gateway controllers or call agents). These soft-switches must interwork with the SS7 network in a hybrid packet and circuit-switched network environment. Agilent today is working closely with carriers as they tackle the chal- lenges of deploying softswitch-based networks that use the complex new signaling. Signaling is essential in telecommu- nication networks, not only as the means of establishing call parame- ters (such as destination address, bandwidth requirements, and authorization to set up and termi- nate calls) but also for delivering advanced telephony services. To implement an intelligent signaling system for next-generation packet networks that will carry the new services, carriers are deploying softswitches (also called media Volume 9, Issue 1, 2002, U.S. Edition Continued on page 3 Agilent Telecommunications News Monitoring and managing softswitch networks to deliver next-generation services Also in this issue: Integrated solution for flow-through provisioning SS7 over IP: out of the lab and into operation Make a smoother transition to GPRS Deploy mass-market, location-based services using signaling data Physical layer management is key to greater return on optical investment Manage carrier interconnects & more
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gateway controllers or call agents).These soft-switches must interworkwith the SS7 network in a hybridpacket and circuit-switched networkenvironment. Agilent today is working closelywith carriers as they tackle the chal-lenges of deploying softswitch-basednetworks that use the complex new signaling. Signaling is essential in telecommu-nication networks, not only as themeans of establishing call parame-ters (such as destination address,bandwidth requirements, and authorization to set up and termi-nate calls) but also for deliveringadvanced telephony services. Toimplement an intelligent signalingsystem for next-generation packetnetworks that will carry the new services, carriers are deployingsoftswitches (also called media Volume 9, Issue 1, 2002, U.S. Edition Continued on page 3 Agilent TelecommunicationsNewsMonitoring and managing softswitch networks to deliver next-generation servicesAlso in this issue:Integrated solution for flow-throughprovisioningSS7 over IP: out of the lab and intooperationMake a smoother transition to GPRSDeploy mass-market, location-basedservices using signaling dataPhysical layer management is key togreater return on optical investmentManage carrier interconnects & moreTelecommunications News is published quarterly by Agilent Technologies to provide useful information for network operators andcommunication service providers.Managing editor Pat Hines, Agilent Technologies (E-mail: [email protected])Editor Mary Jane Pahls, Eikonal CommunicationsFor subscriptions contact your local Agilent sales office or return the enclosed reply card.Send address changes with the old mailing labelto Agilent Technologies, Dept. TCN, PO Box 3828, Englewood, CO 80155-3828.You can also subscribe on-line and access currentand past issues of this publication at this website: www.agilent.com/cm/telecomnews.Agilent Technologies assumes no responsibilityfor errors. Agilent Technologies, Inc., March 2002 The telecommunications industry has never faced a business climate like todays.Network trafficparticularly data trafficcontinues to grow exponentially,requiring service providers to build out or upgrade network infrastructure.At the same time, revenues from services have flattened and profit marginsbegun to declinein some cases, quite dramatically. Everyone is under intensepressure to increase revenue by speeding the delivery of new services, and toreduce operating costs by squeezing the most value from existing assets.Operational Support Systems (OSS) are critical to addressing these dauntingbusiness issues. More than simply keeping networks up and running, OSSprovides the means of rolling out new technology, managing network usageand costs, differentiating services, and generally running operations moreeffectively and profitably.At Agilent, we are answering our customers urgent requests to deliver end-to-end, multi-technology, multi-vendor OSS solutions. Since 1994 weve ledthe signaling monitoring market with our acceSS7 system, and we are com-mitted to becoming the number one supplier of OSS solutions for all service-provider needs. With our excellent product portfolio, industry partnerships,and innovative technology, we are delivering a new generation of OSS rang-ing from packaged systems that address specific business problems to large-scale, fully integrated management solutions. In this issue of Telecommunications News, we present some of our newestOSS offerings that solve your toughest business challenges. For example, our NgN Analysis System provides a cost-effective way to deploy and moni-tor new voice over packet networks. By combining real-time, service-levelviews of the customer experience with network-level views of the underlyingperformance, the system helps ensure a better quality of service, higher cus-tomer satisfaction, and lower customer churn. It integrates with our acceSS7solution to trace calls across a hybrid circuit and packet-switched network,providing an end-to-end view of next-generation packet switching, tradition-al SS7, and SS7 over IP.Youll also read about our OSS solutions that enable flow-through service pro-visioning to speed service delivery and reduce manpower costs; that simplifythe wireless industrys move to complex GPRS technology; that provide acost-effective basis for new, revenue-generating location-based services; thatmonitor carrier interconnects to maximize revenue; that reduce the high costand difficulty of managing next-generation optical networks; and more. With the backing of a worldwide, world-class service support organization, Agilent is helping service providers bring high quality, value-added services tomarket every day. Please take a look and give us a call. Wed like to hear from you.Sincerely,Jack TrautmanVice president and general managerCommunications Management Solutions Business Unit2 Telecommunications NewsOn the cover:Monitoring and managing softswitch net-works to deliver next-generation services6 NgN Analysis System receivesInternet Telephonys Product of the Year award7 Integrated solution for flow-through provisioning9 SS7 over IP: out of the lab andinto operation12 Make a smoother transition to GPRS13 Deploy mass-market, location-based services using signaling data15 Physical layer management: the key to greater return on optical network investment18 Managing carrier interconnec-tions for profitability19 Handling mass call events andother network storms20 New telecom server is designedto fit the end office21 Next-generation OSS solutions,delivered worldwide23 Telstra expands fiber networkmanagement24 Agilent and Cerebrus SolutionsLimited offer a stronger fraudsolution portfoliothey provide the foundation for ser-vice level management and businessintelligence solutions going forward.Why deploy a next-generation network now?In spite of the economic slowdown,carriers continue to plan, test, andlaunch softswitch-based packet networks. In January 2002 theInternational Softswitch Consortium(ISC, www.softswitch.org) reportedthat 67% of U.S. RBOCs (regionalBell operating companies) and 43%of IXCs (inter-exchange carriers)interviewed in an ISC study werealready carrying live customer traf-fic on a softswitch, and many othercarriers had begun testing or wereplanning to do so.Softswitch-based packet networksare desirable because they are lessexpensive to deploy and operatethan circuit-switched equipment;they offer a way to merge voice anddata traffic onto a single networkfor long-term operational savings;and they provide a platform for newIP services and service differentia-tion. Today, softswitches are beingused to provide class 4 switch functionality in networks, and it is expected that they also will provide class 5 functionality in time.Another increasingly popular use The importance of signaling hasnever been greater. But the newtechnology brings with it a numberof challenges:Greater complexity in call comple-tion and service deliveryA wide range of new network elementsEmerging packet-network protocolsand standards (for example, MGCP,SIP, H.323, H.248/Megaco, SS7oIP)Interworking between packet (IPand ATM) networks and the PSTNDelivery of committed quality of service (QoS) and service levelagreements (SLAs) to residential,corporate, and wholesale customers.Agilent is working closely with carriers as they tackle the chal-lenges of deploying softswitch-basednetworks that use the complex newsignaling. Agilents OSS solutionsare being developed in response tocarrier needs, and they harness theunique information that the signal-ing network provides together withnetwork element data to deliver acomplete and global view of the performance of the hybrid network. The Agilent NgN Analysis System is our newest offering for monitoringand managing next-generation networks. The system, along withAgilents acceSS7, continuously monitors the signaling messages, IP statistics, and voice quality invoice over packet (VoP) and SS7 networks. By monitoring at strategicpoints such as the softswitches, thesystem can cover the entire packetnetwork efficiently. Signaling monitor-ing and analysis facilitate trouble-shooting and performance measure-ment in these networks today, andof softswitches is for offloadingInternet traffic from overburdenedcircuit switches in the PSTN.NgN signaling architectureAs described by the ISC, the elementsof a softswitch-based network includemedia gateways, signaling gateways,softswitches (which control the mediaand signaling gateways), media andapplication servers, and interfacesthat allow flow of data to manage-ment systems such as billing and provisioning systems.Software-based softswitches are atthe heart of packet telephony net-works. Softswitches allow carriers toseparate voice transport, call control,and services into discreet networkelements, and they enable seamlesscommunication between those ele-ments. Softswitches interwork withthe PSTN on multiple levels: throughphysical connection to the signalingand media gateways; through signal-ing to the PSTNs SS7 network andIntelligent Network platforms; andthrough logical connection with ele-ments in the PSTN for routing,billing, and other services.Softswitches interact with the mediaand application servers using proto-cols such as MGCP, SIP, and H.323.Media gateways, which are controlled Continued from coverVolume 9, Issue 1 3The Agilent NgN Analysis Systemmonitors signaling in voice over packet networks, includingvoice over IP, ATM, DSL, and cable networks.Monitoringandmanaging soft-switch networks 4 Telecommunications NewsNgN solution for troubleshooting andperformance managementThe Agilent NgN Analysis Systemhelps carriers accelerate deploymentof next-generation networks and ser-vices by providing real-time, carrier-grade VoP and softswitch trouble-shooting, network performance moni-toring, and service-level management.The system monitors the signalingbetween the softswitch and mediagateways, and the interconnection ofthe packet network with the PSTN.Troubleshooting is supported for themost widely used VoP signaling pro-tocols, including MGCP, SIP, H.323,and Packet