Unlock new insights from network OSS data

Transcription

1 WHITEPAPER Unlock new insights from network OSS data How combining data from passive probes and OSS creates new insights for enhanced network and service assurance Published by 2018

2 INTRODUCTION As operators grapple with the multiple, simultaneous challenges of digital transformation, launching new wireless technologies and virtualising their network hardware, traditional approaches to assuring network performance are under greater pressure than ever before. However, there s a source of data that may currently be under-utilised by operators: their network operational support systems (OSS) data. This can be combined with data from physical probes to generate insights that support improved network assurance, service performance and customer experience. Physical probes, which have been widely deployed, allied with techniques such as drive testing, are highly effective and enable operators to monitor and analyse the performance of their networks and the experiences users receive with great accuracy and to granular detail. However, as the volume of data traffic carried across radio access networks (RAN) by operators continues to grow, the traditional model of deploying probes at network nodes to gain insights into network and service performance needs to be augmented by insights generated from other sources of data. Recent analysis by the World Economic Forum and Accenture predicts that a network currently servicing ten million endpoints and 10,000 nodes could see that servicing requirement increase by up to five times by A five-fold increase in devices and nodes could result in a 25-fold increase in incidents per hour. That s an increase from 400 incidents per hour to as many as 10,000 incidents per hour. 01 WHITEPAPER

3 Deeper insights from combining data The value that can be created from the analysis of network OSS data that is generated by live systems and entities, such as enodebs, mobile switching centres (MSC), home location registers (HLR), short message service centres (SMSC), call session control functions (CSCF) and others, has been recognised by only a few pioneers in the industry. However, taking data from these resources and combining it with data from passive network probes will support generation of the insights needed to manage the enormous growth of data traffic and to address the projected increase in the number of incidents per hour. This combined data will also be vital to enable operation of the self-aware, self-optimising and self-healing networks of the future. Core network monitoring data provides insights into the real state of the network, its performance and any potential impacts such as congestion, security issues or hardware failures. By focusing on the OSS data generated by network elements and correlating this with core network monitoring data, collected from passive probes, key performance indicators (KPIs) can be established that enable performance management to be carried out. The data already exists within operators networks This paper highlights several example use cases that demonstrate how operators can capitalise on this often under-utilised source of information, correlated with passive probe data, to generate valuable insights. An important part of the value proposition is that these insights are to be found within data operators already have. The existence and accessibility of network OSS data is one of the reasons that Polystar has focused on leading efforts to include OSS with traditional sources of data. The unique combination of OSS and network data that Polystar enables provides an unrivalled, holistic view of network and service performance, as well as subscriber behaviour. Unlock new insights from network OSS data 02

4 USE CASE 1: RAN MONITORING Traditional tools for monitoring the radio access network (RAN) and the core network operate in isolation under the management of different teams and also don t speak the same data language. This can mean that identification of network issues is unclear with fault being wrongly apportioned to the RAN when the root cause is in the core and vice-versa. By combining RAN and core network information in a single system such as Polystar s, operators can add a further dimension to the insights thanks to the network performance-related information that OSS system data reveals. Accurate classification of issues The information contained in network OSS data can be used to help operators to identify RAN issues rapidly, saving time and cost, while enhancing the user experience. This is helpful to operators because being able to correctly classify issues as being related to the RAN or core network enhances communications, saving time and cost. This accurate classification also reduces the possibility of different organisations seeking to apportion blame to each other. In addition, while traditional probes continue to perform well in the core network, the scale of growth projected in the RAN means that placing probes at every node would be cost prohibitive. The ability to combine network OSS data from the RAN with that collected by passive network probes provides not only unique insights but a cost-effective means to gracefully include key data from the radio domain. The inclusion of OSS data provides new opportunities for operators to obtain insights while meeting an enticing range of new use cases. 03 WHITEPAPER

5 USE CASE 2: CORE MONITORING Benchmarking and the quality assurance of data is crucial when operators are constantly changing the network, putting new nodes up and taking old nodes down. This will be particularly apparent when 5G mobile networks are deployed and as virtualised infrastructure is introduced. The constant improvements create substantial challenges when it comes to setting up probes to show the right data. Modifications mean that deployed probes can base the data they supply on inaccurate network architectures. However, a combined data solution that compares both probe and OSS data would reveal that data traffic volumes shown as being carried after a network modification are incorrect. Without this information, an operator could base operational and business decisions on incorrect data, leading to longer periods of downtime. USE CASE 3: GEO-LOCATION If there is a network coverage black spot at a specific location, data from a network monitoring system with geolocation functionality can be mapped to the network data. If no traffic is generated at that location, it can be deduced that there is a blackspot, for example. There s no need to schedule expensive and time-consuming drive testing to work this out, the operator s network monitoring system data already reveals the issue. An additional advantage is that operators can react rapidly to this information and address the cause of the issue rather than waiting weeks to perform drive testing and analyse the results. Unlock new insights from network OSS data 04

