Overcome Network Service Provisioning Challenges with KOMPAS

Challenges in Service Provisioning

Each service provider is faced with the challenge of provisioning its subscriber’s services. Especially operators that provided Internet access for a long time because they usually have multiple broadband access technologies deployed in their networks. For 20+ years, service providers have been providing access to the Internet through coaxial cable (HFC), twisted pair (xDSL), wireless systems and for the last 15+ years through fiber, either in P2P or PON variety.

All these technologies come with their own provisioning systems, some are more standardized, some less, some very proprietary. For some, open-source tools are available, some use completely closed-down systems.

The Need for Integration

Consequently, operator’s OSS/BSS needs to “talk” to all these systems to efficiently provision subscribers’ services. How this is accomplished varies vastly from operator to operator.

Optisis network management system - KOMPAS is a platform which unifies all those different provisioning platforms under one umbrella allowing quick and straightforward creation of new flavors of services for existing and new subscribers. Administration of contracts and services has a familiar look, irrespective of the technology used.

Key Features of KOMPAS

KOMPAS is accessed either via Web UI or via uniform REST API (northbound API). KOMPAS also offers the capability to connect back to OSS/BSS to provide accounting information for external billing services (residing in existing OSS/BSS).

The definition of subscriber services is designed to reflect marketing offers, especially in bundled service packages which have become standard in providers’ offerings today.

An operator can define exactly all available options that are offered in its offerings, the ones included in the base price and all additional service options that an operator might offer.

Internet access services can be provisioned either as Layer2 (OAN) or Layer3 (Full-Stack). With Layer3, IP address space (v4 and v6) also needs to be pre-defined to control address space usage. Separate prefixes are defined for each of the services that an operator is offering.

Other services include voice over IP, digital TV with or without conditional access system (CAS), hosting services for e-mail, domain services, web sites and services, virtual servers, etc.

Any passive or active equipment can be managed in an integrated inventory, which can also manage allocation of equipment to prevent duplication or using equipment not known to an operator. Inventory also enables managing and tracking of inventory stock.

In southbound direction, KOMPAS sends changes to underlying provisioning services, like DHCP updates, VLAN creation, QoS adjustments, config file generation, … required to fine tune each provisioned service, either via DOCSIS config generation, RADIUS updates, TR-069, SNMP, … or remote configuration via SSH/Telnet/NETCONF.

KOMPAS utilizes all available methods to talk to all parts of the provisioning system, north and south-bound (REST, SOAP, TR-069, NETCONF, SNMP, CLI, …).

For presentation of operational parameters, like traffic graphs, power levels, SNR values, etc, KOMPAS utilizes all available methods, either via direct RRD access, API calls to NMS like Zabbix, Cacti, Libre, Nagios, …, telemetry and others, either in graphic format or in raw data format.

All this information is presented in one unifying view for all provisioned services.

Proven and Reliable Solution

Development of KOMPAS started in late 1990 and has been since used in various networks. In the beginning, providing Internet access via DOCSIS and xDSL services, with supplemental services like digital TV, conditional access (CA) and VoIP. A bit later, FTTH support was added as fiber access to the Internet started to appear in early 2000.

With the emergence of optical Open Access Networks (OAN), another service type was introduced (Layer2 OAN), which allows multiple operators to coexist on a single optical network infrastructure to provide services to their customers via Layer2 mechanism (under supervision of the network operator). Network operators manage the network, service providers are users of this network.

KOMPAS service design allows seamless addition of any service that is required by an operator. The development team is actively maintaining the codebase and introducing enhancements to all aspects of the portal while maintaining a familiar user interface.

Additional Features

For billing and statistics, reports are generated for accounting and utilization purposes, inventory management and maintenance of the network. Active access equipment and CPE devices are provisioned and managed through KOMPAS, including tasks like firmware management and configuration backup/restore.

Integrated ticketing function and notifications inform network operator and users of the portal about events that appear in the network. For example, when customer’s ONT becomes active, when device is detected behind operator’s NT, if part of network becomes unresponsive, etc.

Maintenance events can be announced, and actively updated, or in case of an outage of certain network segment, notifications can be sent out to predefined list of recipients.

Simplifying network management

In short, KOMPAS is here to streamline provisioning process and consolidate different technologies under its umbrella.

Let our experts show you how Optisis can optimize your network's performance, streamline operations, and deliver exceptional service to your customers.

For more information and Hands-On demonstration, contact us.

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