Cable NCS. The systemalso correlates signaling between theVoP network and the PSTNs SS7 net-work. To provide efficient manage-ment of the complex signaling datagathered, the NgN system presentscarriers with a high level, aggregatedview of the signaling information in afamiliar web format, with the abilityto access to the underlying detail ifsomething in the network goes wrong.Throughout the life of a VoP network,from initial deployment through long-term operation, signaling networkmonitoring offers many benefits:End-to-end network signaling visibilityA way to quickly isolate and resolvenetwork connectivity, call quality,and failure issues network-wideFaster problem resolution for accel-erated service roll outAbility to ensure higher reliabilityand quality of voice servicesA way to verify and validate serviceand performance levelsTool for implementing advancedintegrated voice and data services Ultimately, a means of increasingcustomer satisfaction and reducingcustomer churn.by the softswitches, areendpoints in the networkthat transform the servicemedia from one format toanother; for example, frompacket to circuit format. Importance of signalingmonitoringThe signaling used invoice-enabled packet net-works is far more complexthan signaling used in thePSTN. A simple POTS call,for example, requires 5 SS7 messages. A simpleVoP call takes about 21 MGCP messages plus the 5 SS7 messages; a forwarded VoP call takesabout 36 messages. Anadvanced VoP callonethat involves the interplayof several servicescaninvolve more than 100 sig-naling messages. As newintegrated services comeon line, signaling issues and require-ments will only continue to increase.With support required for the manyevolving signaling protocols andadaptation layers, as well as for telephony and data networking protocols (including SS7, TCP/IP,and ISDN), the interworking of pro-tocols will clearly remain a complexand difficult business. Monitoring the signaling networkprovides a much-needed end-to-endvisibility of the call path for trou-bleshooting protocol problems. Withsignaling data, carriers can identifyand document a problems source,whether it is a mis-translation,wrong IP address, software bug, orother error. Ongoing monitoring isneeded to ensure continued perfor-mance of the network and services.Most VoP architectures are not yettuned for high call volumes. As net-works become operational, monitor-ing call performance under increas-ing loads will allow carriers to takequick action if quality or reliabilityis threatened.The NgN Analysis Systemprovidessignaling and network analysistools to examine call flows acrossVoP networks (above).The NgN Service Level Managerprovides graphical analysis andreporting of service level perfor-mance and SLA compliance (right).Volume 9, Issue 1 5The system operates by capturing all calls on the network in real timeand saving the signaling informationas call flow records in a persistentdata base. This process preservesvital data so that problems can beexamined and resolved even after acall clears. With the complete detailavailable in the call flow records,carriers can view the progress of acall in its entirety, and, importantly,correlate this signaling data with IPstatistics and voice-quality measure-ments for a more complete pictureof the call performance.Additionally, the NgN AnalysisSystem summarizes the informationin the call flow records, creating ser-vice management records (SMRs) forparameters such as packet loss, net-work delays, failed calls, total activecalls, and call duration on a per-cus-tomer, network, or network-elementbasis. These service managementrecords are fed into a software toolcalled the Service Level Manager,which combines and correlates theSMRs to create real-time graphs ofnetwork service quality and perfor-mance. If established quality or per-formance thresholds are crossed, theNgN Analysis System can automatical-ly generate an alarm and deliver inte-grated, processed information aboutthe violation to a central location.Because the Service Level Manageris integrated with the NgN AnalysisSystems troubleshooting capability,a carrier who has been notified of aproblem can launch the systemsanalysis software and drill downinto the relevant call messaging toidentify and pinpoint the problemsource. With call flow records storedfor every call on the network, thesystem can filter on a particular calland display that calls messagesequence diagrams. If more detail is needed, messages can be decoded.The carrier can save the call dataand decoded messages in standardweb format to share with otherinterested parties.SLA managementAs VoP networks stabilize andbecome fully operational, carrierswill have an increasing need for service assurance features and SLAreporting capability. For example,an RBOC that contracts with anext-generation carrier to trans-port or terminate calls will requireguaranteed voice quality, packetlatency, and signaling integrity. Thisinformation can be gleaned from thesignaling call flow records and deliv-ered by the NgN Analysis SystemsService Level Manager in the form ofSLA reports. Actual call data can becorrelated with IP statistics fromrouters, computers, and otherdevices to guide troubleshooting of the entire network. With the detailed informationprocessed and stored by a monitor-ing solution such as the NgN AnalysisSystem, carriers have a rich sourceof information to feed other OSSapplications including billing , net-work planning, and fault and perfor-mance management.PacketCable supportThe NgN Analysis System now sup-ports CableLabs PacketCable andNetwork Call Signaling (NCS) speci-fications for delivering advanced,real-time services over broadbandcable networks. PacketCable addsnew elements to the VoP network,which further increases signalingcomplexity and the difficulties ofachieving interoperability and QoS. The NgN analysis system supports theNCS signaling protocol and extendsdata-gathering, troubleshooting, and analysis capabilities to coverthe call management servers andmedia gateway controllers deployedin a PacketCable infrastructure.Together, the Agilent NgN Analysis Systemand acceSS7 provide a complete signaling management solution for packet/ circuit-switched networks.6 Telecommunications Newsavailable to the call trace functional-ity of the Agilent acceSS7 system,which is deployed in carrier networksworldwide to monitor the SS7 network and manage the network,the services, and customers. With a unified record of all signalingmessages in the form of an integratedcall trace, carriers can see the entirepath of a call that originates in asoftswitch, traverses the circuit-switched network (PSTN), and pos-sibly ends in another softswitch. The SS7 monitoring system providesdata on the SS7 signaling and SS7-enabled features, includingAIN/enhanced services, credit carddips, and ISUP; the integrated solu-tion provides all the packet-networksignaling and service information.Support for business objectivesTo achieve customer satisfactionand loyalty and to attract new busi-ness, carriers will have to make surethat softswitch-based networks areas dependable as todays PSTN. This task requires new, highly capabletroubleshooting and performancemeasurement tools optimized for the hybrid network environment. The integrated signaling monitoring,analysis, and service-level manage-ment capabilities of the Agilent NgNAnalysis System deliver the end-to-end visibility, troubleshooting tools,and service performance metricsthat are helping accelerate thelaunch of next-generation networks,ensuring better response time to customer problems, and improvingthe efficiency of network and service-level data management to minimizeoperational costs and reduce churn. For more information, visit our web site atwww.agilent.com/ comms/ ngnor check 1on the reply card.More articles on acceSS7 begin on page 12.Facilitating Internet offloadOne of the toughest problems facedby carriers today is how to deal withthe increasing load of Internet trafficthat enters the voice network. Itsestimated that 12% of the calls dialedin the U.S. are data calls (calls end-ing in a modem bank). The data callrate increased 2% in 2001, and theaverage hold time is now 41 minutes.Carriers worldwide are experiencingsimilar growing pains.Carriers have started offloadingInternet traffic onto packet-based networks to free the voice circuits,which must otherwise remain con-nected for the duration of a call.Since packet network resources aretied up only when the call transportis initiated or terminated, offloadingInternet traffic onto a packet networkis a cost-effective way of solving theproblem. The NgN system plays a crucial role in this scenario, monitor-ing the signaling that enables Internetoffload, helping quickly resolve anyproblems that arise at the softswitch,and making real-time measurementsfor proactive management of the networks IP performance.A true, network-wide view To achieve true end-to-end visibilityof a voice call across the hybrid public network, the NgN AnalysisSystem makes call flow recordsobtained from the packet networkNgN Analysis Systemreceives InternetTelephonys Product of the Year awardThe NgN Analysis System was recently named Internet TelephonyMagazines Product of the Year. This award honors innovative prod-ucts and services that contributepositively to managing the conver-gence of voice and data networks. In presenting the award, RichTehrani, editor-in-chief of InternetTelephony Magazine and presidentof TMC, stated: The Agilent NgNAnalysis System is a clear leader in VoP monitoring and in the OSS sector of IP telephony. We are proudto recognize Agilents hard work andinnovation with the Product of theYear Award for 2001.Volume 9, Issue 1 7The dream of the servicedelivery market is to befirst with an integrated,fully automated serviceprovisioning system thatdelivers services rapidlywith no loss of orders. To accomplish this, thesystem will interact seam-lessly with all networktechnologieslegacy, next-generation, wireless, andwirelineand provide aframework that easily inte-grates with trading partnerand other operational and businesssupport systems, including customercare, network design, network inven-tory, billing, and testing. The idealflow-through provisioning system will automatically activate any combi-nation of services while reducing thecosts and time to total activation.Is this scenario possible? With thelaunch of new, integrated ServiceDelivery solutions, Agilent is well on the way to making this networkdream real.Whats happening at the back-end officeTechnology changes and the Internethave revolutionized communications.Until recently, service providers dealtwith a relatively small, well-definedset of services. Teams of skilled personnel were responsible fordelivering the wireline, data, andtransport or backbone services. But today, service providers face aseemingly endless stream of newservices, networks, and technolo-gies. They may find it increasinglydifficult to keep their staff trainedand their services provisioned ontimeespecially when costcuttingaffects department size and budgets. Service providers have invested significantly in upgrades of customercare and billing systems to addressimportant issues of customer satis-faction. However, the network-facingparts of service delivery have notalways received the same attention.Often the result