6 THE POLYSTAR APPROACH Polystar has a powerful platform that allows the inclusion of two parallel sources of data network elements and passive probes as well as additional southbound integration and mediation. By using the OSS data from network elements as an input Polystar offers: RAN monitoring Core monitoring Geo-location Performance management Polystar also offers southbound integration and mediation with data sources in any format. The criterion is that it should be possible to join the data with data from probes. Such additional systems that have suitable data include: CRM Billing Network inventory With Polystar s Insights Portals, CSPs can obtain rich, end-to-end real-time intelligence from the network data, now also enriched by OSS data integration 05 WHITEPAPER

7 FURTHER BENEFITS The three use cases we have outlined present only some of the potential benefits of the Polystar offering, which essentially provides data integration between the constant stream of data from network elements and from passive probes. It s the combination of data from the different sources in real-time that is the most important and unique advantage of Polystar s offering. As additional benefits, the examples below can result: An operator could, for example, integrate data from a CRM system to identify if a customer is a corporate user or a VIP and adapt service level accordingly. Data to guide decision-making Another example would be to integrate billing data with fixed network inventory on a monthly basis to provide regular reports and KPI tasks to determine whether a site is profitable or not. By presenting usage, costs, and revenue together, valuable insights into which sites are profitable can be created and a solid foundation for decisions on where to invest or not can be established if an operator is planning to expand the network. The important attribute is that the tools enable integration with any data source and provide a visualisation of that data in a clear and easy manner, accessible to all users. Polystar s Insights Portals, augmented by the inclusion of network OSS data, give easy access to all the data for technical, customer as well as commercial teams in the CSP s organisation. Each operator and each team member can analyse and act upon the insights it extracts from each visualisation. Unlock new insights from network OSS data 06

8 CONCLUSION Operators face many new opportunities in addition to the challenges outlined in this paper. These opportunities will often rely on demonstrating that a specific quality of service has been delivered. For instance, if an operator is to charge a premium for a specific grade of service, it needs to ensure the service level agreement (SLA) for that is met. The addition of OSS data helps to achieve this, delivering quantifiable benefit. The advantages of using network OSS data to augment core network performance data are therefore twofold. First, these data can be used to assure network operations and second, they can be used to support future business cases. Tools such as those described in this paper enable operators to gain insights that can verify and enhance probe findings and be utilised to complement the deployment of passive probes. An important consideration is that all the systems discussed in this paper generate relevant data but often it is not utilised. To make use of it effectively, operators need to capture, mediate and then present the data to visualisation tools such as their portals so they can maximise its utilisation across their network monitoring systems. Unlock the hidden value of network OSS data Although the hidden value of network OSS data is only now starting to be recognised, it is clear that it presents a cost-effective means for operators to generate the performance insights they need to run their networks effectively. Operators are now recognising the benefits of using network OSS data to maximise the additional insights that can be extracted from it by combining it with data inputs from passive probe deployments. Polystar is an early pioneer of combining network OSS and passive probe data. The combination of these sources can unlock new insights and help prepare the way for the unprecedented growth in data traffic expected. Contact Polystar now at or Tel: to find out how you can avoid missing out on the accurate insights that combined data reveals. ABOUT POLYSTAR Polystar enables Communications Service Providers to achieve excellence in CEM, Big Data Analytics, Service Assurance, Network Monitoring, Service Enablement and High Performance Testing. We help CSPs to simplify their CEM strategies and drive operational efficiency through real-time network analytics. Polystar s real-time Network and Customer Insights uncover a goldmine of data, which yields indispensable analytics to CSPs. Polystar is recognised as one of the fastest-growing companies in Sweden. Since Polystar s foundation in Stockholm in 1983, we have experienced continuous and sustainable growth, and evolved to a global presence, serving our customers in over 50 countries. For more information, please visit Produced by the mobile industry for the mobile industry, Mobile World Live is the leading multimedia resource that keeps mobile professionals on top of the news and issues shaping the market. It offers daily breaking news from around the globe. Exclusive video interviews with business leaders and event reports provide comprehensive insight into the latest developments and key issues. All enhanced by incisive analysis from our team of expert commentators. Our responsive website design ensures the best reading experience on any device so readers can keep up-todate wherever they are. We also publish five regular enewsletters to keep the mobile industry up-to-speed: The Mobile World Live Daily, plus weekly newsletters on Mobile Apps, Asia, Mobile Devices and Mobile Money. What s more, Mobile World Live produces webinars, the Show Daily publications for all GSMA events and Mobile World Live TV the award-winning broadcast service of Mobile World Congress and exclusive home to all GSMA event keynote presentations. Find out more Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this whitepaper are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the GSMA or its subsidiaries WHITEPAPER