TECHNOLOGY

SOA

Service Providers are turning to a new networking paradigm to overcome these business challenges. Network management teams are being asked to evolve networks to Service-Oriented Architecture (SOAs). The conventions encompassed by SOAs enable an infrastructure in which discreet business functions can be organized into interoperable, standards-based services. By organizing around services instead of applications, an SOA improves productivity, agility, and speed for both traditional IT tasks and the Service Provider’s business as a whole. The Service Provider can respond more rapidly to customer demand and deliver optimal user experiences.

SOA principles have been broadly discussed for years. On the networking side, the earliest implementations of service-oriented frameworks were based on Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA). Even with the CORBA framework, the protocol was still so tightly coupled to the application that it was difficult to develop flexible, dynamic value-added services or efficiently roll out services. In response, the Telemanagement Forum (TMF) recognized that a different object-based model would allow Service Providers to more rapidly and efficiently develop web-based services. The resulting TMF 854 specification defines the mechanisms for web-based services within an SOA. Many Service Providers are taking advantage of the TMF 854 standard conventions to reduce dependencies on proprietary data formats, and converge on an efficient back-office operations strategy.

Recognizing the challenges faced by Service Providers and the opportunities associated with SOA trends, Hammerhead has taken the lead in the Layer 2.5 space by introducing XML/SOAP compliant interfaces on its advanced EMS platform. Hammerhead Pegador SOA EMS SOA EMS SOA software acts as a critical link between network elements (southbound) and business and management systems (northbound). Providing this connection using XML/SOAP-compliant mechanisms promotes web-based service efficiencies in the Service Provider’s network.

The information gathered for the back-office billing and provisioning systems can also enable the delivery and management of new revenue-generating services. Service Providers can leverage IP/MPLS backbones, deriving more returns on investments by overlaying value-added applications and distributing them using web-based services. Pegador SOA EMS SOA EMS SOA enables competitive differentiation for Service Providers by taking advantage of the key features of the HSX 6000 Layer 2.5 Aggregation Switch. The HSX 6000 provides vital traffic management capabilities and supports services with rates ranging from 32Kbps to 2.5Gbps on a single port. A Service Provider can define and offer up to 1,000 service profiles per port. Built-in QoS functionality guarantees that traffic is prioritized correctly—high-priority applications, voice, and best-effort traffic—and transported reliably. Pegador SOA EMS SOA EMS takes the complexity out of design by allowing the user to set up service profiles with all of the appropriate parameters for service delivery. The Pegador SOA EMS SOA EMS SOA foundation exposes this service information in an easy-to-use format. Service Providers can monitor the information as part of the administration of services, or make it available to enterprises as part of the service.

The flexible, scalable XML/SOAP framework enables very fast service turn-on times (in as little as a month or two), and allows new services to be rolled out on existing hardware. Without changing equipment, service portfolios can be expanded dynamically. The robust Hammerhead QoS features also give Pegador SOA EMS SOA EMS SOA the ability to control and monitor the flow of high-priority traffic and customer circuits. The software provides access to configurable, fine-grained parameters for defining priority levels and policies, making it easy to adjust and tune configurations on the fly. A reporting function provides visibility to network managers or customers, for monitoring or proving compliance with SLAs. The statistics can also provide Service Provider sales teams with compelling information for selling additional bandwidth and services, by clearly measuring the current traffic and usage levels by user, circuit, or service.