OSS architecture

A lot of the work on OSS has been centred on defining its architecture. Put simply, there are four key elements of OSS:
Processes
the sequence of events
Data
the information that is acted upon
Applications
the components that implement processes to manage data
Technology
how we implement the applications
During the 1990's, new OSS architecture definitions was done by the ITU-T in its TMN model. This established a 4-layer model of TMN applicable within an OSS:
Business Management Level (BML)
Service Management Level (SML)
Network Management Level (NML)
Element Management Level (EML)
(Note: a fifth level is mentioned at times being the elements themselves, though the standards speak of only four levels) This was a basis for later work. Network management was further defined by the ISO using the FCAPS model - Fault, Configuration, Accounting, Performance and Security. This basis was adopted by the ITU-T TMN standards as the Functional model for the technology base of the TMN standards M.3000 - M.3599 series. Although the FCAPS model was originally conceived and is applicable for an IT enterprise network, it was adopted for use in the public networks run by telecommunication service providers adhering to ITU-T TMN standards.
A big issue of network and service management is the ability to manage and control the network elements of the access and core networks. Historically many efforts have been spent in standardization fora (ITU-T, 3GPP) in order to define standard protocol for network management, but with no success and practical results. On the other hand IETF SNMP protocol (Simple Network Management Protocol) has become the de-facto standard for internet and telco management, at the EML-NML communication level.
From 2000 and beyond, with the growth of the new broadband and VoIP services, also the management of the home networks is entering the scope of OSS and network management. DSL Forum TR-069 specification has defined the CPE WAN Management Protocol (CWMP), suitable for managing home networks devices and terminals at the EML-NML interface.
Most recently the TeleManagement Forum (TMF) has developed a communications domain model that provides the basis for clarifying the distinction between OSS and BSS systems. As shown in the figure the OSS supports the traditional Resource and Resource Facing Service domains. Whereas the BSS supports the more Customer Facing domains.

network management systems

This is a partial list of network management systems.

Alcatel 5620 Network Manager & Service Aware Manager
Argus open-source network and systems monitoring software
Attachmate NetIQ AppManager & SecurityManager
AutoScan-Network - AutoScan-Network is a network discovering and managing application
Blue Coat Proxy Servers for WAN Optimization and Web cache
CA Unicenter Network and Systems Management
CA Spectrum (formerly Aprisma Spectrum)
Cacti- network statistics graphing tool.
Castle Rock Computing SNMPc- Network monitoring and reporting system.
Cisco Active Network Abstraction A network resource management platform for large networks
CiscoWorks CiscoWorks Lan Management Solution Manages enterprise switching networks
Cisco Network Analysis Module Analyzes live network traffic
Comarch Comarch OSS Suite
ECI Telecom LightSoft Multidimensional Network Management System
Ericsson OSSRC - Operations Support System, Radio and Core
Ganglia - an opensource distributed monitoring system for HPC clusters and grids
Hewlett Packard OpenView framework
Hewlett Packard HP OpenView TeMIP
Hyperic Open source application, system and network monitoring software for web-based applications
IBM AURORA Network Performance Profiling System
IBM Tivoli NetView
Intellipool Network Monitor
IPHost Network Monitor Mail, web, database, and other servers monitoring tool
LabTech Affordable network management and help desk system for MSPs, IT solution providers, and Corporate IT environments.
Lucent VitalSuite Network and Service Management Software
Lucent Navis Optical Management System (OMS)
Microsoft Operations Manager (MOM)
MOATIS Wide Area Management Services (managementasaservice.com)
MRTG
Nagios open source application
NetBoss Service Assurance and Element Management
NetDirector open source change and configuration management
Netdisco Web-based network management tool targeted at large corporate and university networks.
NetQoS
NetFlow Monitor from CESNET
Nokia Open EMS
Nortel Enterprise Network and Service Management
Nortel Enterprise Network Management System
Nortel Enterprise Policy Manager
Nortel Enterprise Switch Manager
Nortel Proactive Voice Quality Management
Network Administration Visualized (NAV) from Norwegian University of Science and Technology
ODCNMS Open DataCenter Network Management System released under the GPL.
Observer (Software) Free software network monitoring platform with BSD license.
Op5 Monitor - Open Source network monitoring
OpenNMS Open-source network management platform released under the GPL.
OPNET Technologies Sentinel software for network configuration auditing and change validation
Opsware Opsware Network Automation System (NAS).
PacketTrap - Network Management Software Provider.
PathSolutions Switchmonitor Network Performance Monitoring System
PRTG Traffic Grapher
PrefixNE Network Management Software by Prefix IT Ltd.
ProCurve Manager (PCM+) Comprehensive Management Software for products by ProCurve Networking by HP (base version free)
Rackwise Data Center Manager - Management of physical datacenter infrastructire
Raritan Computer's CommandCenter NOC
ServersCheck Monitoring Software agentless & browser based systems monitoring software
Siemens Integrated Network Management Services / System by Siemens
SNM open source application
Snort (software) Open Source intrusion detection system
SolarWinds Network Management Software Provider
Spiceworks - Free Network Monitoring Software for Network Management
StorageIM - Free Network Monitoring Software for Storage Resource Management
TTI Telecom Service Assurance, Netrac Product Lines
DNA (Dynamic Network Abstraction) by Sheer Networks (acquired by Cisco Systems)
WhatsUp Gold Network monitoring solutions
ZABBIX open source application and network monitoring solution. *nix, Apache, PHP, MySQL or PostgreSQL. GPL
Zenoss commercial open source applications, server, and network management solution

Business Support Systems (BSS)

Business Support Systems (BSS) are the components that a telephone operator or telco uses to run its business operations. The term BSS is no longer limited to telephone operators offering mobile to fixed and cable services but also can apply to service providers in all sectors such as utility providers.
Typical types of activities that count as part of BSS are taking a customer’s order, managing customer data, managing order data, billing, rating, and offering B2B and B2C services. Business Support Systems are linked to Operational Support Systems (OSS) in the enhanced Telecom Operations Map (eTOM) that maps processes into the functional areas of Fulfilment, Assurance and Billing where Assurance is typically covered by OSS platform. BSS and OSS platforms are linked in the need to support various end to end services. Each area has its own data and service responsibilities.

Role of Business Support Systems
The role of Business Support Systems in a service provider is to cover four main areas:
Product Management
Customer Management
Revenue Management
Fulfillment Management
Product Management:
Product management supports the sales and management of products, offers and bundles to businesses and mass-market customers. Product Management regularly includes offering cross-product discounts, appropriate pricing and customer loyalty programmes.
Customer Management:
Service Providers require a single view of the customer and regularly need to support complex hierarchies across customer-facing applications. Customer Management also covers requirements for partner management and 24x7 Web-based customer self-service. Customer Management can also be thought of a full-fledge Customer Relationship Management systems implemented to help customer care agents handle the customers in a better and informed manner.
Revenue Management:
Revenue Management is a BSS focus on billing, charging and settlement, that can handle any combination of OSS services, products and offers. BSS Revenue Management supports OSS order provisioning and often partner settlement.
Fulfillment Management:
Fulfillment Management as part of assurance is normally associated with Operational Support Systems though Business Support Systems are often the business driver for Fulfillment Management and order provisioning.