is a provisioningprocess with an automated front-end and a less efficient back-end inwhich various work groups use acombination of discrete, manual and automated systems to accomplishthe necessary tasks of service provi-sioning. Service delivery can takedays or even weeks, slowing downthe time to revenue.As service providers turn to newservices and add value to existingservices to bring in revenue, thesupporting networks have becomemore complex, and more equipmentmust be touched to deliver theend-user service. Automated process-es have become essential to manag-ing the delivery time and costs.Service delivery processService delivery encompasses theentire process of getting a service to a customer, from the moment acustomer requests a service to themoment that customer is billed. A number of steps are involved inthe service delivery process:Order entryOrder validationDesign and assignEquipment activationTestingBilling update.As part of the delivery process, the network must be provisioned to ensure that the required networkcapacity is ready and available. To deliver DSL service, for example, the service provider must considerthe location of the customers home,the location of the nearest DSL concentrator or access multiplexer,the necessity of installing additionalports, and so on. Then,equipment required tosupport that service mustbe installed and config-ured. In some cases, suchas DSL, this equipmentmay be located on the customer premises. Finally, the service is activated or turned on by initiating communica-tion with the intelligentnetwork elements.Service delivery requires the coordi-nation of many steps and systems.For example, when a customer callsto place an order, that informationmust be entered into an order entrysystem. The order must then be validated, and the service config-ured, activated, tested, and billed.Systems that need to interact to ful-fill the process include order entrysystems, customer relationship management systems, credit cardvalidation systems, line validationsystems, inventory management systems, and many more. And notonly do these internal systems haveto work together, but they must workwith those of any other partner company whose resources areinvolved at any point along the service delivery chain. The need to automate and integrateprocesses and systems is being driven by a number of changes inthe telecommunications industry:Competition is forcing serviceproviders to differentiate their offeringsand being first (or fast) to market with new services is key.Customers are demanding a widerrange of services, and if they cantget what they want, they usuallyhave the option of switching toanother provider.Mergers and acquisitions are forcing companies to deal rapidlywith different equipment and OSS.Overnight service providers mayhave integration and support issuesfor which they never planned.Integrated solution for flow-through provisioning8 Telecommunications NewsConvergence only a few years agopromised simpler networks, simplerservices, and simpler support systems.In reality, companies have builtquick overlay networks to roll outthe new equipment, and this hasmade the networkand the servicedelivery processmore complex anddifficult to manage. Managing these changes requires anew approach to operational support.In the past, systems generally werebought to provide a specific function,and provisioning activities werecoordinated manually using fax, e-mail, or phone. Systems sometimeshave been integrated to reduce thenumber of resources and duplication,but often this has been difficult andcostly, requiring the addition ofmore point solutions.Agilents approach to service deliverycombines workflow management,process automation, and service activation within an open frameworkthat easily accommodates systemgrowth and integration. Flow-through provisioning systemAgilents service delivery solution,based on the NETeXPERT open service management framework, is a flow-through provisioning systemthat provides advanced provisioning,integration into new and existingsystems, and high availability, reliability, and scalability. The ser-vice delivery solution consists of a workflow management and processautomation component and a serviceactivation component.The workflow management and automation component,NETeXPERT VPM, is a suite of toolsthat gives service providers the abil-ity to define the activities (tasks)specific to their business environ-ment, assemble the tasks into busi-ness processeslogical sequences of tasks that accomplish a businessfunctionand update these process-es as market conditions change.Tasks may involve any combinationof system interaction, manual inter-vention, and computer-based deci-sion-making. Complementary soft-ware approaches for workflow man-agement and process automation areused to make the business processesmore effective. Workflow managementfocuses on improving complex man-ual processes that require employeedecision making and collaboration.Process automation eliminates theneed for human intervention byautomating entire processes withcomputerized tasks.As the service delivery solution proceeds through the workflow,tasks are made available to theresponsible roles or users. Activitiesmay contain manual tasks or calls to other systems to accomplish adesired business result. Like work-flow tools designed for other indus-tries, Agilents solution supports theflow of information between work-groups. It also supports the flow ofinformation that must be sent orreceived from other systems, exter-nal or internal to the organization,which are essential for accomplish-ing the business process. The systemcreates work lists for activities thatrequire manual completion and,through the NETeXPERT framework,it can be linked to other systems.The workflow management/processautomation component of Agilentsservice delivery solution consists ofa task builder, process builder, taskloader, and OSS domain managerthat together perform a wide rangeof functions:Model any process within a serviceprovider organizationAutomatically notify appropriateparty when a task is sentWarn if a project is falling behindand in jeopardy of being lateStart, stop, and suspend a processTalk to any intelligent device or OSSon the network.Service activation The service activation component of Agilents solution, CM eXEL, is a configuration management andservice activation tool that acts as auniversal translator for the servicedelivery solution. By taking incom-ing activation requests and deter-mining what needs to be done in thephysical network to fulfill the order,this component automates the ser-vice activation process and allowsfast service provisioning across dif-ferent networks and technologies.Together with the workflow/processmanagement component, serviceactivation interfaces with the sys-tems needed to complete the deliveryprocess, including order entry, cus-tomer care, inventory management,testing, and billing. Service activa-tion also leverages the object-orient-ed, distributed computing architec-ture of the NETeXPERT frameworkto accommodate new resources asthey are added to the network. Through the service activation com-ponents ability to interface with dif-ferent management systems and net-work resources, service providers canuse the solution to be used to coordi-nate and centralize flow-through acti-vation on network equipment frommultiple vendors. Additionally, ser-vice activation provides a set ofgraphical development tools for cap-turing the knowledge of a serviceproviders configuration managementexperts. That knowledge can be usedthen to create, modify, and adminis-ter solutions for new devices withoutcomplex programming.Benefits of a total solutionAs service providers aggressivelydeploy value-added services toincrease their margins, the need fora flow-through provisioning systemhas never been greater. WithAgilents service delivery solution,service providers can improve theirmean time to provision and auto-mate the flow-through provisioningprocess. Along with greater efficien-cy of service delivery they will berewarded with reduced operationalcosts, fewer errors, and better over-all quality of service.For more information, visit our web site atwww.agilent.com/ comms/ osi.The higher througput enabled by SS7oIP can help service providers remove bottlenecks in acost-effective manner.Volume 9, Issue 1 9Telecommunication service providershave been talking about the prospectsand benefits of moving traffic fromSS7 signaling networks to SS7-over-IP (SS7oIP) networks for the pastfew years. What service providersmay not realize, however, is how far the technology has progressed.Leading technology vendors havebeen hard at work, not only on theirown products, but also in close collaboration with each other and as active participants in the industrygroup responsible for developingand standardizing SS7oIP protocols.Agilent and Cisco are pleased toreport that these efforts are beingrewarded: SS7oIP is now a mature,reliable, standards-based signalingtechnology that can be monitoredand managed as effectively as SS7traffic in legacy networks. Talk cannow become action. Read on to learnthe benefits of SS7oIP and the stepstechnology vendors have taken tomove the technology out of the laband into commercial operation.Why SS7oIP?SS7oIP can help service providerssignificantly increase profits, evenduring the current period of economicslowdown. The technology can beused to improve return on investmentin existing network infrastructureand to offer a wide range of newrevenue-generating services.Initially, service providers can cutcosts with SS7oIP by offloading data traffic from SS7 networks ontoIP networks. For example, ShortMessage Service (SMS) data is satu-rating GSM providers SS7 networks.Using devices such as Cisco IPTransfer Point signaling gateways,service providers can stream SMSmessaging onto standard IP net-works, which operate with low costrouters. This solution eliminates the need to upgrade expensive andspecialized signaling transfer points(STPs) to handle what amount tovery short e-mails, and serviceproviders can improve the flexibilityof their legacy SS7 networks byreducing SMS congestion. SS7oIPprovides immediate savings byremoving the expense of TDM leasedlines, and it delivers 50 to 75 percentimproved transport efficiency. Also, unlike fixed-capacity TDM, IPtransport requires the use of networkcapacity only when it is necessary to transmit data.Wireless service providers can removegrowing network bottlenecks in acost-effective manner by using SS7oIPto increase the bandwidth of linksinto service nodes such as ShortMessage Service Centers (SMSCs).IP interface ports on service nodesare far more cost-efficient than TDM ports for the equivalent band-width, and increased IP-enabledbandwidth reduces TDM facility and infrastructure costs. The transition to SS7oIP will allowwireless service providers to rapidlydeploy emerging IP-based servicesfor the mobile Internet that freelyinteract with the legacy mobileinfrastructure. The evolution of themobile Internet is marked by thesame open-spirit characteristic ofthe wire-line Internet, where entre-preneurial vendors compete in themarket with unique and compellingapplications. Examples include gam-ing; banking; community chat; direc-tory services; weather, headline andstock-quote services; and directionand map services