Subject: Telecom Network Management

Topic: Telecommunication management network

Difficulty: high

TMN Conceptual Model:

i. From a TMN point of view, the network management system (NMS) is treated as an operations system, as shown in Figure2. It manages the data communication and telecommunications network.

ii. It is logically a separate network, but it may or may not be physically separate, based on the implementation selected.

iii. The telecommunications network shown consists of switching exchange and transmission system network elements. It is primarily the WAN of communications.

iv. The switching systems contain both analog and digital switches. Hence the transmission systems are both analog and digital and include all transport facility modes, including twisted pair, coaxial, fiber optics, and wireless.

TMN Relationship to Data and Telecommunication Networks

The TMN Conceptual Model

v. The data communication network components consist of LANs, bridges, routers, gateways, and hosts.

vi. The workstation shown in Figure2 attached to the data communication network is a distinct element of TMN.

vii. ITU-T Recommendation defines TMN as a conceptually separate network that interfaces with one or more individual telecommunications networks at several points in order to send or receive information to or from them and control their operation.

viii. It consists of a network of operations systems, including a network management system. Figure3 shows the TMN conceptual model.

ix. The two columns in the figure show the identical components of two service providers, A and B. These components are workstations, OSs, networks, services, interfaces, operators of the systems, and customers who use the services.

x. Customers buy services from service providers, and providing quality customer services should be a key part of a service provider's business. Thus service management is an important consideration in the TMN model.

xi. The service provider sells telecommunication services to customers, which means that the telecommunications network needs to be operated efficiently and economically.

xii. The OAM&P of a network needs to be automated as much as possible to decrease both response time and costs. Cost considerations lead to business management, which also is addressed by the TMN model.

xiii. Service management, business management, and network management can all be accomplished, partially or totally, by using the OSs shown in Figure3.

xiv. System operators interface with the OSs via workstations. The interfaces associated with the various functions and services have been standardized in the TMN model.

xv. Three interfaces—Q3, F, and X. Q3 is the interface between an operations system and a network element.

xvi. F is the interface between a workstation and an operations system. Information exchange between operations systems within a TMN is accomplished with the Q3 interface, whereas OSs belonging to different TMNs communicates via the X interface.