Providing operation services for networks via operations service servers
Systems and methods of provide operations services for networks through an operations service switch. Multiple customers of the operations service may obtain operations service through the operations switch, as opposed to implementing operations services themselves. Operations service servers are in communication with the operations switch so as to be available for providing operations services to the customer accessing the operations switch. The operations switch may then establish communication links between the customer networks and the operations service servers to facilitate a centralized manner of providing operations services to the customer networks.
1. An operations service server comprising:
a processor; and
a memory having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
receiving a request from an operations switch associated with a first network address, wherein the request includes a second network address associated with a customer network and specifies an operations service to provide to the customer network associated with the second network address, wherein the second network address is an IP address;
configuring the operations service based on the request;
causing a second communication link to the customer network to be established, wherein the second communication link is an IP based point-to-point link between the operations service server and the second network address that remains active until a request for termination of the operations service is received by the operations service server; and
causing the operations service to be provided to the customer network at the second network address over the second communication link.
2. The operations service server of claim 1 , wherein the operations service comprises a fault management application that handles faults within the customer network associated with the second network address.
3. The operations service server of claim 1 , wherein the operations service comprises a security management application that maintains security for access attempts to the customer network associated with the second network address.
4. The operations service server of claim 1 , wherein the operations service comprises an asset and inventory management application that handles asset and inventory management tasks for the customer network associated with the second network address.
5. The operations service server of claim 1 , wherein the operations service comprises a provisioning, a configuration, and an activation feature for network equipment of the customer network associated with the second network address.
6. The operations service server of claim 1 , wherein the customer network associated with the second network address corresponds to a network of a plurality of customer networks that include service provider networks operated by service providers.
7. The operations service server of claim 1 , wherein the customer network associated with the second network address corresponds to a network of a plurality of customer networks operated by users of service providers.
8. A method, comprising:
receiving, by a processor in an operations service server, a request from an operations switch associated with a first network address, wherein the request includes a second network address associated with a customer network and specifies an operations service to provide to the customer network associated with the second network address, wherein the second network address is an IP address;
configuring, by the processor, the operations service based on the request; and
causing a communication link to the customer network to be established, wherein the communication link is an IP based point-to-point link between the operations service server and the second network address that remains active until a request for termination of the operations service is received by the operations service server; and
causing the operations service to be provided over the communication link to the customer network at the second network address.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein providing the operations service over the communications link to the customer network at the second network address comprises providing a fault management service that handles faults within the customer network associated with the second network address.
10. The method of claim 8 , wherein providing the operations service over the communications link to the customer network at the second network address comprises providing a security management service that maintains security for access attempts to the customer network associated with the second network address.
11. The method of claim 8 , wherein providing the operations service over the communications link to the customer network at the second network address comprises providing an asset and inventory management service for the asset and inventory management of network equipment of the customer network.
12. The method of claim 8 , wherein providing the operations service over the communications link to the customer network at the second network address comprises providing a service for provisioning, configuring, and activating network equipment of the customer network.
13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the customer network associated with the second network address corresponds to a network of a plurality of customer networks that include service provider networks operated by service providers.
14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the customer network associated with the second network address corresponds to a network of a plurality of customer networks operated by users of service providers.
15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having encoded thereon computer readable instructions that, when executed by a processor of an operations service server, cause the processor to perform operations according to the instructions comprising:
receiving, from an operations switch associated with a first network address, a request, the request including a second network address associated with a customer network and specifying an operations service to provide to the customer network associated with the second network address, wherein the second network address is an IP address;
configuring the operations service based on the request;
causing a communication link to the customer network to be established, wherein the communication link is an IP based point-to-point link between the operations service server and the second network address that remains active until a request for termination of the operations service is received by the operations service server; and
causing the operations service to be provided over the communication link to the customer network at the second network address.
16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the instructions for providing the operations service further comprise instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform providing a fault management service that handles faults within the customer network associated with the second network address.
17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the instructions for providing the operations service further comprise instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform providing a security management service that maintains security for access attempts to the customer network associated with the second network address.
18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the instructions for providing the operations service further comprise instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform providing an asset and inventory management service for the asset and inventory management of network equipment of the customer network.
19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the instructions for providing the operations service further comprise instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform providing a service for provisioning, configuring, and activating network equipment of the customer network.
20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the customer network associated with the second network address corresponds to a network of a plurality of customer networks including service provider networks operated by service providers and networks operated by users of service providers.