based on specificlocation and desired destination.These types of applications can gen-erate significant revenues for wire-less service providers. But does SS7oIP work? Yes it does. Over the past few years,Agilent, Cisco, and other leadingtechnology vendors have investedthe time and resources necessary toensure that SS7oIP can be reliablyand effectively deployed. SS7oIP iscertainly ready to handle signalingtraffic, and developers are alreadyelaborating on the basic technologyto enable migration to cost-effectiveall-IP networks in the near future.SS7oIP has come of age.However, in todays uncertain economic environment, serviceproviders will want concrete answersto specific questions before theyinvest in SS7oIP:Have SS7oIP protocols been standard-ized? Will the technology evolve inan open-architecture environmentthat elicits the innovation and creativity of multiple vendors?SS7 over IP: out of the lab and into operation10 Telecommunications NewsHave vendors actually demonstratedthat their SS7oIP solutions caninteroperate with solutions fromother vendors?Can IP networks deliver the quality ofservice, fault tolerance, and reliabilityexpected from legacy networks?Is SS7oIP compatible with existingnetwork management infrastructure?Can SS7oIP be monitored and man-aged as effectively as SS7?Although the standards and technolo-gy continue to evolve, the answers toall of these questions are affirmative.Standardization In early 1999, multiple technologyvendors established the InternetEngineering Task Force (IETF)Signaling Transport (Sigtran)Working Group, the industry organi-zation responsible for developingand standardizing protocols for the transport of packet-basedmobile/PSTN signaling over IP networks. In October 2000, thegroup officially adopted the StreamTransmission Control Protocol(STCP) as the base protocol forSS7oIP. It is important to note thatSCTP was developed by telecom professionals with a track record inSS7 signaling that extends far beyondtheir expertise in IP. The result is arobust session-layer protocol thatensures retransmission and reliableend-to-end delivery of packets in theevent of backbone congestion. TheIETF has also standardized in draftform a series of adaptation layers ontop of STCP that will enable servicessuch as M2PA, M3UA, and SUA(defined in the sidebar on page 11).Thus, the industry has been develop-ing standards for nearly two yearsand has made considerable progresstoward bringing the technology tomaturity. For details on the IETFSigtran standards, visit the IETFWeb site at www.ietf.org/html.char-ters/sigtran-charter.html. Multi-vendor interoperabilityTechnology vendors can implementindustry standards in a variety ofways, and service providers need tobe confident that the products theybuy will work together. To this end,the industry has organized a seriesof technology bakeoffs in whichmultiple vendors come together totest the interoperability of theirproducts. Thus far, up to 18 vendorshave attended three events forSCTP. Similar events have been heldfor M3UA, SUA, and M2PA, andmore events are scheduled.In addition to industry-wide bakeoffs,vendors have engaged in extensivebilateral testing. One important exam-ple is the collaborative work betweenAgilent and Cisco. Agilent has extend-ed its industry-leading acceSS7 linkmonitoring system to cover SS7oIP.Cisco installed the enhanced productin its test lab and conducted a seriesof tests to ensure that acceSS7 is compatible with the Cisco IP TransferPoint (ITP) gateway, which routes SS7 signaling onto IP networks. Thecompanies also successfully tested the interoperability of these productsAgilents acceSS7 link monitoring and management solution has been extended to cover theSS7oIP network.SS7oIP, based on the Standard Transmission Control Protocol, can be deployed in a GSM network to ensure reliable end-to-end delivery of packets.junction with element manage-ment systems such as the CiscoSignaling Gateway Manager(SGM). For example, if a mis-configured ITP routes traffic tothe wrong destination, acceSS7will enable operators to locatethe device, which they can thenreconfigure with Cisco SGM.The future is nowSS7oIP is ready for commercialproduction. It has been stan-dardized and tested for multi-vendor interoperability; it canbe reliably delivered, in accordwith comprehensive standardsof service quality; and it can be monitored and managed aseffectively as legacy SS7 net-works. The benefits are signifi-cant: reduced infrastructurecosts, enhanced efficiency, andnew opportunities to deployrevenue-generating applications andservices. Service providers can beconfident that SS7oIP is a matureand profitable technologyIt is thesignaling network technology of thefuture, and the future is now.IETF Sigtran protocolsSCTP (Stream Control TransmissionProtocol, RFC2960)transport layerthat provides reliable data transfer.M2PA (MTP2-User Peer-to-PeerAdaptation)provides MTP3 withequivalent transport layer servicesas MTP2.M3UA (MTP3-User Adaptation)client/server protocol providing agateway to legacy SS7 network forIP-based applications that interfaceat the MTP3 layer.SUA (SCCP-User Adaptation)client/server protocol providing agateway to legacy SS7 network forIP-based applications that interfaceat the SCCP layer.Copyright 2002 , Cisco Systems, Inc. &Agilent Technologies, Inc. All rights reserved.Cisco, Cisco Systems, and the Cisco Systemslogo are registered trademarks of CiscoSystems, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S.and certain other countries.Volume 9, Issue 1 11vide technical staff with a wealth of knowledge, and service providershave standardized operational prac-tices around them. Indeed, the systemsare so valuable that service providerswill not likely adopt SS7oIP unlessthey are confident that the samemanagement capabilities are avail-able in IP networks. Fortunately,many vendors have adapted theirmanagement tools to SS7oIP.Perhaps the most important exam-ple of this evolution is Agilents suc-cessful effort to seamlessly extendacceSS7 to SS7oIP. Agilent acceSS7is the worlds most widely deployedlink monitoring and managementsystem, and it provides network-wide visibility that enables compre-hensive network and service assur-ance. The system includes tools fornetwork surveillance, troubleshoot-ing, business intelligence, frauddetection, interconnect management,and billing. Operators use acceSS7in their legacy networks to maximizeservice quality, minimize customerchurn, enhance revenue generation,and deploy new services quickly.Now they can extend the same solu-tion to IP environments. Agilent acceSS7 adds additional valuein IP networks when deployed in con-at Telecom Italia Mobile,Europes largest cellular serviceprovider. Similar collaborationsand commercial trials are takingplace among other vendorsthroughout the industry.Reliability and quality of serviceBefore telecommunication ser-vice providers move to SS7oIP,they will need to know that anIP networks reliability andquality of service (QoS) canmatch the PSTNs. IP networkdevelopers have defined proce-dures to achieve this.For example, Ciscos concep-tion of an ITP-enabled networkincorporates fault tolerancethat ensures infrastructure reli-ability through multiple physi-cal connections to the IP back-bone. Maximizing the diversityof IP paths provides greater toler-ance if a single path becomesunreachable due to a physical linkfailure. The fully meshed connectivi-ty of an ITP network will allow anysite to directly route message signal-ing units (MSUs) to any other siteand reroute around a failed site. ITPswill be deployed in mated pairs, andeach device will have two Ethernetinterfaces to the IP backbone. Thisarchitecture provides the hardwareredundancy required to handle fail-ure in an element or interface. Technology vendors have developedrobust QoS policies to enhance theIP backbones efficiency and reliabil-ity and to reduce packet drops andretransmission. The Cisco ITP gate-way, for example, will support IPPrecedence and differential serviceswith eight QoS classes, thus ensur-ing predictable SS7 service delivery.Enhanced QoS enables operators toclassify various types of SS7 trafficand provide specified classes withpreferential treatment over the IPbackbone. This capability requiresno additional hardware. Network managementOver the years, operators have bene-fited immeasurably from systemsthat manage signaling networks andnetwork services. These tools pro-Agilent acceSS7 captures and displays the signaling messagesexchanged across the SS7oIP core.12 Telecommunications NewsGPRS service delivery solutionsAgilents OSS solutions for wireless,including acceSS7 Call Trace andProtocol Analysis, support the latest 2.5 and 3G technologies. Theypresent you with real-time diagnos-tic and management tools to helpyou efficiently set up new networksand deliver servicesand to quicklyidentify, locate, and resolve anyproblems that occur. To learn more, visit www.access7.comorcheck 2 on the reply card for a free CD that covers GPRS andthe entire acceSS7wireless portfolio.Interworking IP protocols (Gn, Ga,and Gp) that allow GPRS network tocommunicate with one another.With acceSS7s GPRS capability, youwill be able to monitor SS7, IP, andGb simultaneously in your GSM andGPRS networks.How signaling monitoring helpsImagine that you have recentlylaunched a GPRS service thatpromises customers access to e-mailand the Web from their mobiledevices. Shortly after the launch ofthis much-publicized service, severalcustomers call to complain that theWeb is often unavailable and theservice is not living up to its claims.You need to take swift action, butthe possible causes seem endless. Is the problem in the handset? yourradio network? your core switching/routing network? Or does the prob-lem originate outside your networkin an ISP network? Using acceSS7, you can get an end-to-end view of how a GPRS connec-tion is progressing, with any pointof failure highlighted on the display.A GPRS connection involves numer-ous nodes, signaling interfaces, and signaling messages. Using theacceSS7 Call Trace application, you can see the success or failure ofeach stage of the GPRS connection,and you can quickly zoom in on theunderlying detail of any problem.In this particular case, the problemis with the ISP. Call Trace showsyou that the Create PDP ContextRequest is failing at the GatewayGPRS Support Node (GGSN). Furtherinvestigation shows that the GPRSconnection is failing because of aproblem with the dynamic allocationof the IP addresses for the mobiledevice, arising from the DynamicHost Configuration Protocol (DHCP)server. Now you can take steps tomake sure that the DHCP server getsfixed and the quality of customerservice is restored.Many wireless service providershave begun the migration from GSMto GPRS (general packet radio ser-vice) infrastructure. The advantagesof GPRS are well-documented, andinclude the following:Radio frequency (RF) spectrum efficiency providing higher networkcapacityGreater transmission speeds permit-ting new and better applicationsHigher immediacy for instant user connection.However, the deployment and main-tenance of a GPRS infrastructureintroduces new network problems.For example, the numerous GPRSnodes, wide variety of signalinginterfaces, and large number of pro-tocols make it difficult to managethe network resources, and thesedifficulties can significantly hinderthe deployment of GPRS services.Before launching new customer ser-vices, GPRS providers will need toensure network reliability. If you are a service provider makingthe move to GPRS, Agilent's acceSS7GPRS solution can help smooth thistransition. By using acceSS7 to monitor the GPRS network and totroubleshoot network elements priorto live deployment, youll find it easier to identify and locate networkfailures before they disrupt live customer traffic or cause major network outages.The acceSS7 solution supports thefollowing GPRS interfaces:Interfaces to the SS7-based elementsthat allow database communicationand updates (Gf, Gr, Gc, and Gd,otherwise known as GSM Phase 2+)The Gs interface from the SGSN tothe MSC that enables simultaneousvoice and data callsMake a smoother transition to GPRSAgilents GPRS service delivery solution pro-vides real-time diagnostic and managementtools to help you set up new GPRS networks.With penetration of the mobile voicemarket nearing 100% in many coun-tries, revenues from voice serviceshave flattened and in some casesbegun to decline. Location-basedservices are eagerly anticipated as a way of boosting revenue streamsand attracting and retaining newcustomers. In fact, industry analystsOvum Consulting have predictedthat by 2006, the market for location-based services will reach $12B.