The document outlines the architecture and functionalities of a Tower Operations Center (TOC), emphasizing high automation, business process optimization, and centralized management of network operations. It details systems involved in asset management, customer service, energy and fuel management, while supporting various operational and financial management goals. The TOC is designed to enhance performance management, ensure security, and facilitate scalability through advanced technologies like IoT and telemetry.

1. TOWER OPERATIONS CENTRE (TOC) - ARCHITECTURE &
BLUEPRINT
Shahid Abbasi
2016

2. • Provide high degree of automation & optimization of business processes
• Support customization of business processes for individual departmental
needs
• Minimize management reaction times to network events
• Allow for geographical dispersion of control over aspects of network operation
• Share information across functional & organizational boundaries
• Provide isolation mechanisms to minimize security risks
• Provide mechanisms to locate and contain infrastructure faults
• Proactive service assistance and interaction with customers
• Allow for management of heterogeneous devices, sensors and services within
a passive infrastructure environment
• Allow for technological and functional changes
• Include capabilities to enhance early implementation and allow future
refinements (Day 0 & Final State Implementation)
• Allow for Opex & Capex optimization through use of hybrid energy
technologies and telemetry / remote monitoring (IoT) sensors, transducers &
actuators
Management System (TOC-MS) - Architecture Rqmnts

3. HIGH LEVEL SYSTEMS FUNCTIONALITY
Business Support Systems
• Asset & Inventory
Management
• Lease Management
• Document Management
• SLA Enforcement
• Billing & Settlements
• Financial Management (Capex
& Opex tracking)
• Workflow Management
• Site Planning
• GIS
• Reporting
• Management Dashboard
Operations Support Systems
• Site Design
• Site Build-out & Implementation
• Site Acceptance
• Network Infrastructure Surveillance,
Monitoring & Management
• Fault Management
• Trouble Ticketing & Tracking
• Energy Management
• Fuel Management
• Security & Access Management
• SLA Monitoring & Enforcement
• Vendor Management
TOC-MS High-Level System Functionality

4. CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTER
• End-to-end remote site‘ monitoring at a single central location - a solution that is a
combination of Remote Sensoring Unit & Central Application is required for the
implementation of a Tower Operations Center (TOC)
• A robust Business Management System (MS), which includes automation of modules
like Fault Management, Trouble Ticketing, Energy Management, Fuel Management,
Work Force Management, Supply Chain, Asset Management, GIS, etc
• Monitor all the technical parameters of the different equipment installed at the Cell
Sites
• IoT Instrumentation in the form of host of Sensors, Transducers, Actuators
• to collect parameters provided by these equipment and convert them into an
understandable and known format
• Monitoring and Control Equipment which can be hosted at each Cell Site
• to collect all the inputs in different formats from the sensors, transducers and
Actuators
• to forward these parameters to an upstream application for centralized
monitoring & management
• Connectivity Mechanism
• to transfer the collected information from the equipment placed at the Cell Site to
the Centralized Application installed in the TOC
TOC-MS Business Goals

5. CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTER
• A Centralized Application
• to process the information & events, collected from all the cell sites, generate
alarms, issue trouble tickets, send alerts to the workforce, issue corrective
actions back to the monitoring equipment, etc.
• A Cloud-based Infrastructure
• to seamlessly deliver TOC-MS features & functionality to specific locations,
irrespective of MIS Infrastructure’s physical deployment, while ensuring data
integrity, back-up & redundancy
• A battery of users and operators
• to understand the alerts and take corrective actions accordingly
• Would handle all Level 1 & 2 Passive, and Level 1 Active infrastructure alarms and
would deliver the MIS to monitor the performance and KPIs of the Infrastructure and
the Vendors involved in various activities of the operations.
• Backbone for TowerCo’s day-to-day Operations and would help to achieve the KPIs
and SLAs as committed to the customers by the TowerCo.
TOC Business Goals (Cont’d)

