Page 450 - Handbook of Modern Telecommunications

Network Management and Administration 3-241

3.10 Solution Architectures

Norman Kincl

3.10.1 Business Strategy Drives Technology
A simple perusal of industry news is all one needs to see that the big thing in Operational Support Systems
is NGOSS. Whether one considers NGOSS as the formal TeleManagement Forum (TMF) New Generation
Operations Systems and Software program or just as the common usage of Next-Generation Operational
Support Systems, it is clear that there is a strong industry trend to define a new approach to managing the
infrastructure and services of today’s communications, media, and entertainment service providers. We
provide the Hewlett-Packard (HP) perspective of NGOSS. With HP positioned as the NGOSS Solution
Company, this overview will take a comprehensive architectural view of the complete system.
An Operational Support System (OSS) can be loosely defined as the set of processes and systems
that deal with the revenue-generating infrastructure of a service provider. Traditionally the OSS has
addressed the telecom network. As service providers move to next-generation networks and services
that increasingly rely on value-added services supplied by traditional IT equipment, the OSS has had to
expand its scope beyond the network to also address the IT systems that are in the call path.
Like any other business tool or entity, the OSS needs to derive its existence by the support it gives to
the business strategy. While this may seem obvious, the reality is that the discussions often start at the
technology level, having the technology attempt to drive the business processes. The result is that while
the system implemented may be a technological wonder, it is a business failure, or at best a mediocre
success, since it does not address key business drivers.
A complete system will include people, processes, and technologies working together to accomplish
the common task. While the people and organizations involved with OSS systems are critical, we will
limit our discussions of OSS to the processes and technologies that comprise it.

3.10.2 A Comprehensive Architectural Approach
To ensure that the resultant system does meet the business goals, Hewlett-Packard uses a system archi-
tecture methodology that drives the technology from the business. This is accomplished by taking an
approach that drives distinct architectural views.

3.10.2.1 Architectural View
The concept of architectural views is not new or unique. Conceptually, it is similar to the different types
of drawings and models that a traditional architect may need to develop when designing a building.
The views provide a representation of the system from the perspective of a stakeholder (or a related set
of concerns).
The IEEE has formalized the concept of architectural descriptions, including the need for different
architectural views, in IEEE 1471. While IEEE leaves the selection of the viewpoints to the using orga-
nizations, it does specify that all resulting views are equal.
3.10.2.2 The Four Critical Views
The HP Global Methodology for IT Systems Architecture defines four fundamental views: business, func-
tional, technical, and implementation. Table 3.10.1 provides an overview of these four fundamental views.
While as IEEE 1471 states, all the views are equal, there is value in proceeding in a top–down man-
ner (i.e., business, functional, technical, implementation). While other approaches can also provide the
required consistency across the views, an approach that is primarily top–down ensures that the resul-
tant system meets the business requirements.