* In the U.S., interest in commercialservices is being spurred by the FCCmandate that requires wireless ser-vice providers to implement locationtechnology for 911 emergency serviceby the end of 2002.Commercial potentialThe potential for location-based services seems unlimited. Certainlypeoples desire for personal safety,location, and notification serviceshas increased in recent months.Considerable interest also exists foraccurate travel-routing and naviga-tion, traffic update, news, and direc-tory services available on a standardhandset. Consumer services conceiv-ably could offer everything fromdirections to the nearest restaurantor theater, to targeted advertising,to people-finding. Businesses couldprofit from a range of services fromtravel bookings to fleet managementto tracking of company assets. Andlaw enforcement agencies undoubt-edly will benefit from the ability tolocate individuals by their mobilephone use. The appeal of location-based servicesis undisputed. However, without aviable and cost-effective enablingtechnology, actual applications havebeen slow to appear.Implementation challengesA number of technologies exist forenabling location-based services, eachwith advantages and disadvantages.Cell IDthe cell to which a handsetis connected provides the locationmeasurement. New equipment andhandsets are not required, makingthis technique the least costly.However, accuracy and granularitydepend on cell density and the avail-ability of enhanced data.TOAuplink time of arrival usesGSM timing to triangulate the posi-tion of a handset. Accuracy is goodin areas of dense base-station cover-age and indoors, and the techniquesupports legacy handsets and doesnot affect network performance.Complex new equipment is neededat the base station, however, andplanning, deployment, and mainte-nance costs are high.E-OTDenhanced observed time difference adds new functionality tothe handset to calculate its distancefrom the base station, which itreports to a location mobile unit(LMU). This technique also offershigh accuracy in densely coveredareas and indoors. But infrastruc-ture costs are high and new hand-sets are required. GPSuse of the global positioningsystem is familiar to most users, andconventional GPS is implementedalready in GSM handsets. Like TOAand E-OTD, GPS is a time-basedmethod in which the GSM handsetsearches for GPS satellite transmis-sions and uses that information todetermine position. GPS has littleimpact on network infrastructureand offers good accuracy outdoors,particularly in rural or less denseurban areas. However, performanceis poor in indoor and dense urbanareas, where most subscribers tendto be. To implement location-basedservices, new handsets are required. Volume 9, Issue 1 13Deploy mass-market, location-based services using signaling dataThe commercialpotential for location-based services seemsunlimited, with pro-posed applicationsranging frompersonalsafety to consumerservices to real-timenavigation.scribers existing handsets, it is afaster and more cost-effective way ofdeploying location-based services thanother methods currently under trial.For more information, visit our web site atwww.agilent.com.comms/ access7locationor check 3 on the reply card.Ovum Consulting, IIR Mobile Location ServicesConference, Barcelona, Spain, January 2002.monitoring. The new solution allowsGSM and GPRS service providers toquickly develop and deploy location-based services without adding costlynetwork equipment or requiring cus-tomers to have the latest generationof handsets. Using newly developed hardwareand patented software, acceSS7Location acquires, correlates, andanalyzes SS7 data, then deliversboth real-time and historical infor-mation about subscriber location.Maintained in a highly available andaccessible database, the informationcan be integrated easily with new orexisting location-based applications.The acceSS7 Location solution canbe scaled to any size network, providing location information onmillions of network subscribers inreal time. Because the solution passively monitors the signalinglinks and extracts information fromparameters that already exist in thenetwork, the solution does not affectnetwork capacity or performance in any way. And since the solutionrequires no additional GSM networkinfrastructure and works with sub-14 Telecommunications NewsExisting technologies generallyaffect network performance. In thecase of E-OTD and GPS, handsetsmust be queried to obtain locationan action which is tolerable if it performed occasionally (for exam-ple, when a 911 call is made), butwhich can drain handset batteriesand negatively affect performance if done often, as would be requiredfor mass-market deployment of location-based services.Agilent has developed a new methodof providing location service datathat offers good accuracy at consid-erably lower cost than other tech-niques. Implemented on a provensignaling monitoring platform,Agilents solution significantlyimproves the accuracy that can be achieved with enhanced Cell IDtechniques. It also allows advancedsurveillance and troubleshooting of the network and works with 2G,2.5G, and 3G networks.Industry-first subscriber location solu-tion based on signaling monitoring The Agilent acceSS7 Location is thewireless industrys first subscriber-location solution based on signalingImplemented on a proven signaling monitoring platform, Agilents solution monitors the SS7 and A-bis links todeliver real-time and historical data on subscriber location.*with focused, modular solutions.Individually, these solutions solvespecific business problems. Together,they provide an integrated, efficientway to manage all aspects of thephysical layer of a next-generationnetwork.Detailed, accurate inventory of opticalnetwork assetsTo manage a network for the great-est return, an operator first has toknow what resources are available.In the case of the optical network,getting a clear picture of the physical resources can be difficult.Operators often have to rely on disparate tools ranging from circuitmanagement systems to spreadsheets,schematics, and customer records to track the number and location ofassets. Information may exist in separate databases and sometimeseven on paper. Changes to networkequipment can be made by techni-cians during service calls, and thesechanges may not be recorded. Notsurprisingly, network operatorsTelecommunication companies haveinvested heavily in fiber-optic anddense wavelength division multiplex-ing (DWDM) infrastructure to meetthe anticipated demand for highbandwidth services. Shareholdersnow want to see a return on thoseinvestments to bring falling profitmargins back up again. However, the complex optical technology thatdelivers seemingly endless quantitiesof bandwidth has proven to be diffi-cult and costly to manage. As optical networks increase incomplexity and scale, they are out-growing the fiber management sys-tems used to achieve smooth opera-tion and quality of service. What ismissing is a detailed, unified view of the entire optical network and itsend-to-end performancea view thatis needed to support the differenti-ated services, fast service provision-ing, and SLA management that companies are counting on to boosttheir revenues.An effective network managementsystem for todays optical networksneeds to address several importantareas. First, it must provide an accu-rate, sustainable inventory of all thenetworks physical assets, includingthose in the outside and insideplant. Second, it must provide a linkbetween the physical layer (fiber)and the logical layer (element man-agement systems and network man-agement systems), so that live datacan be passed back and forth toform a complete and real-time picture of the network. Third, thesystem must be based on open standards that allow the informationobtained from the physical and logical layers to be integrated into acomprehensive operations supportsystem (OSS) architecture. Finally,the system needs to include power-ful data gathering and measurementtools that can handle sophisticatedtechnologies such as DWDM.The newly enhanced AgilentaccessFIBER network managementsystem targets each of these areasVolume 9, Issue 1 15report that the quality of their network inventories can decline significantly in just a few years. And analysts have reported that formost communication network opera-tors, inventory accuracy is only 60%or less.Inventory management, then, is thecornerstone of an efficient operationalong with access to complete infor-mation on the characteristics andquality of the fiber resources. The accessFIBER Planning module,part of the accessFIBER system, pro-vides the means of constructing andmanaging a detailed inventory of allthe optical network resources:End-to-end light path (links andlambda channels)Outside plant (network topology,geography)Inside plant (wiring schematics,equipment)Physical layer management: the key to greater return on optical network investmentWith a detailed, unifiedview of the fiber opticnetwork and its end-to-end performance, net-work operators cansupport differentiatedservices, fast serviceprovisioning, and SLAmanagement.16 Telecommunications NewsPhysical parameters (dispersion,attenuation, measured quality of the fiber)Administration (business parame-ters, customer information).Information resides in a robust,industry-standard Oracle databasewith easy online access. A friendlyuser interface simplifies initial load-ing of data, and through interactionwith the logical-layer managementsystems (including legacy applica-tions), the accessFIBER databasecan be populated quickly with dataabout the network elements andupdated automatically in real time.The database maintains an up-to-date inventory of the entire opticalinfrastructure as it is planned, dis-covered, modified, and measured. This comprehensive inventory helpsimprove the efficiency of planning,provisioning, maintaining, and man-aging optical network services. Forexample, with detailed and accurateinformation about both the outsideand inside