Overview

Cisco Internet OSS for Voice over IP:
Infrastructure Manager 1.0

The Cisco Internet OSS for Voice over IP: Infrastructure Manager is an integrated management offering that provides subscriber provisioning, service network configuration, service network assurance, and service network performance and usage data for a voice-over-IP (VoIP) network powered by the Cisco Voice Infrastructure and Applications (VIA) solution. With Cisco Internet OSS for VoIP: Infrastructure Manager, service providers can focus more on marketing, sales, and customer service, and less on monitoring and maintaining their networks or implementing complex, work-intensive processes to provision their services. The Cisco Internet OSS for VoIP: Infrastructure Manager solution can be used to manage local and long-distance Cisco VoIP offerings, which may be provided using H.323 standard protocol, Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), or various gateway control protocols (xGCP). The IP transport technology may be core IP, Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), virtual private network (VPN), or Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS).

Integrated Management Offering

With the Cisco Internet OSS for VoIP: Infrastructure Manager, Cisco offers an integrated management solution that allows a service provider to:

• Quickly provision and provide revenue-generating services
  
  
• Assure that the network remains available to provide quality service
  
  
• Measure service and network usage for efficient and effective billing and revenue recognition
  
  

Cisco Integrated OSS for VoIP: Infrastructure Manager manages network faults, configures networks, provisions services, collects accounting and usage data, manages performance, performs troubleshooting, monitors interoperability, and secures management applications.

Fault, configuration, accounting/inventory, performance, and security (FCAPS) are covered for Cisco products; these are pre-integrated and assessed in a customer-like test environment to provide high initial quality. The operations support system (OSS) is packaged for deployment into service provider production environments. "Infrastructure Manager" is an offering in the Cisco Integrated OSS for VoIP also includes applications that provide management local services, subscriber management, and broadband access. Figure 1 shows the integrated offerings of the Cisco Integrated OSS for VoIP.

Integrated Management Offerin


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Key Features

• Flow-through, automated, and template-based provisioning
  
  
• Logical (virtual) switch and virtual Signaling System 7 (SS7) gateway views
  
  
• Centralized, end-to-end dial plan and routing management
  
  
• Bulk provisioning of virtual SS7 gateways
  
  
• End-to-end packet-voice network view
  
  
• Network faults correlated to virtual switch, packet-voice service, and customer accounts
  
  
• Normalized packet-voice performance, usage, and quality-of-service (QoS) data with thresholds integrated into fault management
  
  
• Billing data forwarded to the service-provider billing and mediation applications
  
  
• Industry-standard northbound OSS interfaces
  
  
• Unified, centralized application security
  
  
• Web-based operator interfaces
  
  

Key Benefits

• Reduced cost
  
  
• More effective network operations center (NOC) operations
  
  
• Simplified NOC procedures
  
  
• Increased revenue
  
  
• Increased market share
  
  

The Cisco Internet OSS for VoIP: Infrastructure Manager provides FCAPS functionality through an integrated set of applications that use the Cisco CNS Programmable Network and Cisco CNS Administrative Policy Engine to manage a Cisco VIA network. Infrastructure Manager operates an interconnect service network and does not use the Subscriber Management and Access Application. Configuration (and provisioning) is provided by the Infrastructure Configuration Application, Fault, Performance and Accounting are provided by the Fault Management, Performance Management, and Accounting Data Applications, respectively. Security Administration is distributed among the other applications and supported by security functions. A Unified Operator and OSS Interface provides friendly and effective access to the FCAPS functions of the Cisco Internet OSS for VoIP: Infrastructure Manager. Troubleshooting and Maintenance functions augment the FCAPS applications to enhance the NOC's ability to sustain high service quality.

Cisco Packet-Voice Infrastructure Configuration Application

The Cisco Packet-Voice Infrastructure Configuration Application provides the service provider with packet-voice network provisioning and configuration for the virtual switch, including the signaling gateway, call agent, gateway, and gatekeeper. The application provides network-wide dialing-plan management and bulk element provisioning to alleviate repetitive activities when multiple elements need the same configuration. The Packet-Voice Infrastructure Configuration Application works from an end-to-end packet-voice network view and provides graphical, drag-and-drop provisioning in addition to flow-through provisioning. Figures 2 and 3 illustrate these features.

