BellSouth® CNM-Network Visibility Service (NVS)


Product Collateral

CNM-NVS Collateral [.pdf format 1.2 M]

Service Description

BellSouth CNM-Network Visibility Service (NVS) is a tool that provides customers a view into their BellSouth Fast Packet network to monitor fault and alarm information as network events occur. CNM-NVS also provides the ability to view near real-time network performance and historical performance reports.

Customers may order CNM-NVS Fault Management and On Demand Statistics only or they may order CNM-NVS Fault Management and On Demand Statistics with Performance Reports.

Benefits
For service providers, the ability to monitor faults and alarms and respond to service issues on the data network is a critical part of meeting customer expectations. In order to meet that need, service providers require the ability to monitor network services purchased from BellSouth as if they were part of the provider’s own network. To meet that requirement, BellSouth offers CNM-NVS.This kind of network management tool provides real power to positively impact customer service through:

Improved Mean Time to Repair (MTTR) through real-time alarm detection.
"Facility specific" information allows for quicker response to troubles and proactive performance monitoring can help prevent unexpected outages.

Real-time statistics on network interfaces.
Enhanced capacity planning with historical performance reports allow for modeling based on actual performance.

Service Design
BellSouth CNM-NVS is a tool that provides customers a view into the BellSouth Fast Packet network to monitor fault and alarm information as network events occur. CNM-NVS will also provide customers the ability to view near real-time network performance and historical performance reports. An added benefit of visibility into the Frame Relay/ ATM "cloud" is the ability to monitor network capacity through reports generated on a scheduled basis. The customer will be able to request these reports on an as needed basis for analysis of network capacity Providing network visibility through CNM-NVS, coupled with attractive pricing should provide incentive for the carriers to purchase BellSouth Fast Packet services.  

Features

Secure web, dial-up, or private line access

CNM-NVS provides secure customer database separation that allows customers to perform a variety of network monitoring capabilities including: alarm surveillance, performance monitoring and historical performance reporting for the Frame Relay and ATM services purchased from BellSouth. Customers can use dial-up or private line access with an X-windows workstation for access to CNM-NVS or customers can access CNM-NVS via a web interface that uses a Java applet to provide browser access to the X-windows functions.

Graphical user interface (GUI)

The CNM-NVS GUI provides a user-friendly environment through which service providers can monitor their communications networks.CNM-NVS’s Web browser–based graphical user interface (GUI) allows users to access all of CNM-NVS’s functionality from either Netscape or Internet Explorer (IE) browsers. From a single point, users can bring up any combination of alarm displays, graphical maps, and reporting of network performance.

Hierarchical customer management

The CNM-NVS database can be divided into partitions. By using this feature, a structure can be created to divide database assignments between departments, regions, etc. All information is partitioned on a customer-specific basis.

The customer will have the ability to manage how they view their network services. When CNM-NVS service is initiated, the customer is assigned a userID/Navis customer ID combination and sub-customer network partitions are set up on the CNM-NVS system per the customer’s instructions. The customer can then create "alias" userIDs and can grant permission for those userIDs to access specific partitions in their network tree. For example, let’s say a carrier buys a large quantity of Frame & ATM service from BellSouth. Their Network Operations Center (NOC) will be able to see all of the services they have purchased. Now, imagine that the carrier has a special group within the NOC assigned to monitor a specific end-user, a State government, perhaps. The carrier can assign LPorts and circuits being sold to that State government to a specific sub-customer partition and build aliases for the special NOC group so that they can see only the circuits assigned to that partition. That State partition could then be broken down into departmental sub-partitions, etc., down to a total of four levels.

Fault and Alarm Management

Alarm management for ATM/FR networks is accomplished by real-time monitoring of traps from the Frame Relay/ ATM "cloud"

The CNM-NVS GUI application contains many functions in the area of alarm management. The active and cleared alarm lists display alarms for all network elements in the display area. When an alarm occurs, it is in the active state. When an active alarm clears, or idles, it changes to a clear state. Certain alarms, or events, do not receive associated clear alarms or events –the GUI displays these alarms as QoS (Quality of Service) or ALRT (Alert) alarms. Active alarms are categorized as LOS (Loss of Signal), OOS (Out of Service), NE (Network Element), QoS (Quality of Service), ALRT (Alert), and MISC (Miscellaneous). Each of these categories, when selected, will display all active alarms in the chosen category by default.

The alarm icon region contains icons that serve as indicators of the current health of the displayed network. When a new alarm occurs, the corresponding icon in the alarm icon region will change to a blinking mode and will also change color appropriately. The icon will continue to blink until the GUI user clicks on the icon, which will display the alarm list containing new alarms. The corresponding icon in the Display Area will also change colors respectively to indicate the alarm state. The equipment view of a network element also indicates the current alarm state. As new alarms are received from network elements, the alarm icons, display area icons, and equipment views are updated in real-time.

On Demand Statistics

The customer will be able to monitor the performance of the LPorts and PVCs in the ATM/FR network. These statistics are retrieved by the NVS Host directly from the ATM/FR network elements.

Performance Reporting

Performance statistics are gathered on an hourly basis. Therefore, any report data reflects statistics collected up to and including the previous hour.

On Demand Statistics

The customer will be able to monitor the performance of the LPorts and PVCs in the ATM/FR network. These statistics are retrieved by the NVS Host directly from the ATM/FR network elements.

Performance Reporting

Performance statistics are gathered on an hourly basis. Therefore, any report data reflects statistics collected up to and including the previous hour.

Reports are available in table format or may be presented as pie chart, bar chart, or 3-D graph.


Availability & Pricing

BellSouth CNM-Network Visibility Service (NVS) is available on an optional basis as a feature of the following Fast Packet Access Services:

CNM-NVS is found in section 21.6 of the FCC Tariff and in the individual State Access "E" Tariffs.

CNM-NVS is eligible for credits under the Fast Packet Savings Plan according to the credit schedule for "Features."

Ordering & Implementation

For initial service establishment, the account team will obtain for the customer a Customer Name/Customer ID for use with Network Visibility Service. Using that information, CNM-NVS may be ordered using the Ordering and Billing Forum's Access Service Request (ASR). To order BellSouth CNM-NVS service, the customer should send the ASR to the Interexchange Carrier Service Center (ICSC).