plant, operators can effi-ciently plan extensions to their net-works or exhaust fiber capacity.Using the drag-and-drop capability ofthe accessFIBERs graphical userinterface, they can design new trans-mission paths complete with splicepoints, fibers, and cables, or they canpatch or re-patch a connection. Theinventory identifiesunused physicalassets such asspare fibers andlambda, so thatoperators can putthese resources towork. Then, apply-ing the best-avail-able data gatheredfrom across theoptical network,accessFIBER canmodel and simulatethe physical char-acteristics neces-sary to qualify thenew or upgradedtransmission path.Finally, accessFIBERcan feed this pathinformation to the logical layer man-agement to trigger the appropriateconfiguration activity.Synchronized data for root causeanalysisTo link the inventory database with live information, the opticalnetwork management system canuse either an industry standardinterface based on CORBA or anintegration engine for the exchangeof data. Either mechanism ensuresthe integrity of data. The accessFIBER NetworkOperations module synchronizeslive data received by way of theseinterfaces and makes that dataavailable to applications across thephysical and logical layers. In addi-tion to providing an unrivaled viewof the active network, accessFIBERuses the synchronized data to doroot-cause analysis of problems andto simplify the administration ofgeographically diverse paths. With the ability to correlate logicallayer and physical layer data, theaccessFIBER Network Operationsmodule can track a problemforexample, a traffic disturbancefromits effect on the logical layer down to the physical layer root cause. The problem source is identified geographically and by component tohasten the repair process. When theNetwork Operations module is pairedwith the accessFIBER NetworkAssurance module, the system canaccurately pinpoint the fault on a GISmap and monitor the alarm workflowthat dispatches the repair crew andcontrols the repair procedure.In the event of a failure, networkoperators must be able to recognizeand use the redundancy built intotheir networks to keep their servicesrunning. This ability becomes espe-cially important as operators movefrom ring to complex meshed net-work topologies. The accessFIBERNetwork Operations module, inaddition to finding the root cause offailures, can provide diversity andgeographical analysis to help inassigning links to routes that willkeep the communications flowingunder adverse network conditions.Healthcare for the networkFast fault recovery has long beenthe task of fiber-optic test systems.But with so many possible financialrepercussions if a DWDM networkfails, preventing problems andmeeting service level agreementshave come more prominently to thefore. And since even slight changesor degradation in the physical net-work can severely affect the qualityof network services, proactive moni-toring of the physical networksstate is essential.The accessFIBERNetwork Assurancemodule interfaceswith remote testunits (RTUs) dis-persed through thenetwork to makereference measure-ments, monitor thehealth of the physi-cal network, andprovide end-to-endmanagement of thequality of the net-work links. TheRTUs report mea-surement results tothe accessFIBERscentral managementsoftware, whichNew accessFIBER modular solutions provide an integrated, efficient way to manage allaspects of the physical layer of next-generation networks.Volume 9, Issue 1 17helps detect any degradation of thephysical infrastructure before it canlead to a failure. If the situation isserious (meets preestablished crite-ria), the accessFIBER automaticallycontacts the network operatorforexample, by e-mail or instant mes-sagingand reports the type of errorand its exact geographical location,which can be located often in secondsand displayed on a GIS map. Thesystem also delivers relevant mea-surement data, such as OTDR traces,to aid in the fault diagnosis. By takingcontrol of the procedures that willput the right resources in the rightplace for fast problem resolution,accessFIBER helps operators mini-mize and often avert service disrup-tion, and lowers their exposure tothe business risks of downtime.Drawing on Agilents huge test and measurement portfolio, theaccessFIBER can cover all the criti-cal physical layer measurements of a next-generation network withguaranteed accuracy:Bit error ratioLoss (in dB)PMD/CDCenter wavelength and driftSignal to noise ratioOptical power levelOTDRIn the future, the addition of greaterDWDM measurement capability will provide a means of predictingand optimizing the performance ofDWDM networks and increase theefficiency of lambda service provi-sioning and troubleshooting.Service level agreementsWith tight control of networkresources and a real-time view ofnetwork capacity, availability, andquality, operators are well-positionedto meet service commitments to customers. To assure customers that service level agreements arebeing met, the accessFIBER NetworkAssurance module tracks and docu-ments network performance in rela-tion to SLA criteriaand shouldquality drop below acceptable levels,the operator is alerted. Through integration with higher-layer OSS, accessFIBER can deliverinformation about the performanceof the physical layer to SLA manage-ment tools such as the AgilentFirehunter service assurance solution.The power of oneThe independent modules in theaccessFIBER family provide target-ed support to assist operators inplanning, commissioning, operating,or maintaining optical networks: accessFIBER Network Planning accessFIBER Network OperationsaccessFIBER Network AssuranceTogether, they provide end-to-endmanagement of the entire physical-layer network life cycle.Real-time inventory control, exten-sive support for business processes,and support of new technology allcombine to accelerate a networkoperator or service providers timeto service and revenue and improvethe return on investments. With a standards-based architecturethat can be scaled to fit the size ofany installation, the accessFIBERsystem integrates well into a widernetwork management environment.Seamless integration between mod-ules eases the load within differentdepartments of a communicationscompany and amplifies productivityacross the organization.The end result is an OSS solutionthat encourages the most profitableuse of the optical network.For more information, visitwww.agilent.com/ comms/ accessFIBERorcheck 4 on the reply card.The accessFIBER systemdocuments inside plant and outside plantelements. Schematics and planning states are displayed to facili-tate localization and management of equipment and cabling.18 Telecommunications NewsInternational calls generatemillions of dollars of revenuefor service providers. Thisrevenue comes from callsoriginated by the home net-work subscribers and, in thecase of wireless providers,from visiting roamers makinginternational calls. To sus-tain high revenues, serviceproviders must deliverexceptional quality of serviceto retain current subscribersand attract visiting roamers.Most service providers relyon interconnect partners toroute international calls.Consequently, the quality ofservice offered to subscribers isheavily influenced by the qualityprovided by the interconnecting carriers. Selecting the most reliableand profitable routing partners is no easy task, as generally little infor-mation is available to help determinethe level of service that a serviceproviders subscribers will receive. Traditionally, service providers haveused reports from their interconnectpartners to assess the quality of service received. However, thesereports often show only the percent-age of all calls successfully complet-ed in each countrywhich does notprovide enough information todetermine how many of the sub-scribers international calls weresuccessful. As a result, interconnectservice level agreements (SLAs) are difficult to verify, and serviceproviders may lose subscribers tocompetitors as service degradationalong international routes goesunnoticed. The monitoring solutionTo guard against revenue losses andto enforce SLAs, service providerscan monitor call quality at theirinternational gateways. This providescomprehensive, real-time and histor-ical data about international traffic,which can then be used to evaluateinterconnect partners during trialperiods or to alter current routingprofiles and SLAs. Monitoring quali-ty at international gateways thusgives service providers an opportu-nity to optimize inter-carrier agree-ments and to maximize profits.Continuous monitoring at interna-tional gateways also provides service providers with datatodemonstrate their ability to deliverhigh quality of servicewhich makesthem more attractive to other service providers as an interconnectpartner. Agilents acceSS7 Call PerformanceManager is a solution that gives ser-vice providers the ability to monitorthe quality of voice service in realtime on both inbound and outboundinterconnect traffic. Using data fromSS7 call detail records (CDRs) gath-ered from the signaling network, CallPerformance Manager provides com-prehensive, unbiased information oncall completion rates. This informa-tion assists service providers inselecting reliable interconnect part-ners and provides the mechanismneeded for demonstrating servicequality to other providers. Recovery fromsudden events A European wireless service providerusing Call Performance Manager atthe time of the US tragedy ofSeptember 11th saw an importantbenefit of real-time interconnectmonitoring. Immediately after theevent, the service providers majorinterconnect partner was floodedwith calls and forced to employ callgapping (a technique for handlingnetwork overload in which one ofevery specified number of calls iscompleted, and the remaining callsare automatically given a networkbusy signal). The interconnect part-ner in this case applied call gappingacross an entire route rather thanjust to the US-bound traffic. Theaction had an immediate impact onall of the European service providersinternational traffican event thatCall Performance Manager highlight-ed instantly. The service providerwas able to take immediate action toalleviate the problem.Improved quality of roaming servicesIn many countries, visiting roamersare under no contractual agreementto use a preferred wireless serviceproviders network. Should servicedeterioration occur during interna-tional calls, visiting roamers willrelentlessly switch networks untiltheir calls can be connected. Serviceproviders using Call PerformanceManager can better capture thelucrative revenue from inboundroamers calls. By monitoring thequality of international service inreal time, they can quickly identifycall degradation and make criticalbusiness decisions (such as switch-ing to another interconnect partner)to maintain the quality of interna-tional calls. Successful completion of a call involves interconnecting carrier networksdomestic and international.Managing carrier interconnections for profitabilityReal-time monitoring systems suchas Agilent acceSS7 are designed tohandle the unexpected problemsthat arise almost routinely on atelecommunication network. If thesystems are doing their job well,they guard the health of the net-work unobtrusively, helping protectthe service providers businessaround the clock. But when the net-work is hit with a major event