Template-driven management of telecommunications network via utilization of operations support services clients
The present invention provides a method of managing telecommunications networks through an Operations Support Services (OSS) client and templates. Using an OSS client and various provisioning templates a network manager may interactively provision network services in one or more network devices, in one or more networks, through one or more network management systems. A network manager may interactively establish connections between an OSS client and an NMS server and network device, or the network manager may employ a control template to non-interactively establish these connections. The client/server architecture allows network managers to access multiple different network management servers through multiple OSS clients, and an OSS client may be downloaded from a web accessible server to provide “manage anywhere” flexibility. Moreover, multiple control and provisioning templates may be ordered and sequenced within a batch template to non-interactively complete multiple provisioning tasks on multiple different network devices managed by multiple different network management systems. Through templates and an OSS client, therefore, one or more network management systems may be integrated with a telecommunication network carrier's OSS to simplify the network device provisioning process.
1. A method of managing telecommunications networks, comprising:
accessing an operations support services (OSS) client;
opening a first connection between the OSS client and a first network management system (NMS) server;
opening a second connection through the OSS client between the first NMS server and a first network device loading a first provisioning template containing both required parameters and modifiable parameters into the OSS client; and
executing the first provisioning template to provision services within the first network device;
wherein said provisioning template may be utilized to configure both said first network device, and a plurality of additional network devices.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
loading a second provisioning template into the OSS client; and
executing the second provisioning template to provision additional services within the first network device.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
opening a third connection through the OSS client between the first NMS server and a second network device; and
executing the first provisioning template to provision services within the second network device.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the first and second network devices are the same type of network device.
5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the first and second network devices are different types of network devices.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
opening a third connection through the OSS client between the first NMS server and a second network device;
loading a second provisioning template into the OSS client; and
executing the second provisioning template to provision services within the second network device.
7. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
closing the second connection between the first NMS server and the first network device.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
opening a third connection between the OSS client and a second NMS server;
opening a fourth connection between the second NMS server and a second network device; and
executing the first provisioning template to provision services within the second network device.
9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
closing the first connection between the OSS client and the first NMS server.
10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
opening a third connection between the OSS client and a second NMS server;
opening a fourth connection between the second NMS server and a second network device; and
executing a second provisioning template to provision services within the second network device.
11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
setting a parameter within the first provisioning template to a new value; and
executing the first provisioning template.
12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
copying the first provisioning template to a second provisioning template;
setting a parameter within the second provisioning template to a new value;
loading the second provisioning template into the OSS client; and
executing the second provisioning template.
13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
copying the first provisioning template to a second provisioning template;
adding a parameter value to the second provisioning template; loading the second provisioning template-into the OSS client; and
executing the second provisioning template.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein accessing an operations support services (OSS) client comprises:
loading the OSS client on an OSS central computer system.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein accessing an operations support services (OSS) client comprises:
using a web browser to access a server; and
downloading the OSS client from the server to a computer system.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the OSS client is a first OSS client and wherein the method further comprises:
accessing a second OSS client;
opening a third connection between the second OSS client and the first network management system (NMS) server;
opening a fourth connection through the second OSS client between the first NMS server and a first network device;
loading the first provisioning template into the second OSS client; and
executing the first provisioning template to provision services within the first network device.
17. A method of managing telecommunications networks, comprising:
accessing an operations support services (OSS) client;
loading a first control template into the OSS client;
executing the first control template to establish a first connection with a first network management system (NMS) server and a second connection with a second network device;
loading a first provisioning template containing both required parameters and modifiable parameters into the OSS client; and
executing the first provisioning template to provision services within the first network device;
wherein said provisioning template may be utilized to configure both said first network device, and a plurality of additional network devices.
18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
setting a network device parameter within the first control template to a new value; and
executing the first control template to establish a third connection with a second network device in accordance with the new value.
19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:
executing the first provisioning template to provision services within the second network device.
20. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
setting a network device parameter within the first control template to a first new value;
setting an NMS server parameter within the first control template to a second new value; and
executing the first control template to establish a third connection with a second NMS server in accordance with the second new valued and to establish a fourth connection with a second network device in accordance with the first new value.
21. The method of claim 20 , further comprising:
executing the first provisioning template to provision services within the second network device.
22. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
loading a second control template into the OSS client; and
executing the second control template to establish a third connection with a second network management system (NMS) server and a fourth connection with a second network device.
23. The method of claim 22 , further comprising:
executing the first provisioning template to provision services within the second network device.
24. A method of managing telecommunications networks, comprising:
accessing an operations support services (OSS) client;
loading a batch template into the OSS client;
executing a first control template to establish a first connection with a first network management system (NMS) server and a second connection with a first network device; and
executing a first provisioning template containing both required parameters and modifiable parameters to provision services within the first network device;
wherein said provisioning template may be utilized to configure both said first network device, and a plurality of additional network devices.
25. The method of claim 24 , wherein executing the batch template further comprises:
setting a network device parameter within the first control template to a new value; and
executing the first control template to establish a third connection with a second network device in accordance with the new value.
26. The method of claim 25 , wherein executing the batch template further comprises:
executing the first provisioning template to provision services within the second network device.
27. The method of claim 25 , wherein executing the batch template further comprises:
executing a second provisioning template to provision services within the second network device.
28. The method of claim 24 , wherein executing the batch template further comprises:
setting a network device parameter within the first control template to a first new value;
setting an NMS server parameter within the first control template to a second new value; and
executing the first control template to establish a third connection with a second NMS server in accordance with the second new value and to establish a fourth connection with a second network device in accordance with the first new value.
29. The method of claim 28 , wherein executing the batch template further comprises:
executing the first provisioning template to provision services within the second network device.
30. The method of claim 28 , wherein executing the batch template further comprises:
executing a second provisioning template to provision services within the second network device.
31. The method of claim 24 , wherein executing the batch template further comprises:
loading a second control template into the OSS client; and
executing the second control template to establish a third connection with a second NMS server and a fourth connection with a second network device.
32. The method of claim 24 , wherein executing the batch template further comprises:
executing the first provisioning template to provision services within the second network device.
33. The method of claim 24 , wherein executing the batch template further comprises:
executing a second provisioning template to provision services within the second network device.
34. The method of claim 24 , wherein before executing the batch template, the method further comprises:
opening a first connection between the OSS client and a network management system (NMS) server;
opening a second connection between the NMS server and a network device; and
wherein executing the batch template comprises:
executing a first provisioning template to provision services within the network device.
35. The method of claim 34 , wherein executing the batch template further comprises:
executing a second provisioning template to provision services within the network device.