fancy names to their existing tools, see what other
developers mean under some name,..

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Application Framework: Level 1
decomposition

TAM domains
Market/Sales domain
Product management
domain
Customer
management domain
Service management
domain
Resource
management domain
Supplier/Partner
domain
Enterprise domain

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 Resource Management Domain
magnified

Each box is described with:

Application ID
Overview
Functionality
Supported Business Services
In average approx.1 page text
per box
Functionality description reveals
dependencies from other
components and potential
interfaces towards other
components
Applications are not 1:1 mapped
to eTOM business processes,

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Example:
Resource Inventory Management

RIM OSS component according to the Application Framework – TAM

should support at least the following set of functionalities:
Accurate description of all resources (network elements, their
components, IT systems and applications, other resources crucial
for the service operation).
Records about the resources being consumed by some of the
service instances at different layers
Database of spare resources
Resource site information,
Resource history tracking
Retrieval of a subset of information from the database based on
various attribute matching criteria

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Resource Inventory management
interactions

TMF documents specify other components that interact with RIM OSS
Resource discovery applications which can populate RIM
database
Resource order applications which fetch from RIM the set of
available resources and make conclusion about the set of resources
that have to be ordered from the supplier
Resource design/assign, commissioning and configuration
applications determine based on the data obtained from the RIM the
set of resources that can be configured, conclude the topology of
the service and finally configure the devices
Resource activation applications which update the RIM database
with the information about the activated resources and resources
used by some particular service
Applications for testing, usage and performance monitoring
obtain from the RIM the data about the resources that have to be
monitored.
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Existing EMS, NMS and TMF
interfaces

Vendors are deploying standard based interfaces in their EMS and NMS

EMS North-Bound Interfaces

Vendor Product Technologies NB Interfaces TMF compliant Resource Inventory

Juniper Junos Space Juniper IP NGN devices RESTful Web Services, MTOSI Yes Yes

MPLS, Carrier Ethernet,

Cisco Cisco ANA BQL with TMF MTNM Not known Yes
DWDM

Cisco Cisco CTM DWDM MTNM Corba, SNMP Yes Yes

Alcatel-
ASM 5520 IP DSL, GPON MTOSI 1.1 Yes Yes (5529 IDM)
Lucent

Alcatel- Management Suite

Ethernet, SONET\SDH, WDM MTNM Corba Yes Yes
Lucent 1350

Huawei U2000, M2000 Not known MTOSI, CORBA, SNMP Yes Yes

Transmode TMN DWDM MTOSI 2.0 Yes Yes

ADVA FSP Network Manager DWDM MTOSI, SNMP Yes Yes

Fujitsu Netsmart 1500 DWDM, SONET/SDH MTOSI, MTNM, TL, SNMP Yes Yes

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How we used TAM in GN3 JRA2T1

We analyzed cNIS Workforce Resource

Order Management
Resource Process
Management
Management
functionalities and compared Resource Test
Resource Service
Order Validation Resource Performance
them to the TAM functions management Resource Order Data
Collection
Management

Resource Resource Design/

More orange more overlaping
cNIS vs RD:
Lifecycle Management Assign
Fault management
Spares and Warehouse
Inventory Management
Resource Availability
Billing Data mediation
Planning Design Resource Order

cNIS does resource discovery Automation

Strategic Planning
Configuration Management

Voucher management
Resource
Resource
cNIS is focused on topology Resource Catalog
management
Service
Inventory
Order
Real-time billing
Publication
Management
data. Topologies are Capability Specification
management Resource Service
mediation

determined in TMF Resource Implementation Planning

Order Validation
Resource Order Data
Collection
Design/Assign OSS component
cNIS has a partial database of Resource Inventory Management

resources (no spare parts, no Resource Domain Management

detailed hardware description) OSS Inventory/Data Synchronization management

Resource Fault &

Resource Discovery Resource Activation
cNIS is both to the north and to Performance Mediation

the south of RIM

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TMF Products and services (open)

http://www.tmforum.org/ProductsServices/2528/home.html

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Some examples
Resource Inventory management

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Some examples
Service configuration management

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Q&A

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