thatthreatens its operation, the value ofa monitoring system becomes imme-diately apparent.Evaluating new carriersService providers, with their eyes onimproving profitability while main-taining quality of service, frequentlyreview the effectiveness of theirtraffic-routing strategies. As part ofthis review, they may consider newinterconnect partners for carryingsome or all of their internationalVolume 9, Issue 1 19Mass call eventsBy alerting service providersat thetime of the occurrenceto activitieson the network that violate specifiedperformance thresholds, acceSS7applications such as Call PerformanceManager and Traffic Monitor allowservice providers to take immediateaction to remedy or even preventservice disruption. Mass call eventstriggered by a catastrophe fortunate-ly are rare; but an event as simple asa call-in promotion on a popularradio or television program canoverload an exchange in seconds ifthe service provider has not beenforewarned of the event.Handling mass call events and other network stormsCall performance managerCall Performance Manager monitors interconnect points and provides detailed, reliable informa-tion to help service providers alleviate network problems and make better business decisions.SMS stormsThe popularity of the short messageservice (SMS) continues to growworldwide at tremendous rates. Nolonger simply a way to exchangeshort, personal messages, SMS todaydelivers a range of information fromstock quotes to sports scores; weath-er forecasts to traffic information.Some content providers have startedto flood known wireless exchangeswith unsolicited SMSsa sort ofmobile spam. Agilents RoamingManagement System, which moni-tors SMS traffic across the networkand at points of interconnection,provides a real-time picture of thesudden increase in activity thatwarns of an SMS storm. The real-time information deliveredby the Roaming Management Systemhelps uncover other misuses of SMS.Subscribers have been known, forexample, to find security breachesin the configuration of an SMSCthe computer that handles the SMSwithin an operating centerwhichallow them to them to send messagesfor free. Sometimes the compromisedSMSC may not belong to the homenetwork of the SMS subscribersexploiting the error. If word spreadsquickly to other SMS subscribers (as it can over the Internet), theSMSC can find itself the center of asudden SMS storm. The ability of the Remote Monitoring System toidentify the unusual activity withinthe network allows service providersto quickly locate the source of theproblem and to notify interconnect-ing networks, if necessary. traffic. Call Performance Manager is an ideal tool to evaluate new carriers through real-time trials. At the end of a trial, it can generate a report of the service quality delivered by the prospective newpartner for comparison with that of the incumbent.Call Performance Manager is justone of the many business intelli-gence applications that run on theAgilent acceSS7 system.For more information, visit our web site atwww.agilent.com/ cm/ monitor/ access orcheck 3on the reply cardfor a free acceSS7CD.20 Telecommunications NewsIn December 2001 Agilentannounced its participation in ablade server alliance sponsored byHewlett-Packard Company. Thealliance brings together leading tech-nology companies with the goal ofdeveloping open-standard technolo-gies for the emerging blade servermarket. As part of this effort, Agilentis working with HP on a serverdesigned specifically for the needs ofthe telecommunications end office.Blade servers are high density com-puters based on a flexible, efficientarchitecture that consists of a pre-wired chassis and various plug-inprocessor, memory, storage, net-work, and management cards. HPblade servers use the industry-stan-dard CompactPCI bus to provide ahigh bandwidth, highly robust back-plane that is well-suited for applica-tions in telecommunications, com-puter telephony, and real-time dataacquisition. The resulting cus-tomized systems offer greater com-puting capability, reliability, and anumber of cost saving features. Tailored for the end-office environmentThe telecommunications end officeis not a typical IT environment.Often located in high-rent, urbanareas, the end office generally issmall, with limited floor space thatis crammed full of telecom equip-ment. Equipment, including com-puters, is racked, and space con-straints make access difficult. Moreoften than not, the end office isunmanned, which means that equip-ment must be highly reliable, meet-ing NEBS and ETSI requirements.And to support the evolving telecomnetwork, equipment frequentlyneeds to be modified or upgraded toaccommodate changing standardsand traffic loads.To better perform within this envi-ronment, the new telecom bladeserver offers needed improvementsin terms of power, density, manage-ability, and serviceability. Theseimprovements benefit both the net-work operations managers who areresponsible for the day-to-day opera-tion (and expenses) of the end office,and the system administrators whomanage the network monitoring sys-tems that rely on the effectiveness of end-office computing resources.Power and density improvementsThree times the processing power in one-half the space, enabled by the compact PCI backplane andblade formatStable, proven processing architectureA standard, rack-mountable chassisPlug-in server blades, which allowthe system to be upgraded by simplyadding or swapping bladesCost savings, provided by lower ini-tial costs and the ability to enhanceand upgrade individual server com-ponents, rather than by replacingthe entire server.Manageability and serviceabilityimprovementsEasy access to cables and serverblades, so that changes can be madewithout having to dismantle theserver or remove it from the rackA rack-mountable chassis that is anoptimal size for the standard tele-com end office Server management card that facili-tates remote management of theserver and allows the server to iden-tify and correct many problems with-out any need for human interventionFull NEBS and ETSI certification,which ensures that the server willperform under the most demandingconditionsRedundant fans and power suppliesfor greater reliabilityHot-swappable blades, for quickinstallation of new components and continued availability duringmaintenance.The combination of HPs computingexpertise and Agilents knowledge oftelecommunications has produced aserver with standout features tunedto the needs of end-office operatorsand system administrators. The telecom server will be introducedas part of the HP Blade Server familyin June 2002. For product literature as it becomes avail-able, send an email to [email protected] on the HP blade server family isavailable at www.hp.com/ go/ bladeserver.To learn more about the compact PCI bus,visit www.picmg.com.New telecom server is designed to fit the end officeSmall, crowded, unmanned end offices requirecompact, highly reliable telecomequipment. Complete telecommunication busi-ness solutions consist of more thantechnology alone. Automated man-agement of networks, processes, andservices through integrated opera-tions support systems (OSS) is arequirement for successparticular-ly in todays competitive market.Agilent has products and servicesthat help service providers get themost from their technology invest-mentfrom the design and develop-ment of an OSS solution, throughthe solutions installation, optimiza-tion, maintenance, and support. Ourservice portfolio includes consult-ing, project management, ongoingtraining of your staff, and a widearray of support service options.Standards-based architectureAgilents OSS architecture uses astandards-based framework formanaging multiple technologies andservices, which allows integration oflegacy and point OSS solutions asnew infrastructure is introduced. Agilent has provided OSS solutionsbased on this management architec-ture to more than 400 wireless andwireline communication serviceproviders in 40 countries, as wellas to Internet service providers and application service providersworldwide.Consulting servicesAgilents consultants help serviceproviders work through the chal-lenges of adopting new and emerg-ing technologies. We assist our cus-tomers throughout the purchase andimplementation of a solution, rely-ing on proven methodologies thathelp reduce the cost and risk associ-ated with the deployment of com-plex systems. As part of the solu-tion, we develop requirement speci-fications based on individual needsand provide a solution plan and afunctional design. These deliver-ables ensure more finely tuned sys-tem configuration, cleaner installa-tion, and ultimately higher end-usersatisfaction. Then, we work closelywith customers to manage the cre-ation, deployment, and optimizationof the solution.Agilent consultants have expertiseacross the entire spectrum of com-munication technologies, includingwireline and wireless telephony andIP-based networks. As the communi-cations industry changes, we stay ontop of all the latest developmentsin technology, business processes,and the growing requirements forsecurity. We help service providersrun their operations smoothly sothat they can focus on their corebusiness, confident that they arereceiving the best return on theirOSS investment.Project implementation servicesAgilents professional services helpservice providers through all thephases of deploying a solution. Ourservice teams focus on meeting cost,scheduling, and quality requirements.A qualified project manager overseeseach project from beginning to successful completion. The projectmanager provides a detailed planbased on the project charter, a bud-get, a risk management plan, andacceptance metrics.Our experienced system engineers,working in collaboration with the ser-vice providers staff, combining exist-ing OSS components with new hard-ware, software, and services to createa unified and optimized solution. Issue 24 21TransAsia Telecommunicationsenhances network and service qualitySince the founding of TransAsiaTelecommunications, the company hashad a primary goal: to provide the bestpossible quality and customer service.Today TransAsia is one of the mostsuccessful mobile operators in Taiwan,with 700,000 customers who can com-municate in all areas of the countryusing roaming and other value-addedservices. The company made a deci-sion in the year 2000 to invest in a net-work monitoring solution that wouldenable the company to continue pro-viding excellent network stability andreliability but also enable a reductionin network maintenance costs. After a thorough investigation of possiblesolutions, TransAsia selected theAgilent acceSS7 to manage its net-work. During installation of acceSS7,Agilents consulting engineers helpedTransAsia Telecommunicationsresolve critical network issues by gen-erating statistical reports on networkperformance that were then used tooptimize the acceSS7 solution. Withthe help of Agilents consulting ser-vices and the state-of-the-art acceSS7monitoring and management applica-tions, TransAsia met its cost and per-formance objectives and today is rec-ognized by the industry as a customer-focused company with a very reliableand robust network.Next-generation OSS solutions, delivered worldwideAgilents expert consultants and services help you get the most fromnext-generation OSS.22 Telecommunications NewsAt each step in its