6. Tower Operations Centre – Initial State Day 0
SLA / KPI
Site Access
Fuel
Site Assets
Environment
Power
O&M Vendor’
Personnel Embedded
TowerCo Personnel
Embedded
Network Operations Centre
(Operator)
Help Desk
(TowerCo)
CRITICAL
MINOR
WARNING
NOTIFICATIONS
Electronic
Bonding
(Alarm & TT)
Infrastructure O&M Service
 Passive infrastructure surveillance
 First line maintenance
 Second line maintenance
Infrastructure Planning & Optimization
 Infrastructure capacity management
 Infrastructure expansion management
 Routine network optimization
Power / Energy & Fuel Optimization
 DG, fuel & power management
 Hybrid power systems
Spare Parts Management Service
 Spare parts dimensioning
 Warehousing
 Repair & Return
 Inventory management
Other Operational Services
 Instrument & tools management
 Documentation management
 Site access & security management
 SLA & KPI management
 Asset Management

7. Tower Operations Centre – Final State
Integrated real-time site monitoring and reporting
Telemetry
Controller
Tower Operations Centre
(Primary)
Tower Operations Centre
(Back-up)
 Telemetry transmits all sites’ O&M data to both TOC 1 & 2 for redundancy purposes.
 TOC manages, monitors, controls, measures and maintains various equipment on sites.
O&M Vendor’
Personnel
Embedded

8. ENERGY EFFICIENCY MANAGEMENT ASSET MANAGEMENT
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT FUEL MANAGEMENT
TOC – 360o Operations Management
Support for complete business management of Tower Operations

9. HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT SMART SITE SECURITY
FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT OPERATIONS
TOC – 360o Operations Management (Cont’d)
Support for complete business management of Tower Operations

10. TOC – Key functions and features
Support for complete business management of Tower Operations
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
MANAGEMENT
 Generator and fuel management
 Rectifier alarms and variables
 Battery bank management
 Auto phase selector
 Hybrid management
 Grid availability & power meter’ reading
verification
SITE MANAGEMENT
 Detailed display – site assets
 QR barcode – individual site
elements
 Site topology configuration
 Segregated maintenance
procedures
 Real-time & historical trends
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
 Free air-cooling utilization
 Room thermal mapping
 Remote configurations & settings
 Fire, smoke, and flood detection
 Cooling units consumption
 Temperature & HUMIDITY monitoring –
different locations
FUEL MANAGEMENT
 Fuel quality
 HYBRID remote on/off ability
 MODBUS compatibility
 Fuel consumption, fuel drop, &
re-fuel measurement
 Versatile tank shape support

11. TOC – Key functions and features
Support for complete business management of Tower Operations
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Personnel tracking
Contractor working hour’ monitoring
Alert and trouble ticket assignment
Maintenance activity summaries per
technician
Real time access to human resources
SITE ACCESS & SECURITY
Tamper proof systems
Site protection mechanisms
Recorded back up systems
Site access protocols
Physical / guarded sites
OPEX MANAGEMENT
Opex reduction analysis
Site behavior analysis
Alternative resource site management
Expense analysis & forecast
SLA & KPI goal analysis
Resource efficiency optimization
Multi-tenant management
OPERATIONS
Trouble ticket management
O&M supplier management
Alarm management
Auto / remote alarm control
Business models:
monthly/maintenance
Site-process control
Business intelligence
Financial procurement

12. TowerCo Functional Requirements (Final State)
Operations and
Maintenance
- Monitoring
- Alerts Mgmt
- Alarm Mgmt
- Trouble Ticket
- Fuel Mgmt
- Energy Mgmt.
- Env Mgmt
- Site access
and Security
- Dispatch
- Workforce
Mgmt.
- Help Desk
- SLA Mgmt.
- Site Mgmt
Inventory and
Asset
Management
- Physical
Inventory
- Logical
Inventory
- Service Inventory
- GIS visual
- Failure
inventory
- Sites plan
- Hierarchical
view
Site Financials
Management
- Site Capex &
Opex
- NOC & Permits
- Procurement
- Rent Mgmt.
- Expense
Analysis and
Forecast
- Site Lease
Mgmt.
Enterprise
Resource
Planning
- Company
Financials
- HR
- Procurement
- Document
Mgmt
Performance
Management and
Integration
- KPI reporting
- Business
Intelligence
- Financial
planning
- Modelling
- Integration with
O&M, I&AM,
SFM, BM
security
integration
monitoring and system management
infrastructure

