A management architecture for IP over WDM integration
Dr. Fotis Karayannis
1 , Mr. Lampros Raptis 2 , Dr. Joan Serrat 3 , Mr. Giorgos Chatzilias 2 , Mr. Dimitris Chronis 4
1 OTE Consulting 2 National Technical University of Athens 3 Universitat Politcnica de Catalunya 4 Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation SA
Abstract Most trends in IP-WDM integration exhibit the volition to extend the distributed Internet network control approach to the Optical Layer using signalling mechanisms either in an Overlay model or a Peer model. This paper proposes an alternative approach for providing Internet services over the Optical Transport Network by extending the telecom-style network management approach to the IP layer with the cooperation of MPLS Internet protocol. The appropriate synergy and integration of the two layers is performed with management functions capable of performing integrated provisioning of Label Switched Paths (LSPs) over optical channels, as well as integrated multi-layer fault and performance management. This approach is a mid-term solution, followed by a transition period where the control and management plane will interact with each other, till the signalling mechanisms gradually dominate the IP over optical area. The proposed management solution has been adopted and is being investigated by WINMAN 1, an ongoing European research and development project, whose aim is to offer an integrated network management solution for the provisioning of end- to-end IP connectivity services derived from Service Level Agreements (SLAs).
Todays efforts in the telecom industry and the Internet community are characterised by the trend to automate the provisioning of connectivity in terms of Optical Channels (OCh) in the WDM layer or Label Switched Paths in the MPLS layer through the use of the control plane using signalling protocols. The frameworks working in this direction are the ASON/ASTN towards the first and MplambdaS and GMPLS towards the latter. ASON is pursued among other standardisation bodies by the ITU-T SG 13 and 15, while MPLambdaS and GMPLS are more related to the IETF technical groups like IP over Optics (IPO). One of the basic reasons for using the control plane is to speed up circuit provision, which otherwise can take up to months in the case of OChs. However, this is not the case with the network operators that have developed their own management systems, either WDM or IP/MPLS that allow hundreds of OChs or LSPs to be up or taken down each day by means of autorouting and network configuration tools. WINMAN is based on the latter approach, i.e. using the management plane for fast and efficient establishment of MPLS LSP or Optical Channels not only separately for each layer, but in an integrated way for both layers, providing integrated configuration, performance and fault management functionality.
1 The "WDM and IP Network Management (WINMAN)" project http://www.telecom.ntua.gr/winman, started on July 2000, and is co-funded by the European Community under the IST Programme. The partners of the WINMAN consortium are: Lucent Technologies Nederland, Ellemedia Technologies Ltd., Telefnica I+D, Portugal Telecom Inovaao, Hellenic Telecommunications Organization (OTE) SA, OTE Consulting, National Technical University of Athens, University College of London, Universitat Politcnica de Catalunya and TTI Telecom. The views presented in this paper reflect the authors opinions.
The concept of Control Plane and Management Plane has been introduced in the B-ISDN Reference Model [1]. The control-based scheme is a real-time approach using signalling distributed protocols among network elements for service provisioning and traffic engineering and it is the approach that is used in the Internet. On the other hand, the management based- scheme is a near-real-time approach for managing the network through appropriate external interfaces that the network devices offer towards the operator. This approach is fostered by the Telecom Operators community. In parallel, IP and WDM technologies provide distinct services to its customers, and their interaction is kept under the plain encapsulation of IP client layer packets in lower order server technologies. What has been proposed by most researchers is to extend the signalling mechanisms of the Internet to the WDM layer and control in an integrated way the two layers with the Internet style. This paper proposes not only preserving the telecom style approach in the Optical Layer, but also extending it into the IP layer for the provisioning of integrated Internet services using management functions.
