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Press Release
May 24, 2000
Ericsson announces strategy for management
of packet backbone networks
- Enhanced carrier-class management solutions enable wireless and
wireline operators to provide and maintain end-to-end quality services for
both IP and ATM backbone networks
Ericsson today announced, at the TeleManagement World exhibition in
Nice, France, a strategy for managing backbone networks with its
enhanced Multiservice Management Suite (MMS). This strategy
ensures operators a reduced cost of network ownership, rapid
introduction of next generation services and ability to introduce
different service levels for the highest customer satisfaction.
Ericsson’s MMS is a comprehensive portfolio of flexible, carrier-class IP
and ATM management applications that address the core requirements for
managing multiservice backbone networks, including provisioning,
monitoring and billing for services and guaranteeing Quality of Service
offerings.
MMS is designed to operate across Ericsson’s recently announced Packet
Backbone Network (PBN), a carrier-class data backbone for wireless and
wireline operators transitioning to next generation networks. Ericsson’s
PBN hardware platforms currently include the AXI 520 IP Core Router,
AXI 540 Edge Aggregation Router and the AXD 301 High-Performance
ATM Switch.
MMS incorporates both Ericsson-developed applications as well as those
from a variety of best-in-class partners including EHPT, Micromuse Inc.,
Remedy Corporation and BullSoft, the worldwide software division of Bull.
The MMS strategy combines Common Object Request Broker Architecture
(CORBA), central databases and directory services. Those elements create a
common information model that enables applications to share data and
communicate among themselves for ease of configuration and managing
service levels across backbone networks.
Ericsson also provides integration services that allow operators to utilize
existing legacy management systems and augment them with these new and
enhanced MMS applications.
“Managing public operator networks is a much larger task than managing
LANs, and in many cases, requires integration into existing management
systems,” says Ragnar Erkander, Ericsson Datacom’s general manager of
infrastructure. “As wireline and wireless operators transition to packet
backbones, Ericsson’s ability to provide integration services for MMS will
be critical. These services allow operators to protect initial investments by
integrating new and existing management systems and network elements.”
MMS includes new products and enhancements to Ericsson’s existing
management offerings, and addresses the challenges of managing backbone
networks in four key areas — network provisioning, service and network
assurance, service provisioning and customer care and billing.
Network Provisioning involves configuration of network elements, subnetworks and networks. Ericsson’s MMS addresses network provisioning
with the following application:

Network Resource Manager (NRM) is a distributed and secure
management application for provisioning IP environments. New
enhancements enable NRM to support the following Ericsson PBN
platforms: AXI 520 IP Core Router and AXI 540 Edge Aggregation
Router. NRM is currently available.
Service and Network Assurance involves monitoring and assuring Quality
of Service while keeping the network running and problem-free. MMS
addresses these challenges with five applications:

Network Surveillance Multiservice (NSM) is a new application to MMS
that provides visibility of topology and alarm status for efficient fault
management. NSM is based on Ericsson’s Network Surveillance
product, with added support for packet backbone networks. NSM
supports the Ericsson PBN platforms: AXD 301 ATM Switch and AXI
540 Edge Aggregation Router, as well as the AXD 311 Multiservice
ATM Edge Switch and the AXD 321 Integrated Access Device. NSM is
currently available.

Service Level Manager (SLM) provides fault and service-level
management for IP networks. New enhancements to SLM include the
ability to monitor Internet services such as dial-up access, RADIUS
authentication and HTTP web servers, as well as support for additional
network elements. SLM supports the Ericsson PBN platforms: AXI 520
IP Core Router and AXI 540 Edge Aggregation Router, as well as the
AXC 711 Tigris MultiService Access Platform and Ericsson’s range of
DWDM optical solutions, known as ERION. SLM is currently available.

Performance Monitor (PMR) provides information about overall
network performance and supports the retrieval, storage and analysis of
performance measurements. PMR supports the Ericsson PBN platform:
AXD 301 ATM Switch. PMR is currently available.

Internet Network Monitor (INM) is a new application that collects, stores
and forwards performance characteristics that network operators can use
to detect and analyze delays in IP networks. INM supports all of
Ericsson’s IP products, including the PBN platforms. INM is currently
available.

Trouble Manger (TM) is a trouble ticketing application that dispatches
trouble tickets to appropriate engineers regarding network problems
reported by other MMS applications, needing repair. TM is currently
available.
Service Provisioning involves rapidly provisioning services while
simultaneously making any necessary modifications to network elements.
Ericsson addresses service provisioning with the following application:

Connection Manager (CMG) is a new application that automates end-toend network configuration and provisioning activities to allow operators
to manage connection-oriented technologies such as ATM. CMG
supports the Ericsson PBN platform: AXD 301 ATM Switch. CMG is
currently available.
Customer Care and Billing addresses the customer-facing aspects of an
operator’s offerings, including billing and “self care” services. MMS
addresses this area with the following applications:

Billing Gateway (BGw) is a billing mediation application for
heterogeneous networks that provides a gateway between operators’
billing systems and their network equipment, and converts diverse usage
data into a consistent, usable format. BGw supports the Ericsson PBN
platform: AXD 301 ATM Switch as well as the AXD 311 ATM Edge
Switch. BGw is currently available.

NET-CHARGER ™ is a flexible IP billing and customer care solution,
from partner EHPT, with charging principles that allow operators to
control their revenue stream, including web-based customer and services
registration, multidimensional rating and processing, account statement
and invoice preparation and web-based account and invoice queries.
NET-CHARGER is currently available.
In addition to packet backbone management products, Ericsson provides a
complete line of wireless and wireline management solutions from its
Telecom Management Systems unit.
Ericsson is the leading communications supplier, combining innovation in
mobility and Internet in creating the new era of Mobile Internet. Ericsson
provides total solutions covering everything from systems and applications
to mobile phones and other communications tools. With more than 100,000
employees in 140 countries, Ericsson simplifies communications for
customers all over the world.
Read more at http://www.ericsson.com/pressroom
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT
Paula Angel-Jones, Director Public Relations, Ericsson Datacom Inc.
Phone: +1 781 505 6245; E-mail: [email protected]
Ragnar Erkander, General Manager, Infrastructure, Ericsson Datacom Inc.
Phone: + 46 8 719 4245; E-mail: [email protected]
About MMS
For more information on the MMS and the range of leading Ericsson
datacom management applications, please visit Ericsson Datacom’s website
at: http://www.ericsson.com/datacom
About Ericsson’s Packet Backbone Network
Ericsson’s Packet Backbone Network (PBN) is an Internet-class, carrierclass data backbone and a key component to both wireless and wireline
operators’ transitions to next generation networks. PBN enables operators to
offer new or expanded services over an IP infrastructure in an extremely
reliable and ultra-scalable configuration. PBN is based on the following
hardware platforms from Ericsson: the AXI 520 IP Core Routers, AXI 540
Edge Aggregation Router and AXD 301 High-Performance ATM Switch.
PBN includes a Multiservice Management Suite (MMS) of products that
includes in-house developed tools optimized for next generation networks
and tools from best-in-class partners to address management issues in four
key areas: network provisioning, service provisioning, service and network
assurance, customer care and billing.
PBN also employs Ericsson’s innovative range of robust DWDM optical
networking products: ERIcsson Optical Networking (ERION).
For more information on Ericsson’s Packet Backbone Network, see:
http://www.ericsson.se/pressroom/20000505-0011.html