13. TowerCo Functional Requirements (Day 0)
Operations and
Maintenance
- Monitoring
- Alerts Mgmt
- Alarm Mgmt
- Trouble Ticket
- Fuel Mgmt
- Energy Mgmt.
- Env Mgmt
- Site access
and Security
- Dispatch
- Workforce
Mgmt.
- Help Desk
- SLA Mgmt.
- Site Mgmt
Inventory and
Asset
Management
- Physical
Inventory
- Logical
Inventory
- Service Inventory
- GIS Visual
- Failure
inventory
- Sites plan
- Hierarchical
view
Site Financials
Management
- Site Capex &
Opex
- NOC & Permits
- Procurement
- Rent Mgmt.
- Expense
Analysis and
Forecast
- Site Lease
Mgmt.
Enterprise
Resource
Planning
- Company
Financials
- HR
- Procurement
- Document
Mgmt
Performance
Management and
Integration
- KPI reporting
- Business
Intelligence
- Financial
Planning
- Modelling
- Integration with
O&M, I&AM,
SFM, BM
security
integration
monitoring and system management
infrastructure
Capabilities required on Day 0

14. TOC-MS Actor & User Context
TOC-MS
Telemetry /
IoT
Sensors
Field
Engineers
Business
users
Inventory /
Asset users
Help desk
& TOC
users
Mgmt users
Management
reporting
dashboard
Financial reporting,
site opex, supply
chain, O&M
vendors, payroll
Inventory,
asset mgmt
OPCO
Trouble ticketing,
incident/change
mgmt, alerts,
events, alarms
SLA reports
Call dispatch,
call status
update
Environment,
fuel, security,
energy data,
video stream
Actors (Users and instruments) interacting with TOC-MS

15. TOC-MS IT’ Technology Protocol Context
TOC-MS
Telemetry /
IoT
Sensors
Field
Engineers
Business
users
Inventory /
Asset users
Help desk
& TOC
users
Mgmt usershttps, Ethernet,
3G/LTE
OPCO
VPN over
Internet, http/
web services/
file transfer
https, 3G/LTE,
SMS, SMTP,
Telephone
MQTT, SNMP,
RTP, GPRS,
3G/LTE
https, Ethernet,
3G/LTE
https, Ethernet,
3G/LTE
https, Ethernet,
3G/LTE,
Telephone
Technology Protocols interacting with TOC-MS

16. TOC-MS Architecture Overview
Humidity
Sensor
Tower Site
Field Office
TowerCo Operations Center
OPCO
Fuel Level
Sensor
Fuel flow
Meter
SCM/
gateway
Temp
Sensor
Smoke/Fire
Detector
Utilities Co.
Smart meter
Battery power
Sensor
Door Access
Switch
Security
cameras + IVA
3G/LTE
IVA + Video
Recorder
User -
Browser + Mbl
Head End
DISCO
DG Controller
Alert Mgmt.
System
Help Desk
System
Fin. Mgmt.
System
RFID
Controller/
QR Scanner
Inventory/
Asset Mgmt
User –
Browser + Mbl
User –
Browser + Mbl
ODS
Reporting
System
Reporting
Data Store
User access -
Web Browser
MDMS Billing
User –
Browser + Mbl
User Access -
Web Browser
+ Mobile
Identity
Server
Backup
Server
Security
Systems management
Messaging
Server
Messaging
Client
Systems and
NW monitoring +
mgmt
Proactivebillretrieval
TowerCo A/C
meter
Multi-channel
DC Meter
Rectifier

17. TOC-MS High Availability and DR
Redundant IP links
IP based data replication
Devices/users/
stakeholders
External Systems External Data Sources
Normal operation
DR operation
Data replication
• No SPOF configuration within DC
• Disaster Recovery Site as per Industry Best Practices
TowerCo Operations Centre
IVA + Video
Recorder
User -
Browser + Mbl
Alert Mgmt.
System
Help Desk
System
Fin. Mgmt.
System
Inventory/
Asset Mgmt
User –
Browser + Mbl
User –
Browser + Mbl
ODS
Reporting
System
Reporting
Data Store
User –
Browser + Mbl
Identity
Server
Backup
Server
Security
Systems management
Messaging
Server
Systems and
NW monitoring +
Mgmt
TowerCo Operations Centre
IVA + Video
Recorder
User -
Browser + Mbl
Alert Mgmt.
system
Help Desk
System
Fin. Mgmt.
system
Inventory/
Asset Mgmt
User –
Browser + Mbl
User –
Browser + Mbl
ODS
Reporting
System
Reporting
Data Store
User –
Browser + Mbl
Identity
Server
Backup
Server
Security
Systems management
Messaging
Server
Systems and
NW Monitoring +
Mgmt

