This document discusses the need for IMS configuration management and audit tools to manage the complex distributed architecture of IMS networks. It notes that IMS networks consist of thousands of configured parameters across many elements that must all be aligned. Deviations from standard configurations can cause outages. It states that the majority of outages are due to manual misconfigurations and lack of processes. Proper configuration management is needed to automate operations, improve decision making, and reduce manual touches to reduce risks of outages during network expansion.

1. Why do hand-picked cherries
provide no guarantee for a tasty pie?
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2. Facts on IMS Integration,
Configuration & Deployment
• A complex and distributed
Multiple vendors architecture that requires an
and/or suppliers end-to-end- solution approach
• Many thousands of configured
Typically 20+ IMS parameters, all of which must
network elements be aligned for reliable service
operation
• Deviations from standard
Many thousands of
configurations can result in
configured parameters
performance problems and
major service outages
Distribution and • Majority of outages are due
geo-redundancy to manual misconfiguration
and breakdown of processes
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3. Need for IMS Configuration
Management and Audit Tools
Risks What’s needed ?
• Increased solution management • Lifecycle management approach
costs and risks
• Mechanisms to discover settings in
• Delayed service launch due to each device, compare to planning
poor end-to-end performance and update the network
or compatibility issues
• End-to-end automation and
• Inability to isolate and resolve operations intelligence for
faults due to non-standard improving decision making and
provisioning and configuration reducing the number of manual
• Sub-optimal performance in parts touches
(or all) of the architecture • Rapid configuration and para-
• Inability to complete audits and meter discovery and auditing
upgrades in maintenance windows • Control of maintenance
• Network expansion hampered procedure for
by lack of real-time network a confident
baselining capabilities network
expansion
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4. Critical Components of IMS
Solution Lifecycle Management
• Labs & engineers
• Documented • Configuration
configurations • Methods & tools control
• Standardized • Multiple test-beds • Ongoing audit
processes • Multi-vendor & remediation
coordination
Design Test Operate
Change Management
• Documentation management
• Release planning and coordination
• Change control & release management
• Feedback for future releases
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5. Gambling with Your Network
Anecdotes without Configuration Audits
• Operations staff typed an incorrect IP
address to an out of region device causing
a 10 hour outage
• 2 day outage was caused due to incorrect
security settings on a device
• Security administrators adding accounts on
a device forget to issue “commit” command
eventually causing a reboot and loss of VoIP
services in market
• A service provider received an update
from their vendor. 3 way calling and call
forwarding did not work for 2 weeks due
to a misconfigured parameter
• Multiple week silent outage resulting in
100,000s of blocked calls due to
misconfigured parameter settings
• Service provider receives an upgrade from
their vendor, it takes 200 days to complete
testing with bulk of checks involved in
parameter checking
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6. Expanding IMS, VoIP, IPTV Deployments
Customer expectations create challenges
Lab FOA City National
• Small scale test of • Slight scope expansion • Significant scope and team expansion.
technology deployment from Lab deployment • Parameter churn becomes unmanageable
(IMS, VoIP, IPTV) • Small operations team • Definition of Gold standard parameter
• Manageability through accessing network templating required
nodal interfaces • Parameter churn • Tracking and auditing of parameter changes
acceptable manageable through mandatory requiring integrated security
manual methods • Presence of solution blanketing manager over
solution network required
City/National deployments needs much different than Lab Trial or FOA
• Must normalize configuration/parameter mgmt and security across different NE types
• Need to inventory NEs across the network before deploying a service
Software upgrades cannot be done one NE at a time
• Impractical or cost prohibitive to log onto each NE
Most EMSs designed to take you to FOA ― but not beyond …
How do you go beyond FOA to City/National Deployments?
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7. Need for IMS Configuration
Management and Audit Tools
Challenges Solution Benefits
• Complex, distributed • End to end automation and operations
architectures with thousands of intelligence enables improved decision
individual parameters making by mechanizing network
infrastructure changes in a controlled
• Majority of outages due to
and secure environment
manual misconfigurations and
breakdown of manual processes • Automation of customer method of
procedures (MOPS) and reduction of
• Inability to complete audits and
manual touches
upgrades in maintenance
windows • Rapid parameter and configuration
discovery and auditing
• Network expansion hampered
by lack of real-time network • Control of maintenance procedure
baselining capabilities providing confident network expansion
Complex architectures consisting of
multiple elements with 1000s of parameters
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8. Network Integrity Control
Enforce & compare NW parameters en-masse
Service Provider Pain
Planning
Integrity • No mechanism to enforce parameter control or
Control
Integrity
Systems Templates
Control
Integrity
permit parameter baselining
Templates
Control
Integrity
Templates
Control
• No visibility of global network settings and state
Templates • Challenges in management of complex groups of
elements within a given maintenance window
Domain Control and Nakina Network Resource Optimizer
Intelligence Modules
• Parameter Discovery
Workflow Engine - Powerful, flexible mechanism to extract
Configuration Parameters including inventory
Virtualized Nodal • Comparison – Audit for Discrepancies
Management Services
- Compares “Standardized templates” or
Base Communications, Transaction Planning tool reports to live Network View –
Engine & Security Layer using specified Tolerance Criteria
- Displays and reports discrepancies
• Integrated Security Solution
- Profile-based protection of access to
network information
- User activity logging
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9. Conclusion
• Next generation architectures for VoIP, IPTV, IMS consist of many
inter-related elements each with thousands of parameters
• Stare and compare doesn’t work and is time-consuming and
error prone
• “Gold standard” or “Baseline template” approach to parameter
setting allows automation audits and eliminates “stare and compare”
• Outages due to misconfigurations eliminated
• Audits and upgrades can now be performed in maintenance windows
• Complex architectures more manageable allowing for large scale
deployments to proceed
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10. Thank You!
Marc Jadoul
Market Communications Director
Network & System Integration Division
Alcatel-Lucent
Office: +32 3 240 9087
Mobile: +32 477 50 00 99
marc.jadoul@alcatel-lucent.com
Sergio Pellizzari
Solutions Architect
Nakina Systems
Office: +1 613 254 7351 x222
Mobile: +1 613 794 1501
sergiop@nakinasystems.com
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