implementation,the solution is benchmarked againstpre-defined milestones to ensure thatall objectives are met. Agilents instal-lation procedures have been devel-oped to exceed industry quality stan-dards and to minimize any disruptionto service provider operations.Wind Telecommunicazioni gains control of its interconnectsCarrying international calls hasbecome an important source of revenue for service providers. (See related article, page 18.) WindTelecommunicazioni, headquarteredin Rome, Italy, handles over 2 mil-lion telephone calls a day that aredestined for foreign users on its net-work or for Wind subscribers travel-ling abroad. To help manage thisprofitable business, Wind decided to invest in the Agilent acceSS7 net-work management system. TheacceSS7 system allows them to be inconstant control of their networksinterconnections with other service-provider networks. By monitoringthe points of interconnection usingthe acceSS7, Wind can collect andanalyze the data about internationalcalls that is essential for effectivenetwork management. This solutionhas helped Wind to maximize networkavailability, service quality, and revenue from international traffic.To deploy the acceSS7 system, Wind Telecommunicazioni called onAgilents project management services.Luca Casarrubea, Usage AnalysisManager at Wind, stated Clearly, anydeployment at the exchanges is a delicate operation. It is vital to be ableto count on a highly reliable supplierwho is able to keep to the agreeddeadlines and work practices andprovide highly qualified personnelwho can work with our network tech-nicians. Agilent successfully complet-ed the complex project managementwithin the agreed deadlines and withno impact at the exchange. Casarrubeaadded, We are extremely satisfiedwith the choice we made to opt forthe Agilent acceSS7 solutionWhenyou add the technical expertise andease of installation, our work withAgilent has been extremely satisfying.Training and educationA fully trained staff is vital to anycompanys successand serviceproviders will quickly benefit frominvestment in developing theiremployees skills. Agilent has a world-wide network of educators who candeliver educational courses and train-ing at the location and in the languageand format that best meets a serviceproviders needs. Our instructors areindustry experts who understand OSSsystems and solutions. They are ableto explain complex techniques andconcepts clearly.Agilent offers a variety of trainingoptions that cover technologies,products, and applications, as wellas the fundamentals of network and service analysis and manage-ment. We work to understand service provider training needs andto provide the best solution.On-site trainingFor added convenience, we canbring a member of our training staff to a service providers site.This enables the instructor to applythe class material directly to theunique operating environment andto answer any of the participantsquestions. Agilent can tailor trainingalso to meet a specific budget aswell as to local geographic and language requirements.Open enrollment trainingAgilent provides hands-on educationin our advanced learning facilities.The open-enrollment curriculum features a series of increasinglyadvanced classes that allow partici-pants to gain knowledge in a struc-tured manner.Service providers benefit fromAgilent trainingWhen TransAsia Telecommunicationsdeployed an acceSS7 surveillanceand troubleshooting solution, thecompany also asked Agilent for support with ongoing training, tohelp the company get the most from its investment.Celcom Petro Networks in Malaysiadeployed the Agilent accessFIBERsystem to monitor its fiber optic network. As part of the solution,Agilent designed a training programto provide CPNs technicians with a complete understanding ofaccessFIBER operation and admin-istration, and also of the MapInfoapplication that works with the system. With the proper trainingarranged by Agilent, CPNs staff now is more skilled in fiber networkmanagement using sophisticatedmanagement technologies such asthose provided by accessFIBER.Our products and services cover the entire OSS life cycle, fromdesign and development of asolution through implementation, operator training, and support.Support servicesA comprehensive array of supportservices help service providers getoptimal performance and benefitsfrom Agilent solutions. Our completeportfolio of offerings includes war-ranty coverage, total system support(TSS), and individualized packagesthat allow service providers tochoose the level of support that bestmeets their needs. Individualizedsupport includes hardware assis-tance, software updates, and remoteor on-site servicing.Issue 24 23To ensure the availability of mission-critical systems, Agilent providessupport up to 24 x 7. Services areoffered on-site or online for cus-tomer convenience. Agilents proac-tive support includes operationalreviews, software update services,and system administration servicesto help minimize system downtime.If something goes wrong, our respon-sive telephone and on-site supporthelp customers get back up and run-ning as quickly as possible. A singlewarranty and a single vendor coverthe entire OSS solution.Agilent offers solutions and servicesworldwide with extensive resourcesto help service providers managenetworks for optimal results andfaster, more efficient deployment ofnext-generation technologies andservices.To learn more, please visit our website atwww.agilent.com/ comms/ service or check5 on the reply card.For a copy of the complete case studyTransAsia Furthers Telecomms Leadership,check 6 on the reply card.For a copy of the complete case study WindTelecommunicazioni More EffectivelyManages International Call Traffic, check 7on the reply card.For a copy of the complete case study CPNOptic Network Never Blinks, check 8 on thereply card.During the 2000 Summer OlympicGames, Telstra Corporation Limited,the 2000 Games official telecommu-nications supplier and Australia sleading telecommunications carrier,deployed an Agilent accessFIBERsystem to provide documentationand monitoring of the fiber-opticnetwork that supported the Sydneyvenues and infrastructure. (SeeTelecommunications News No.21.)Though most of the Sydney venuesand infrastructure from the 2000Games have been dismantled,Telstra is continuing to expand itsfiber network monitoring capabili-ties across the continent to maintainproactive network monitoring. Telstra has re-configured the Sydneynetwork to accommodate theremoval of Olympic sites from thenetwork. At the same time, Telstrahas increased its fiber optic moni-toring capabilities by installing anmore accessFIBER remote test units(RTUs) in other parts of theAustralian network and in othermajor cities. Increasing the numberof accessFIBER RTUs enablesTelstra to gain further network visi-bility for achieving precise faultlocation and rapid repair, more effi-cient work flow processes, and high-er customer satisfaction. As Telstra moves towards control-ling and managing its whole net-work from a central location, theaccessFIBER solution, with itsproven past performance, fits wellinto Telstras business plans. For a copy of the complete case study TelstraExpands Network Successfully, check 9 onthe reply card.Back issues of Telecommunications Newsare available online atwww.agilent.com/ cm/ telecomnews.Telstra expands fiber network managementEfficient support services help CPNachieve 100% network availabilityCelcom Petro Network (M) Sdn.Bhd. (CPN) is a joint venturebetween Celcom (M) Sdn. Bhd.(Celcom), one of the major cellularcommunications companies inMalaysia, and Petroliam NasionalBerhad (Petronas), Malaysiasnational oil and gas company. Thecompany set up a trunk fiber opticnetwork to address the needs ofboth parent companies. To help thefiber optic network remain up andrunning and to better meet servicelevel agreements, CPN installed anAgilent accessFIBER solution at thecompanys network operations cen-ter in Segamut, Malaysia.According to Abdul Karim, CPNsgeneral manager, The Agilent solu-tion of accessFIBER hardware, soft-ware, and support services such asconsultancy, project management,and training has helped produce sig-nificant business results and realcustomer satisfaction. He contin-ues, Agilent gives peace of mind,and eliminates concernsabout after sales service.And it is comforting toknow that there is a companysuch as Agilent who willimmediately address any net-work problem or fault in themost timely manner.Agilent acceSS7 is a powerful and flexible OSS solution that hasbecome the market leader in signal-ing monitoring. Deployed in morethan 110 communication networksworldwide, acceSS7 provides surveillance, troubleshooting, andbusiness applications to manageand safeguard all GSM, GPRS, andSS7 services. A new CD details how acceSS7 helpsservice providers achieve cost savings and significant competitiveadvantage. Service providers aroundthe globe are seeing a return ontheir acceSS7 investment in as littleas three months, and some are see-ing a return of eight times within ayear. One US service provider savedmore than $50 million in the yearfollowing the installation of acceSS7hardware and software.For the free CD, check 3 on the reply card.Agilent TechnologiesDept. TCNPOBox 3828Englewood, CO80155-3828ChangeServiceRequestedMailroomManager: Pleasecorrectandreturnmailinglabels for all undeliverablecopies. AgilentTechnologies will payfor address correctionpostage. ThankYou! Agilent Technologies, Inc.ISSN-1076-9439March 1, 20025988-4859ENUSPRSRTSTDU.S. POSTAGEPAIDBEREA,OHIOPERMITNO. 201In our next issue:Integrated service management, customer care, a new portable ana-lyzer for communication networks,and more.Agilent and Cerebrus Solutions Limitedoffer a stronger fraud solution portfolio Agilent Technologies and CerebrusSolutions Limited recently announcedan Agilent equity investment inCerebrus Solutions, a leadingprovider of telecommunicationsfraud management and revenueassurance applications. Agilent currently resells CerebrusREfraudmanagement solutions to enhanceits revenue assurance offerings andcomprehensive OSS solutions. Through the investment in CerebrusSolutions, Agilent is strengtheningits ongoing commitment to the communications fraud managementmarket. The combined offering willprovide enhanced solutions for fixedand mobile service providers to protect their margins.Cerebrus is a unique solution thatcombines advanced neural networkswith established rules and thresh-olds to identify new, unpredictablepatterns in subscriber behavior. The Cerebrus fraud managementsolutions are continually updatedfor use with new platforms and fornew markets, including pre-paid, IPtelephony, GPRS, and 3G.Agilent believes that CerebrusSolutions expertise in the develop-ment of new application technolo-gies complements Agilents leadingrole in signaling monitoring solutions.The use of signaling monitoring provides a reliable source of serviceand call details that are independentof billing processes and that providenumerous opportunities to preventrevenue leakage, including telecom-munications fraud detection.For more information on AgilentsOSS solutions, visit our web site at www.agilent.com/comms/ossInformation about Cerebrus is avail-able at www.CerebrusSolutions.com.Free CD covers acceSS7wireless OSS solutions
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