18. The TOC arrangement will consist of:
• Main video wall display
• Operators sitting (according to technology, geography or any
subject such as redundancy)
• Shift manager post (in the middle and elevated)
• NOC manager room (tied to the main hall)
• Back office support (second level experts)
• Meeting room/visitors room (tied to the main hall)
• Administrator room
• Server room
• Air conditioner / Climate control
• Audio and noise planning
TOC Set-up

19. INFRASTRUCTURE COMPONENTS - OPTIONAL
• Acoustic Ceiling construction
• Floating Floor (tiles, carpets)
• Plaster Walls
• Doors with different acoustic isolation
• Windows between the different areas
• Furnishings
• Announcement System
• Control Systems
• Fire Detection System
• Low voltage cabling systems
Physical TOC Arrangement

20. MULTIMEDIA SYSTEMS - OPTIONAL
• Audio Systems
• Intercom System
• Audio Broadcast System
• Audio Recording Systems
• Video Systems
• Video Conference
• Video Recording
• TV Sets, Projectors, Screens
• Smart Board
• Plasma Panel / LCD
• TV / Satellite Connection
• Communication components
• WAN/LAN Network
• Servers, Computers, Printers
TOC Infrastructure Components

21. Deployment Options
Prod and DR on premises (Private
Cloud):
TowerCo Owned and Operated private cloud:
- Heavy CAPEX Up front
- Assets on TowerCo’s books
- Higher time to market due to Data Centre build
As a Service:
- OPEX based option
- Assets can be on TowerCo’s books or service provider
- Still higher time to market due to DC build
Prod on premise, DR on Cloud:
- Relatively lower CAPEX
- DR environment can be minimal until disaster happens
saving on:
- HW infrastructure cost
- Licensing costs
- Seamless movement of workloads between private and
public cloud possible
- Gives flexibility to burst into cloud for incidental workloads
- Local vs overseas cloud providers can be evaluated
Prod and DR on Cloud:
- Lowest CAPEX option, possibly no assets on TowerCo’s
books
- As a service, SLA based operations
- Endless scalability for additional workloads
- No need to separate DR environment, SLA covers that
- Heavy dependency on network for mission critical
applications
- If remote cloud, network latency could possibly impact
response time, specially for telemetry based events
requiring immediate action
Prod on Cloud, DR on Premise:
- Unusual option but has some merits for consideration
- In case of network outage, failover to local site
- Local resources can be re-purposed for trivial workloads
unless there is a failover

22. Recommended Approach
Prod and DR on premises (Private
Cloud):
TowerCo Owned and Operated private cloud:
- Heavy CAPEX Up front
- Assets on TowerCo’s books
- Higher time to market due to Data Centre build
As a Service:
- OPEX based option
- Assets can be on TowerCo’s books or service provider
- Still higher time to market due to DC build
Prod on premise, DR on Cloud:
- Relatively lower CAPEX
- DR environment can be minimal until disaster happens
saving on:
- HW infrastructure cost
- Licensing costs
- Seamless movement of workloads between private and
public cloud possible
- Gives flexibility to burst into cloud for incidental workloads
- Local vs overseas cloud providers can be evaluated
Prod and DR on Cloud:
- Lowest CAPEX option, possibly no assets on TowerCo’s
books
- As a service, SLA based operations
- Endless scalability for additional workloads
- No need to separate DR environment, SLA covers that
- Heavy dependency on network for mission critical
applications
- If remote cloud, network latency could possibly impact
response time, specially for telemetry based events
requiring immediate action
Prod on Cloud, DR on Premise:
- Unusual option but has some merits for consideration
- In case of network outage, failover to local site
- Local resources can be re-purposed for trivial workloads
unless there is a failover
• Start with a local cloud
service provider
• Build a site facility in parallel
and migrate to owned facility
when ready
• Engage a systems integrator
to build, manage and support
the IT environment for the
first 3 years
• Build skills and capability in
parallel
• Take over management of IT
operations

