Workflow-enabled Internet Service Delivery for a Variety of Access Networks

1. Workflow-enabled Internet Service Delivery for a Variety of Access Networks APNOMS 2003 ByungDeok Chung*, Hoon Choi** , SeongBeom Kim* Operations Support System Laboratory, KT* Department of Computer Engineering, CNU** Email:{bdchung,sbkimm}@kt.co.kr*, hchoi@ce.cnu.ac.kr Tel : 81-42-870-8620

2. Operator Centric Customer Centric Each Operation Centric Business Centric Operator Centric Process Centric Organization Centric Manual Manipulation Automatic Manipulation Introduction High speed Internet service users in Korea, exceeds about 10 million these days  xDSL/FTTC enables Internet services at minimal cost  Big issues with Network Service Provider(NSP)  Develop Flexible, Cost effective, Operations Support system(OSS)s  Cover Emerging (new compound and Cross-domain ) Internet services  Automation of service provisioning and equipment activation  Internet service installation cross domains with SLA  Hard to support proper management by conventional concepts.  Propose the workflow-enabed Internet Service Delivery based on Provisioning Model(PM)  Workflow-based OSS-SDM (Service Delivery Management)  Distributed , Mission-critical, Enterprise-wide & Inter-enterprise • Service Management Changes

3. Plan Model Business Start BSS Development Operation Lab Test Field Test Analysis Development OSS NE DB Building • Work Process • Access Network • OSS interface Work Process Define T5: OSS Works T3 T4 T1 T2 Time Lag of Newly Planned Internet Services New Service Plan and launch processes Average Time Duration for service automation for New service with equipment activation Type A : New Service / Access Equipment Type B : Current Service / new Access Equipment Type C : new Service on existing Access Equipment (PSTN) Type D : new Service on existing Access Equipment (Internet)

4. PSTN Leased Network client/server Applications Inter- Operability Network Devices Customer Cares Operator’s point of view Host Systems Telecom Devices xDSL PSDN Common Foundation ? Consistent View ? Paradigm Changes of Service Management Properties of Conventional OSSs in Service delivery,  Closely related with customers like BSS (Business Support System)  Service configuration management system are designed and being operated, based on operation processes and operator’s preferences  Designed for organizational purposes  Many different OSSs having similar functions and roles are created.  New paradigm moving toward Customer/Operater centric in the design Complicated Internet service configuration over heterogeneous domains  Internet Service Network Status in Korea  Customer Side : Densely populated with apartments and buildings  Many types of Equipments and Loops for Internet services

5. One SOE … SOE-1 SOE-2 SOE-3 One interface Cross-domain SDM Interfaces per service Handling manual work orders, Interworking with EMS, etc… in different ways Provisioning Internet Service Delivery SDM-a SDM-b … SDM-x Network Elements Network Elements Network Elements Network Elements Design & Assign Activation Task generation / distribution Task generation / distribution Task generation / distribution Task generation / distribution Automated Tasks Manual Tasks NE/NMS/EMS/SMS Internet Service Delivery over Access Networks • Propose OSS-SDM manages configuration works for various services and network equipments • Cross-domain Service Delivery • Automation of Service Delivery BSSs Handling manual work orders, Interworking with EMS, etc… in one unique way Note: SOE(Service Order Entry) Access Networks

6. 1. Sales/Order Administration 2. Check Provisioned Customer Service Resource FlowOrganization FlowControl/Data Flow Network Model(NM) Provisioning Model(PM) Remove Data Dependency Business Processes Service Add Site Network Provider Index ManagementRecord ManagementI/O Processing 1. Remove Flow andDependency 2. Define processes one by one Application Programs 3. Service/Work Order 5.Access Network Provisioning 4. Service Network Provisioning DBMS Work order Billing template Work order Service Ids Customer tags Apply commericaiized Platforms easily Network programs WFMS or WFAP Headquarters OSS DB Network Provider BSS DB Home Office Application Programs 6. Service Monitoring and Repair 7. Billing and Customer Care Branch Office DBMS Remote/Mobile Network programs • Fault • Performance Workflow-based Service Delivery Workflow management Attractive technology for integration and interrelation of OSSs  Workflow engine responsible for: 1) Business process creation, deletion, and management of process execution from instantiation through completion 2) Control of Activity scheduling within an operational (business) process 3) Interaction with management components and/or human resources 4) Monitor and control management processes in execution Telecommunication service business flow and Process Definitions

7. Business Process (i.e.. what is intended to happen) is managed by a is defined in a Workflow Management System Process Definition composed of via Process Analysis Modeling/definition Tool Sub-Processes Process Instances used to create & manage include one or more Service Delivery Process Modeling Handle Order from/to Customer Care Systems Activities Activity Instances Break Complex Orders into Simple Orders which may be Which include Manage Workflow to Activate Network Manage Workflow to handle Manual works Invoked Applications Manual Activities Automated Activities Work Items Provision Network Elements Manage Order Printouts and Results Activate Network Elements Report Completion Process Definition for Service Delivery Based on WFMC Model  Service delivery process based on workflow Key Modelling Points  Process Structure  Activities & Navigation  Roles & Participants  Trigger Conditions  Application invocation

