Telecommunications Management Network (TMN)

•Telecommunications Management Network (TMN)
•TMN project started fall 1985
•Initial recommendation CCITT M.30 (published in 1988) included work of several Study Groups
•Renamed to recommendation M.3010 in 1992 which defines basic principles for TMN
•The objective for the TMN specifications is to provide a framework for telecommunications network and service management

•Why TMN?

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To survive in a highly innovative and competitive telecommunications market, use of a robust architecture for network and service management is a must.

The TMN Framework:
•ensures interoperability
•ensures scalability
•is mature (large amount of telecom standards in GDMO)
•provides security
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•TMN Principles

•TMN Recommendations from ITU-T
•Objectives
•Relationship of a TMN to a Telecom Network
•TMN Functional Architecture
•TMN Information Architecture
•CMIP/CMIS
•TMN Physical Architecture
•Logical Layered Architecture
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•TMN Recommendations from ITU-T

M.3010	Principles for a telecommunications management network
M.3100	Generic network information model
M.3200	TMN management services
M.3300	TMN management capabilities at the F interface
M.3400	TMN management functions

•The M.3010 recommendation defines “general architectural requirements for a TMN to support the management requirements of administration to plan, provision, install, maintain, operate and administer telecommunication networks and services”
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•The basic concept behind a TMN is to provide a organized architecture to achieve the interconnection between various types of OS’s and/or telecommunications equipment for the exchange of management information using an agreed architecture with standardized interfaces including protocols and messages
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•TMN Functional Architecture

•The TMN functional architecture explains the distribution of functionality within a TMN

•Distinction must be made between:

–Role that a function performs (controlling, mediator role, management user oriented, information transport)

–Actual function that is performed (configuration management, fault management, etc.)

•Recommendation M.3010 concentrates on roles whereas M.3400 deals with functions

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The TMN functional architecture is defined by:

•TMN function blocks, being the roles in which functions operate (coordinate, mediate, etc.)

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•TMN function points, being the service boundary between two communication management function blocks

•Function blocks defined within M.3010:

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–OSF Operation Systems Function

–MF Mediation Function

–WSF Work Station Function

–NEF Network Element Function

–QAF Q Adaptor Function

•Reference points defined within M.3010 (g and m are located outside the TMN):

–q class between OSF, QAF, MF and NEF

–f class for attachment of a WSF

–x class between OSFs of two TMNs or between TMN OSF and OSF-like

function in other network

–g class between WSF and users

–m class between QAF and non-TMN managed entities

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•In order to allow effective definition of managed resources, TMN makes use of OSI Systems Management principles and is based on an object-oriented paradigm.

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•Management systems exchange information modeled in terms of managed objects (MO)

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•Because the environment being managed is distributed, network management is a distributed application which requires exchange of information.

•For a specific management association, the management processes will take one of two possible roles:

–Manager, which issues operation directives and receives notifications

–Agent, responds to directives and emits notifications (deals with the MO’s)

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•The element management layer (EML) manages each network element on an individual basis and supports an abstraction of the functions provided by the NE layer.

•Each element manager has the following principle roles:

–control and coordination of a subset of network elements

–provide a gateway function to permit the network management layer to interact with network elements

–maintaining statistical, log and other data about elements

•OSFs in the element layer always interface with OSFs in the network management layer through the q3 reference point

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•The network management layer (NML) has the responsibility for the management of all the NE’s, as presented by the EML, both individually and as a set.

•The NML has the following principle roles:

–control and coordination of the network view of network elements within its scope or domain

–the provision, cessation or modification of network capabilities for the support of service to customers

–interact with the service management layer on performance, usage, availability, etc.

•OSFs in the NML always interface with OSFs in the service management layer through the q3 reference point

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•Service management layer (SML) is concerned with, and responsible for, the contractual aspects of services that are being provided to customers or available to potential new customers.

•Principle roles for the SML:

–customers facing and interfacing with other administrations

–interaction with service providers

–interaction with the SML

–maintaining statistical data (e.g., QoS)

–interaction with the business management layer

–interaction between services

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•The business management layer (BML) includes all the functions necessary for the implementation of policies and strategies within the organization which owns and operates the services (and possibly the network)

•The BML:

–interacts with the service management layer

–Is influenced by high levels of control such as legislation or macro-economic factors (e.g., tariffing policies, quality maintenance strategies)

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•FCAPS !

• •Fault management

• •Configuration management

• •Accounting management

• •Performance management

• •Security management

•TMN Strengths

•TMN is a very suitable framework for telecommunications management purpose since:

–It identifies different abstraction levels

–It forces a structure approach when faces with the problem of network and service management

–It is a widely adopted standard, which ensures that everyone speaks the same language

•TMN is particularly strong at the bottom layers of the TMN pyramid, using the power of OSI systems management and the associated object approach

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•High interoperability by standardizing

–protocol

–information model

–services

–MIBs

•scalability by well-developed reliable “event channel” (notifications with EFD discriminators)

•complex types (structures)

•scoping and filtering (OSI modeling)

•TMN offers security, which is essential at EML and X interface

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•TMN weaknesses

•Implementation of TMN isn’t so easy

•TMN Q3 interface is based on a full OSI stack (solutions for stacks with reduced functionality are developed, e.g., CMIP on TCP/IP)

•GDMO and ASN.1 are very complex (solution is the use of tools that hide GDMO and ASN.1). ASN.1 is designed for completeness, not simplicity.

•TMN functional architecture does not map very well to service management. It originates from the bottom layers of the pyramid

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