Network Provisioning—Point and Click, Flow-Through

Network Provisioning—Template- and Wizard-Based

Cisco Packet-Voice Fault Management Application

The Cisco Packet-Voice Fault Management Application provides surveillance of Cisco VIA deployments. The rules capability of the application facilitates elimination of duplicates, filtering, and correlation. Permissions may be used to partition the views that operators will see and control the functions that they may execute. The Fault Management Application is shared among Cisco solutions and supports an end-to-end view of the network, showing the impact of non-voice and non-infrastructure applications. The application offers a capability for launching troubleshooting tools and scripts, and can analyze relevant system log messages and produce alarms where appropriate (Figure 4). This results in a richer set of events and alarms than those currently available from Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) traps.

Fault Management

Cisco Packet-Voice Performance Management Application

The Cisco Packet-Voice Performance Management Application provides information necessary to monitor the quality of the network relative to usage, throughput, and voice quality, optimizing data collection to minimize the load on the network. The Performance Management Application provides numerous reports, including minutes of use, completed calls, dropped calls, long calls, and trunk use. The Performance Management Application provides threshold capability on any normalized data item and generates events and alarms to the Fault Management Application. Additionally, the application offers selective (hot spot) polling, providing near-real-time data for selected items.

Performance Management

Cisco produces normalized performance data that third-party applications (a Cisco ecosystem partner, a customer-supplied OSS, or another third-party application) can use to generate reports and perform analyses (Figure 5). As needed, Cisco will work with application vendors or with the service provider's application organization to support performance reporting. Cisco operates a joint development program (JDP) that works with strategic partners to produce performance management offerings that manage Cisco VIA networks. Cisco also provides support for some vendors through the Cisco Ecosystem Select program to make similar offerings available.

Accounting Data Application

The Cisco Internet OSS for VoIP: Infrastructure Manager offering does not include a billing OSS. The architecture assumes that the service provider will choose a vendor to provide billing record mediation, bill production, and bill management. Cisco provides call detail records and supports the chosen vendor to accomplish billing for service.

Security Administration

A policy server, Cisco CNS Administrative Policy Engine, that is accessed by the Cisco packet-voice applications provides security on a centralized basis. This provides consistent authentication for logging into a Cisco Packet-Voice Infrastructure Network Management Launch Pad. From this entry-point console and within the various trails that might be navigated, role-based authorization and function access is administered:

• Administrator
  
  
• Operator
  
  
• Maintenance technician
  
  
• Provisioning technician
  
  
• Operations manager, etc.
  
  

Unified Operator Interface

The NOC manager uses Cisco Internet OSS for VoIP: Infrastructure Manager via Launch Pads, a single-system image, user-friendly navigation station. The interface is Web Based—easily integrated with existing graphical user interface (GUI)-based processes that the service provider has in place or needs to implement in the future. This interface presents all solution capabilities to the operator through hierarchical menus (Figure 6).

Operator Interface and GUI

Troubleshooting and Maintenance

The applications in the Cisco Internet OSS for VoIP: Infrastructure Manager give the operator access to tools in the Cisco Packet-Voice Network Maintenance Toolkit—tools that can be used to restore network availability, improve network quality, and investigate network anomalies. This toolkit offers network-element-specific functionality to view graphical network element layouts, override network element configurations, investigate network element performance activity, probe network communication and routing activity, trace calls, and measure QoS. The toolkit also provides Telnet access to let the operator communicate with devices for control through the command-line interface. The Infrastructure Manager includes products to help identify inconsistencies among voice network elements during initial device staging and subsequently when all the devices are assimilated, providing insight into network performance, real-time statistical reporting, and real-time call tracing to troubleshoot voice networks. A nonintrusive packet telephony monitoring and troubleshooting tool captures network packets in real-time, traces calls, analyzes call control protocol packets to help customers quickly and efficiently deploy, monitor, and troubleshoot VoIP services on a data network. All of the protocols in Cisco VIA are supported by the packet telephony monitoring and troubleshooting tool.

Value Proposition

The Cisco Internet OSS for VoIP: Infrastructure Manager provides a range of value to the VoIP service provider including operations knowledge embedded in the applications, reduced cost, more effective NOC operation, increased revenue, and increased market share. Table 1 and the following discussion illustrate the benefits relative to the key features of the management applications.