8. MDF Dial-up/ISDN POTS AP-Hub ADSL Main Node DSLAM RAS DSU/CSU GSR NAS GES PSTN Switch Router FLC KIX xDSL Inside Plants Outside Plants Ntopia Metro -Ethernet End Equipment Transmission Customer Premise Access Network Service Network Network Servers (DNS,Mail) IDC/CP Access Network Data/Internet Transmission Network Switches Network Elements Manhole Pole Cable DCS Router ISP Switch Conduit Premise Port Node RAS NAS Wireless Multiplexing LLU DSLAM MDF Link Link Link Logical Elements Route Prefix Trunk Loop Routing LLU Models of Networks and Provisioning  Network Model(NM)  Model capable of supporting OSS solution at all TMN layers  PM (including its base (NM)) domain specific models A service : implemented over a set of services, supported by lower layer networks

9. LL Service Model Mobile Service Model BML/SML Service Model Internet Access Over Cable Internet Access Over PSTN Internet Access Over LL Internet Aceess Over AP ……. …… VPN Service Model VPN Service Model Internet Access Service Model VPN Service Model PSTN Service Model Provisioning Model (PM) Provisoining Model Network Model (NM) Network Model MPLS Fber Cable MDF ATM DSL NML/EML Provisioning Model over a Variety of Networks • Conceptualization of Provisioning Model over Network Model • Advantages of PM based Activation 1) Supports new business rules and new services definitions •  No need to re-develop service provisioning and activation system • 2) Supports complex services and lifecycle management •  Each service request is an atomic operation, which can be fully implemented, • rolled back if fatal errors occurred during service implementation, • cancelled before the service is fully implemented •  Supports network topology and protocol change

10. Process Definition Tools Administration & Monitoring Tools Workflow Engine(s) Workflow Engine(s) Workflow Client Applications Invoked Applications Workflow Interfaces for Service Delivery A Workflow Reference Model Other Workflow Workflow API and Interchange formats Enactment Service(s) Workflow Enactment Service o Interface 1 : Process Definition o Interface 2 : Workflow Client o Interface 3 : Invoked Applications o Interface 4 : Interoperability o Interface 5 : Audit Data Specification Process transition controls by definition tables (Interface 1) Determine business categories Workflow Rules Service Start Choose action else if … Check-if not null If true Do the action Check next action …

11. Determine the involved domains for each service order Business Requirements … xDSL Workflow Management (Cross-domain coordination) VPN Metro -Ethernet Leased Line Ntopia RDMS Tables and GUI validate, analyze, and decompose to workflow SO Create Modify Delete Process Definition Tools Workflow Rules … domain-n domain-1 domain-2 (1) Workflow Model (Process/PM/NM) DB Process Cron table-based application Distributed Resources management Process/Activity InstanceControl Definition* End-to-end service provisioning , Activation and work Control Process instance Control Audit/history Query Process instance (visual) monitoring Engine Driver and Cron tab control UI Service Delivery Workflow RDMS Tables EAI, Other OSS Interface Workflow API and Interchange formats Facility Workflow built-in Order Tracking Pre-Ordering Control Data Provisioning Pre-ordering Workflow Other Workflow Other Workflow Engine(s) Workflow Enactment Service Workflow Enactment Service Engine(s) Enactment Service(s) Enactment Service(s) Administration Monitoring Tools Relevant Data (5) Workflow Workflow (2) Operator Participant Info. App-Participant Workflow Workflow Engine(s) Engine(s) Engine(s) Engine(s) Audit/history Management Workflow (Process/PM/NM) Model/Activity Control Customer-Resource (4) Work Orders Process instance Generator Equipments DB (3) (3) (4) C/S and Web work record fetch Operator and Engine involved together Application Application distribute order / activation Invoked Applications Process Control Work List Work List Process Data Data Handling Handling Control results Distributed Process Sequence Controls Workflow Client Applications Workflow Client Applications Workforce/NMS/Service Nodes Workforce/NMS/Service Nodes Workforce/NMS/Service Nodes Cross-domain Service Delivery Management  Service provisioning and Activation function provides complete life cycle management of services across multiple technology domains.  In Core of integrated SDM,  Workflow engine controls and manages progress status.  Workflow rules are made prior to a new service’s introduction.  In workflow rules, there is a matrix type description representing business flows according to service type, service order type and specific conditions.  Workflow Refence Model vs. SDM Workflow • Cross-domain coordination and management

12. Conclusion andFuture Work  Experience from designing workflow enabled OSSs,  Workflow (coupled with distributed systems) technology offers a very powerful and flexible basis for implementing automated management tasks.  Workflow can assist business process automation and flow-through.  Workflow offers significant benefits to automated and managed component integration  Workflow engine can handle the gradual ‘re-engineering’ of legacy system access and its integration with new (or replacement) components.  Scalable and Flexible to rapidly changing environment of various aspect  Workflow-enabled OSS-SDM Increase automation to reduce cost and improve service Good for the large organizations like NSPs