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Investigation into Mobile Operator Processes: Adaptation of a New Service Quality Monitoring Tool

Investigation into Mobile Operator Processes: Adaptation of a New Service Quality Monitoring Tool. Thesis Work Presentation 5.12.2006. Esa Sahla. Supervisor: Prof. Sven-Gustav Häggman Instructor: M.Sc. Antti Hassinen. Contents. Introduction to the study

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Investigation into Mobile Operator Processes: Adaptation of a New Service Quality Monitoring Tool

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  1. Investigation into Mobile Operator Processes: Adaptation of a New Service Quality Monitoring Tool Thesis Work Presentation 5.12.2006 Esa Sahla Supervisor: Prof. Sven-Gustav Häggman Instructor: M.Sc. Antti Hassinen

  2. Contents • Introduction to the study • Background, research problem, research methods • Service Quality in Mobile Networks • Motivation for QoS, network QoS management tools • Service Quality Manager (SQM) • SQM - Maintenance and Development • Conclusions

  3. Background • New mobile technologies (e.g. UMTS) introduce a massive amount of new mobile services • The strain on the operator’s network increases and the probability of network and service related problems increases along with it • New service centered network management tools are a necessity if the operators wish to effectively control this development and thus provide an adequate level of service quality to their customers • TeliaSonera Finland was interested in identifying the effectiveness of their service quality management process and study the possibility of adapting a new quality monitoring tool into the process

  4. Objectives • To give a comprehensive view of the current situation of network performance and fault monitoring at TeliaSonera Finland. • Analyze the process of adapting a new network monitoring tool, the Nokia NetAct Service Quality Manager, at TeliaSonera Finland • Identify the main user groups for the said tool.

  5. Research Methods • Literature study • Various specifications (ETSI, ITU, 3GPP) • Related books and publications • Practical part • Interviews with personnel at TeliaSonera and with equipment vendor representatives • Study of in-house and equipment vendor documents • Attending meetings within TeliaSonera on service quality management and SQM related issues

  6. Contents • Introduction to the study • Background, research problem, research methods • Service Quality in Mobile Networks • Motivation for QoS, network QoS management tools • Service Quality Manager (SQM) • SQM - Maintenance and Development • Conclusions

  7. Motivation for QoS mechanisms • New mobile communication technologies (e.g. UMTS) have strict QoS requirements • For example, real-time services (such as video telephony) need performance guarantees • Customer satisfaction is closely related to the service quality provided by the network • Along with e.g. pricing and network availability • With good QoS mechanisms, scarce radio resources can be utilized more efficiently • Increased cost efficiency through resource optimization based on services’ QoS requirements  Increase in ROI • Ultimately, effective QoS mechanisms ensure a competitive advantage

  8. Performance requirements • 3G QoS traffic classes: Operator’s PoV • Demanding • Delay • Jitter • Demanding • Bit rate • Jitter • Tolerant • Delay and bit rate may vary • Integrity • Easiest • Delay and bit ratemay vary • Integrity

  9. Network optimization Network elements: counters and interfaces Network performance monitoring Customer complaints Field measurements Data sources for Service Quality Management • Customer complaints • Only large numbers signify a clear fault • The fault has already affected the customer • Field measurements • Used to establish end-to-end service quality experienced by the end-user • Stationary hot-spot tests and drive tests • Competitor benchmarking • Network elements • Main source of data for network monitoring tools

  10. Network Management Tools • New mobile network management tools should: • be able to identify possible error conditions and according corrective actions • pro-actively take preventive measures on impairments that could reduce customer satisfaction • reduce mobile operators operational expenses • The network management tools employed at TeliaSonera were analyzed to determine how well they fulfill the above criteria

  11. Network Management Tools • The analysis found that the network management process clearly lacked an efficient tool for efficient, real-time network service quality monitoring • Especially for 3G RAN •  The full scale implementation of a new service quality monitoring tool was thus justified •  Nokia NetActTM Service Quality Manager (SQM)

  12. Contents • Introduction to the study • Background, research problem, research methods • Service Quality in Mobile Networks • Motivation for QoS, network QoS management tools • Service Quality Manager (SQM) • SQM - Maintenance and Development • Conclusions

