CPE Management

The solution provides a view into the customer experience. It monitors network-performance variables to ensure that it is maintained at an acceptable level. Network throughput, user-response times, and line utilization are good examples of variables that are monitored. The solution can be configured as a part of the Management System or as an individual application.

Benefits

• Data collection (history, snapshot, and online),
• Personalized reporting facility using web client,
• Drill-down reports - Easy analysis with drill-down reports,
• Threshold alarming,
• Fully integrated with the Iskratel product portfolio.

Financial:

• Optimization of network and service performance,
• QoS - Increased quality of service,
• Reduced service-management costs,
• Network investment protection.

The goal of the solution is to maintain the functioning of a network at a certain acceptable level. The management procedure can be divided into the following steps:

• Identify the performance variables of interest
• Collect values of the performance variables over a period of time
• Analyze data to determine the values of the performance variables that guarantee the functioning of a network at a certain acceptable level
• Set up the lower or upper bounds on those variables
• Initiate the corrective actions when the values of the performance variables get out of bounds

The solution enables monitoring of network-related performance and service-quality indicators (KPI/KQI) gathered from Iskratel and other third-party network elements . The solution basically consists of three major functional blocks, providing data collection, data processing and storage, and presentation:
The Data Collection function obtains performance-related data from SI3000/2000 and other third-party network elements in the form of binary files, service usage data records (known also as CDR-s), or by polling managed object values directly from the management information database (MIB). The binary file consists of a set of historical key performance indicators (KPI-s) for that node and is produced by network device utilities on a periodic basis. Prior to the start of using the system, you should properly configure the data-collection function.
The Data Processing and Storage function converts raw data into an internal format, performs summarization by categories, aggregation over different time granularities, stores KPIs into a database and performs database-maintenance functions (e.g., removal of over-aged data).
The Presentation function serves as a user interface (graphical or application) for report creation and generation based on measurement data from the database, either automatically or on request. You can create your own customized reports or you can rely on pre-defined ones. The report-generation function uses basic KPIs to calculate the value-added derived and/or standardized KPIs, sometimes referred as key quality indicators (KQIs).

The system is designed in a multi-tier architecture supporting system modularity and scalability with the benefit of using true thin clients. Clients implemented in web technologies run within a standard web-browser application (e.g., Microsoft Internet Explorer or Mozilla FireFox) enabling a high degree of accessibility and portability over different client PC platforms.

Its main functionalities are:

• Performance data – collecting, analysis and presentation,
• Analysis – historical and online statistics,
• Preparation of reports,
• Issuing of alerts toward network-management systems on an exceeded threshold,
• Mediation of QoS measurements for the IP services and facilitation of threshold and trend analyses.
• Performance data for short-term and long-term analyses are generally collected continuously. The Performance and QoS Monitoring Solution collect data from different types of source data:
• History data are collected from aggregated counters on network elements. The collection interval is usually 15 minutes,
• Call data records (CDRs) contain information relating to a single call or session collected from TDM and softswitches (Iskratel, Siemens and third-party over customized access modules),
• Online data are collected from MIB non-aggregated counters over SNMP protocols. They are collected in real time. They are presented in a line chart graph.

The performance data collected from network elements are stored in the database. During preprocessing, the computation of standardized (NER, ABR, ASR) and of generalized (MOS, SNP) KPIs and KQIs are executed. The solution supports long-term or short-term reporting:

Long-term reporting performs:

• Predefined reports (time analysis, comparative reports, trend analysis, approx. 350 existing reports),
• Ad-hoc reports (available also to other users),
• The level of reports can be determinate by an individual observed object, grouped by network elements, network legs and a sub-network,
• Reports can be stored in excel or pdf format, printed or distributed by e-mail,
• Easy analysis with drill-down reports on a location, time or content scale.

Short-term reporting performs:

• Real-time observation, using the SNMP protocol. The operator determines the location and a group of KPI/KQI to be observed in online graphs.

Any KPI or KQI can be analysed by Trend analyses. The feature monitors KPI/KQIs over several intervals. If the trend is showing that the parameter will exceed the set lower or upper thresholds in the future, an alarm is generated. This feature gives an opportunity to the administrator to detect and correct the problem, even before the service is affected.

Problems can be detected and resolved before a serious degradation of service quality occurs. The solution sends alarm notifications to the Fault Monitoring System and alerts the maintenance staff. The solution offers an open interface to the OSS and BSS for acquiring the network-performance data.

The solution monitors voice or data quality from the subscriber level. When the threshold is exceeded it is able to identify and resolve the issue before other subscribers are affected. The operator has a window on the customer experience.

The customer-experience approach:

• Provides real-time detection and analysis of service incidents,
• Ensures quality and success of new services,
• Quality of Experience monitoring from the subscriber's point of view.

Professional Services

Our experts are well trained and experienced to ensure high-quality professional services. Within the Performance and QoS Monitoring Solution the following professional services can be offered:

• Engineering and Consulting
• Integration of third-party products,
• Integration into external OSS,
• Installation,
• Customization.