23. ID Fun-
ction
Description Metric Possible Candidate Products
1 Infra Directory Server (Active Director or LDAP) # of Users Microsoft/ Open source
2 Infra Backup and Archiving Server TB Data Veeam VBR / IBM TSM / HP /
EMC Networker
3 Infra Messaging and collaboration Server (MS Exchange + Lync or
Lotus Domino + ST)
# of Users Microsoft Exchange+Lync/ IBM
Lotus + Sametime
4 Appl Service Desk System # of Users HP Service Desk / BMC Remedy/
IBM Control Desk / Tarantula/ AIO
5 Appl Inventory, Asset and Maintenance Management System # of Users IBM / Cisco / Accruent / AIO
Systems/ Tarantula
6 Appl Financial Management System Users / # of cores SAP/ MS Dynamics/ Oracle ERP
7 Appl Reporting Engine # of Users IBM Cognos/ SAS/
SAP Business Objects/ Watson
Analytics
8 Appl Operations Control Center / Alert Management System # of users IBM IOC (websphere + Netcool)/
AIO Systems/ LCC/ Tarantula
9 Infra Server Virtualization Software # of proc sockes Vmware vSphere/ MS Hyper-v/
KVM
10 Infra Operating System (dependent on Application compatibility) # of VMs MS Windows / Linux
11 Infra Applications Systems and Network Management Tool # of servers+ Nw
devices
IBM Tivoli/ HP Netview/ EMC
Smarts/ Solarwinds
Products BoM (Software)

24. ID Fun-
ction
Description Metric Possible Candidate Products
12 MW Database Product # of cores MS SQL/ MySQL (OS)/ Oracle/
IBM DB2/ Informix
13 Infra Security certificates Thawte/ Verisign
14 Infra Video Management System # of sites/
cameras
ACTi/ Avigilon
15 MW Integration Software # of cores IBM Integration Bus/ Tibco BW/
Oracle Fusion
16 MW Document and Workflow management # of users MS Sharepoint, IBM Filenet, EMC
Documentum
Products BoM (Software Cont’d)

25. ID Fun-
ction
Description Metric Possible Candidate Products
1 Infra Firewall cluster for Network security with virtualization Concurrent
sessions
Juniper / Cisco
2 Infra Load balancer cluster for Web based traffic with virtualization Concurrent
sessions
Brocade / Cisco
3 Infra Edge Routers Concurrent
sessions
Juniper / Cisco
4 Infra Network Fabric Switches (10 Gbps Ethernet) for LAN # of ports Juniper / Cisco
5 Infra Network Fabric Switches (10 Gbps FC over Ethernet) for SAN # of ports Juniper / Cisco
6 Infra Compute Servers (RISC or x86) for all functions # of proc
cores
X86 (HP, Lenovo, Dell)/ IBM
Power
7 Infra SAN attached storage TB Data IBM v7000/ EMC VNX/ Dell
8 Infra Network connectivity (WAN) # of links,
Data thruput
Connectivity vendor
9 Infra Scanners # of units HP/ Canon
10 Infra Printers # of units HP/ Canon
Products BoM (IT Hardware)

26. ID Fun-
ction
Description Metric Possible Candidate Products
1 Infra Sensor-cum-communication (SCM) module # of sites Tarantula/ AIO/ Commscope/6th
Energy/LCC
2 Infra Fuel-level sensor # of fuel tanks Various
3 Infra Fuel flow meter # of fuel tanks Various
4 Infra Temperature sensor # of sites Various
5 Infra Environmental sensors # of sites Various
6 Infra Smoke sensor # of sites Various
7 Infra Door switch & Magnetic Locks / Access control # of sites Various
8 Infra Dual AC Energy meter – Mains & DG # of tenants Various
9 Infra 4-Channel DC Energy meter # of tenants Various
10 Infra Hybrid Energy Controllers (functionality may be available in SCM) # of sites Emerson/Eltek/Huawei/AIO/
Tarantula
11 Infra Security Cameras # of sites Indigovision/ RIVA/ Avigilon/ ACTi
Products BoM (Telemetry, Sensors & Actuators)