NetExpert

NetExpert

Developer(s)	Objective Systems Integrators
Stable release	6.3.1 / July 2011
Written in	Java, C++,
Operating system	UNIX; Linux, Windows clients
Website	osi.com

NetExpert is a software packages from Objective Systems Integrators (OSI), used by communications service providers (fixed, broadband, and wireless companies) to manage their networks, services, products, and customers. Utilities, Enterprise and Financial Institutions also use them to manage mission-critical networks and services.

Operational support systems

The telecommunications industry refers to NetExpert and products similar to it as operational support systems (OSS) because they support and maintain the integrity of Network Operation Centers, Service Operation Centers, and customer care organizations. Typically Network Operation Centers require extensive software systems to collect, correlate, and automate events and exceptions from network resources as well as service impacting resources.

Service Operation Centers have been created by Communications Service Provider (CSP) to focus on key services which are consumer facing. Service Impact and Quality dashboards are also leveraged by Customer Care organizations. OSS for these large service providers need to be mission-critical and run 24/7.

Trademark

NetExpert is a registered trademark throughout the world. "Charting the future of Service Management" is also a registered trademark brand.

Customer assurance

Objective Systems Integrators develops NetExpert Neon. A platform for Service Quality and Impact Management across next generation services such as IPTV, SMS, Blackberry, Wireless Broadband, Carrier, and other Service and Customer Health needs. NetExpert Neon is also the foundation for Customer Insight, Experience Analysis, and SLA Management.

Overview

NetExpert

NetExpert monitors and controls networks and service impacting resources using object-oriented and expert systems technologies.

NetExpert Neon

NetExpert Neon enabling technologies is focused on services and customers:

• Service Health - Service Quality and Impact management leveraging industry standard portal technology for a holistic view of critical customer services.
• Customer Health - Customer SLA, Experience Analysis, and Insight of corporations, groups within corporations, and individuals.

History

NetExpert was initially developed as a framework for fault management in 1989. The framework started as an offshoot of combining expert systems technology with network management. It was subsequently enhanced to provide activation and performance collection, and many companies worldwide now use it for those purposes. In the mid-1990s, OSI was developed over 120 adapters for NetExpert fault, activation, and performance collection for a host of network element manufacturers.

In the second half of the 1990s, OSI started to package applications to help reduce the time it took to develop adapters. These became known as the eXEL series and included FMeXEL, CMeXEL, and PMeXEL. The eXELs were based on the NetExpert rule language and provided application logic out-of-the-box. This helped accelerate the time it took to deploy applications. A policy framework called Distributed Management Policies (DMP) introduced after the year 2000 added automation to the existing NetExpert framework. DMP policies enable deployment without rule writing. New applications based on DMP are now available to provide service assurance and service management for many telecommunications industry domains and services.

In May 2009, OSI launched NetExpert Neon that provided Service Impact and Service Quality Management solutions.

Background

NetExpert is considered an OSS, used in managing wireline and wireless networks and services.

It consists of a series of coordinated modules that fall into three general groups:

• gateways,
• object persistence and behavior servers,
• user/operator workstation/Web interfaces.

NetExpert is a scalable and distributable architecture that supports flexible configuration while maintaining individual component independence. Its application packages address many areas of communication services management, including fault, performance, reporting, activation, IP services, and others. These can be further tailored to individual customer environments and management requirements.

This framework consists of a set of integrated software modules and graphical user interface (GUI) development tools to enable the creation and deployment of complex management solutions. The object-oriented architecture of the NetExpert framework provides the building blocks to implement operations support and management systems using high-level tools rather than low-level programming languages.

The NetExpert framework is founded on open systems and object-oriented methodology. NetExpert supports different standards, transmission protocols, and equipment data models. NetExpert is based on the Telecommunications Management Network architecture created by the Telecommunications Standardization Sector of the International Telecommunications Union. It supports the development and deployment of applications for the main TMN management areas—fault, configuration, accounting, performance, and security—and the implementation of layered management architectures. In addition, the NetExpert framework employs expert rules and policies that replace complex programming languages and enable network analysts to model desired system behaviors by using GUI-based rule editors.

Functional areas and applications

NetExpert operates in these related management functional areas and applications as defined by ITIL, eTOM, FCAPS, and other Wikipedia sources.

• Service level management
• Service management
  • Exception management
  • Quality of service
  • Key performance indicators (KPI) are essential parts of a measurable objective, which is made up of a direction, KPIs, benchmark, target, and time frame.
• Performance management
  • Network performance
  • Network performance management
• Fault management
  • Event correlation is a technique for making sense of a large number of events and pinpointing the few events that are really important in that mass of information. Event correlation usually takes place inside the management platform.
  • Root cause analysis (RCA) is rooted in the practice of failure analysis as employed in operations.
• Network management
• System management
• Configuration management
• Common Information Model (CIM) is an open standard that defines how managed elements in an IT environment are represented as a common set of objects and relationships between them. This is intended to allow consistent management of these managed elements, independent of their manufacturer or provider.

Solution domains

NetExpert solutions have addressed these domains (legacy, IP, and next generation networks, resources, and services):

• SMS
• SONET/SDH
• 2G wireless
• 3G wireless
• Digital subscriber line (DSL)
• IPTV
• IP Multimedia Subsystem
• WiMAX

NetExpert system integration tools

NetExpert gateways and APIs support resource management, data collection, monitoring, and control. NetExpert communication protocols and APIs:

Application layer

• Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)
• Common management information protocol (CMIP)
• Common Object Request Broker Architecture (Corba)
• Extensible Markup Language (XML)
• OSS/J
• TELNET
• FTP
• HTTP
• Web Services
• X.25
• SQL
• Transaction Language 1 (TL1)
• FIFO
• Secure Shell, Shell (computing)

Transport layer

• TCP/IP

Network layer

• IPv4, IPv6

Framework

Advantages

• Open architecture allows service providers to access the managed information, events, KPI's, and object information for additional use. NetExpert leverages Oracle for its information base.
• Flexibility, through gateways, object models, rule language, policies, and graphical clients, enables NetExpert solutions to be extended by customers and system integrators.
• Adaptibility permits interoperability with various network elements, management systems, and other Operational Support Systems through various protocols and through bi-directional collection, command, and control.

Challenges

• In the past the pure NetExpert framework has been leveraged as a toolset which required rule-based customization.
• Predeveloped policy applications helped with time to market and usability.
• The latest NetExpert Neon solution offers more out-of-the-box features, such as service model templates and wizards for increased usability, reducing the challenges of rule-based customization.

Applications

• Applications on the NetExpert framework include fault, performance, IP, and activation.
• NetExpert Neon is applied to service management: Service Quality Management and Service Impact Management and functions are provided out-of-the-box.

See also

• Agilent Technologies
• Operations support system
• Communications service provider
• Service management
• Expert system

External links

• Objective Systems Integrators
• OSI Technical Assistance Center

Reference books

Plunkett, J (1996). Plunkett's Infotech Industry Almanac - Page 75 Google Books

Minoli, D, Golway, T, and Smith, N (1996) Planning and Managing ATM Networks - Google Books New York: Manning, 1997. ISBN 132621894.

Terplan, K (1998). Telecom Operations Management Solutions with NetExpert Amazon, Google Books CRC Press LLC

Terplan, K (1999). Web-Based Systems & Network Management - Page 185 Google Books

Terplan, K (1999). Applications for Distributed Systems and Network Management - Page 101 Google Books Van Nostrand Reinhold