Operations Support Systems (OSS) are large and varied so there is no single answer, and certainly no simple answer, to this question. However, there are some fundamental challenges that apply to a broad set of situations. We look at these challenges from two perspectives. First, what functionality do we need in optical Ethernet to make it manageable by operations support systems? Second, what changes are required to adapt current OSS implementations so they can manage Optical Ethernet networks and services?
Many optical Ethernet services today are supported by network platforms developed for LAN environments, and lack the functionality needed for performance monitoring on a service or customer basis, and also lack the ability to identify and localize faults in a large scale carrier application. Ethernet management standards are currently under development to address this gap in functionality, both in the IEEE and in ITU-T. It will take some time to complete standards, and to introduce equipment implementing the standards to carrier networks. While standards are progressing, Ciena provides solutions to allow optical Ethernet transport solutions to be managed like a carrier’s traditional SONET/SDH transport network, with full fault and performance management. For example, the ITU G.709 standard, OTN (Optical Transport Network), is ideally suited for carrying both TDM & Ethernet. The 10Gb Ethernet LAN PHY signal is now often used as a high speed router interface, but neither SONET nor SDH can carry this signal because the circuit bandwidth is too large. However, OSS systems can easily manage Optical Ethernet services with the benefits of SONET/SDH like management for OTN networks with little or no change in their systems or operational procedures. Avoiding a change to operational procedures is a large advantage to service providers.
What about the adaptation of OSS implementations to support optical Ethernet? That depends on the role the OSS in the carrier’s network and the flexibility of the OSS implementation. Of course a prerequisite is adequate management functionality in the network itself, so the OSS is not blind or powerless. Assuming information is available, a foundation for the management of optical Ethernet is the information model, a representation of what optical Ethernet looks like and how it should behave that must be integrated into the OSS. The Telemanagement Forum has work underway developing standardized information models and interfaces to element management systems. This is a very complex area since OSS are so varied, but let’s just say some OSS will have an easier time adapting than others.
