Performance Management and Monitoring of Open Networks in Heterogeneous Contexts

PEMMON - 5371

Keywords heterogeneous networks, network management

Start Date: 19-NOV-90 / Duration: 24 months

[ contact / participants ]

Objectives and Approach

The PEMMON project addressed the area of heterogeneous network management. The emergence of technology that allows the creation of highly complex data communication networks and the aspirations of customers to gain control of their equipment has led to a strong demand for integrated network management systems (INMS).

The project dealt with a major component of future INMSs: performance management, which is the area of network management supporting strategic decisions and defining the tactical decisions required to maintain a high service level. Furthermore, these performance management functions have to account for heterogeneous contexts.

The main objectives of the project have to:

• explore, analyse and specify all the implications, aspects and solutions involved with the emergence, design and future implementations of a Network Performance Management (NPM) system: deliverables include a demonstration of limited laboratory examples which will validate the feasibility and efficiency of certain functions of the specified NPM application
• contribute to the standardisation process concerned with the NPM system applied in heterogeneous contexts
• contribute to ISO, CCITT and ETSI deliberations.

The project included four technical workpackages:

• the study, specification and development of an architecture and environment to take into account the heterogeneous context
• the study and specification of a model providing a software environment defined to be (from a theoretical point of view) the most suitable to enable tuning and capacity planning
• the study and specification of the modelling of performance data in terms of objects and attributes
• the study and detailed specifications of advanced information processing techniques, which will be used, in particular, to help operators manage performance in a preventative way and in a real-time environment.

The prototype of this NPM application gave rise to several contributions to standards-setting bodies, and these specifications provide directions and guidelines to develop, implement and demonstrate the prototype of a standardised NPM tool.

The integration of the management of network performance with other forms of network management into a fully-fledged INMS control centre can only be foreseen when products conformant to ISO 9595 become available (due in 1994/1995).

Exploitation

CSEE and SELENIA plan to industrialise and incorporate into their future INMS product lines the ultimate goal of this project, a full prototype of an NPM product.

CONTACT POINT

Mr Pierre Raynaud
CSEE
Avenue des Tropiques 6
F - 91943 LES ULIS
tel: + 33/ 1-69868579
fax: + 33/ 1-69070370
telex: 600015 F

Participants

CSEE - F - C
SELENIA SPA - I - P
UNIVERSITE PIERRE ET MARIE CURIE - F - P
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN - IRL - P

PEMMON - 5371, December 1993

please address enquiries to the ESPRIT Information Desk

html version of synopsis by Nick Cook