  13. SQM • The Nokia NetActTM Service Quality Manager is a service quality monitoring platform • Designed to work with both 2G and 3G systems • Multi-vendor support • Real-time monitoring • Enables operators to monitor the state of the services provided by their network (rather than only element status) • Correlates measurement data from various data sources for more accurate fault determination • Pre-emptive fault detection • Fault impact calculation based on end-user perspective

  14. Service QualityManager Integration of information received from the network for detailed service quality analysis Service level Alarm and fault systems DC5000 Traffic monitoring system Multi-vendor integration Fault managements Other measurements • QoS Management • Counters • KPIs Real-time traffic measurements Other systems SQM: Creating a new level for monitoring network performance Network level Network and service infrastructure

  15. User Groups at TeliaSonera Finland • A part of the thesis focused on identifying the main user groups for the SQM solution • The main users can be roughly divided into: • Network maintenance • System planning

  16. User Group: Network maintenance • Lacking an efficient, real-time service monitoring tool for 3G systems • Swamped with too many systems and tools which to monitor • No tool for sleeping cell monitoring • With SQM: • Possibility for real-time service quality monitoring and automatic fault analysis for effective root-cause analysis • Simplify the management of complex 3G network • Automatic correlation of element data and fault information • Dead cell detection • Overall streamlining of the network maintenance process (see: figure)

  17. Trouble ticket system DC5000 (Trend analysis) Creation of a trouble ticket Fault Monitoring Relevant reports Monitor SQM History Relevant alarms Reporting Service Quality trends Traffic data Test results Element alarms Performance data Testing equipment Network element data Traffic analyzer Streamlined network maintenance with SQM Network measurement data sources

  18. User group: System planning • Benefits gained with SQM: • More effective monitoring of element updates • Especially, correlating network measurements with element update status • Easier determination of network problems when fault effecting a larger part of network • And the benefits explained previously

  19. Contents • Introduction to the study • Background, research problem, research methods • Service Quality in Mobile Networks • Motivation for QoS, network QoS management tools • Service Quality Manager (SQM) • SQM - Maintenance and Development • Conclusions

  20. Background • SQM wasn’t ready “out-of-the-box” • Need for customization • SQM should be available for all areas of mobile network management • Different access methods contemplated • Web-access for ease of use and with limited functionality • Direct connection to the system for advanced users • Custom measurements needed to be implemented • Various threshold values and performance indicator formulas • Dead cell monitoring • SQM steering group formed to oversee future development on the system

  21. Supervises Steering groups Sends performance data New feature testing Quality team Help request in trouble cases. Specifications for new alarm monitoring rules Nokia RAM team Training and instructions Provides new alarm monitoring implementation instructions Maintenance and new feature implementation Specifications for new KPI or KQI values System maintenance Gives feedback on the systems’ state to Nokia NetAct SQM New specification work required Network element software upgrade projects, etc. Need for new performance indicators Parameter team New features to existing systems New features SQM Maintenance Process at TeliaSonera

  22. Process evaluation • The SQM integration and development process itself was analyzed in this thesis using the following criteria: • Trial period analysis • Software vendor reliability • Total cost • Tailoring possibilities • Integration possibilities • Training possibilities • Multiplatform support • Results of this analysis mainly used to measure the successfulness of the adaptation process • This, in turn, would be used to decide whether changes in similar projects are needed in the future

  23. Contents • Introduction to the study • Background, research problem, researchmethods • Service Quality in Mobile Networks • Motivation for QoS, network QoS management tools • Service Quality Manager (SQM) • SQM Integration • Conclusions

  24. Conclusions • Next generation mobile networks require the operators to have more versatile tools to manage the various services provided by the network • The system should also make the operation and management of the network and its resources efficient and effective • Analysis of TeliaSonera’s mobile network management processes concluded that there was a clear need for such a tool • Service Quality Manager fills this need • The analysis was also done to establish a regular practice within the company to analyze their network management practices in terms of service quality management

  25. Conclusions • The analysis identified two main user groups • In light of some issues identified in the analysis, procurement of an additional performance monitoring tool was proposed • Adaptation process evaluation revealed defects in the process: • For example, end-user needs should be identified sooner in the process so as to speed up the development process • As the field of study presented in this thesis is constantly under change, it is evident that some process descriptions presented will not be topical for long • Especially from the operator’s stand-point • All things considered, the objectives of the thesis were reached • No further study on the subject needed as such • What remains is the final steps of integrating the system into the operator’s processes

  26. Thank you

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