Knowledge Embedded in the Applications

The Cisco Internet OSS for VoIP: Infrastructure Manager gives the service provider a network management solution that is tailored to voice technology instead of a set of data tools to manage a network providing voice. The reports, data, alarm rules, and logical configuration entities are tailored for voice and specifically customized for Cisco VIA. The knowledge that Cisco embeds in the OSS and in the network frees service providers to concentrate more on executing their business plans instead of spending more time managing their networks.

Reduced Cost and Shorter Time to Production

The Cisco Internet OSS for VoIP: Infrastructure Manager is a pre-integrated and pre-tested offering that is significantly less costly to deploy than other OSSs. Purchasing an integrated set of components reduces the costs related to integrating a management system. The integrated testing that Cisco does results in shorter time to production and decreases the number of field errors, interruptions, and maintenance costs.

More Effective NOC Operations

The NOC is responsible for ensuring that the network is available to meet the service quality expectations of its users. Cisco Internet OSS for VoIP: Infrastructure Manager simplifies NOC operations. Advanced fault management relieves the operator of watching every event, facilitating increased effectiveness by focusing on critical events. Performance monitoring enables operators to analyze and anticipate problems in the network. Configuration management provides verification of configuration, topology, and inventory, resulting in increased network uptime. With these features, NOCs will be able to handle customer growth with a higher-quality service network.

Increased Revenue and Market Share

The reduced cost, shorter time to production, and higher quality provided by the Cisco Internet OSS for VoIP: Infrastructure Manager ultimately improves service provider profitability. Time to market for services is shortened by the rapid deployment of operations support. Service-provisioning time is shortened by the speed and accuracy provided by the OSS. Speed to market, speed of service provisioning, and high QoS leads to increased customer base, increased market share, and ultimately, increased revenue.

Infrastructure Manager Contents and Coverage

The applications that make up the Infrastructure Manager are the result of integration of a number of Cisco products. The products focus on FCAPS functions and technology. The integration approach takes advantage of the increased quality and performance attained by narrowing the focus of specific products as well as speeding the time to market through parallel development. The components of Cisco Internet OSS for VoIP: Infrastructure Manager include:

• Cisco Packet Telephony Center—Virtual Switch
  
  
• Cisco Packet Telephony Center—Monitoring and Troubleshooting
  
  
• Cisco Voice Routing Center
  
  
• Cisco Info Center
  
  
• Cisco Media Gateway Controller Node Manager
  
  
• Cisco Element Management Framework
  
  
• Cisco CNS Performance Engine
  
  
• Cisco CNS Notification Engine
  
  
• Cisco CNS Configuration Engine
  
  
• Cisco CNS 2100 Series Intelligence Engine
  
  

The Cisco VIA solution is very robust and can be deployed in any number of configurations covering SS7, H.323, Media Gateway Control Protocol (MGCP), and SIP call control. Release 1.0 of the Infrastructure Manager addresses the H.323 and SS7 PSTN interconnect configurations. The platforms that are addressed in Release 1.0 are given in Table 2. Because Cisco network elements use an extendable operating system to provide flexibility and feature growth, it is critical to indicate which releases of the Cisco IOS^® Software are covered for the devices that are covered by the Infrastructure Manager. The Cisco IOS information is also included in Table 2.

Solution Summary

In response to the critical need for an effective, comprehensive VoIP network management OSS, Cisco offers the Internet OSS for VoIP: Infrastructure Manager. This offering covers the essential management functions needed by network operators to maintain a high-quality service network.

Beyond basic management functions, Cisco has embedded voice and network knowledge—allowing the service provider to focus on the business and the customer and to trust the Cisco OSS to manage the network and to alert the operator when critical alerts and quality issues arise. This knowledge is also developed into significant virtual and logical entities that will greatly improve the accuracy, productivity, and effectiveness of NOC personnel. Cisco also offers robust fault management, monitoring, and troubleshooting to maintain network availability and quality.

Running a Cisco VIA network with the Cisco Internet OSS for VoIP: Infrastructure Manager provides the service provider a network managed by the people who power it. The Cisco Internet OSS for VoIP: Infrastructure Manager frees the service provider to improve its profitability through increased revenue and increased market share.