2 Control vs Management Approaches for Multi-layer Integration
2.1 Control Plane Approach Control plane is used in the literature to refer to the set of real-time mechanisms and algorithms needed for call or connection control. It deals mainly with the signalling to set-up, supervise and release calls and connections [1]. Although, a detailed de-composition of the control plane and a description of each component is not the purpose of this paper, we can safely assume that the signalling protocol for connection set-up and the routing protocols supporting network discovery are the most significant features of the control plane. In that respect, it is significantly easier to follow all the recent advances and proposals about the integration of multiple layers such as IP/MPLS, ATM, SDH, WDM, but focusing in the integration of IP-electrical world and the WDM-Optical ones.
Different business models [2] have been identified for the Multi-layer integration, each one imposing different requirements, mainly in the areas of security and dissemination of topology information. In [13] and [14] three inter-working scenarios are described: - The Overlay model, where the routing algorithm, topology distribution and connection set-up signalling protocols of the IP and the WDM networks are independent - The Peer model, where the IP network has full topological view of the optical network and just a single routing algorithm instance is running in both the IP and the WDM network - The Augmented model, being a combination of the previous two models. Each layer has its own protocols, however routing information exchange is allowed between the two layers. The overlay model is the one that allows an easy migration from the existing situation to the deployment of optical network elements (ONEs) for the transport of the IP directly over WDM. However, the implementation complexity of this model is a burden and it does not promote the integration of the control plane of the IP and the WDM networks. Only a formal request is passed from the client layer to the server layer. On the other hand, the peer model, which promotes the integration of the control plane of the IP and the WDM networks, is simpler in implementation, but its operation is far more complex than the overlay. In addition, the separation of the IP and WDM administrative domains (Internet Service Provider versus Lambda Service Provider), which usually is desirable, is not straightforward. Finally, the augmented model is the golden mean, combing the advantages of the peer and overlay model and minimizing their disadvantages at the same time. In our opinion, such an automatic provisioning of end-to-end IP services cannot yet be provided by signalling means in a real network environment, since all the above-mentioned proposals are still in an early stage. Since standards are in their definition phase, the interoperability of ONEs belonging to different manufactures is an open issue and is not foreseen in the instant future. Additionally, the different approaches or proposals are currently implemented and evaluated in field trials and have not been deployed in real network environments, which are much more complex than the lab environments. Many standardization bodies as well as international fora have addressed the issue of integrating the control plane of the MPLS-capable IP and the WDM network elements (NE). The ITU-T study groups 13 and 15 are working on the direction of Automatic Switched Optical Networks (ASON)/Automatic Switched Transport Networks (ASTN) framework. In parallel ASON is being investigated by multiple European research projects such as IST and EURESCOM and is being closely followed by the different vendors. [2] ASON extends the Optical Transport Network (OTN) idea [3], having the capability of provisioning in an automatic and fast way end-to-end Optical Channel connections via the control plane as the outcome of a request of any client layer called User such as IP/MPLS, ATM, SDH etc. through a User to Network Interface (UNI) interface, where the Network is the enhanced OTN, and a Network to Network Interface (NNI). In other words the UNI is the interface between the control planes of the client layer such as MPLS and the ASON, while the NNI is the interface between the control plane of the ASON ONEs or Optical Subnetworks, either of the same administrative domain called Internal NNI (I-NNI) or of different administrative domains called Exterior NNI or (E-NNI). In addition, ASON promotes the interaction between the management plane and the ASON control plane through a corresponding management interface called NMI-A, that is capable of triggering and monitoring the request instead of the UNI, and in this case the latter request is further propagated through the NNIs. The connections that are foreseen in the ASON framework are the switched optical channels through the UNI/NNI and the soft permanent optical channels through the NMI-A/NNI. ITU-T will try to push the soft permanent schema first, because of its easier and faster deployment as opposed to the switched ones, whose standardisation will require much more effort and time. ASTN has generalised the framework and the control/management architecture also to cover the SDH layer, while ASON now focuses on the detailed functional requirements for each transport layer. Nevertheless, ASTN/ASON deals up to now with the automating provisioning of connectivity in the WDM and SDH layers, and not the IP/MPLS layers. ASON supposes the overlay model, which as mentioned has different advantages in its Business Model, such as the separation of the client and server layer administrative domains. Besides ITU initiatives, the OIF and the ODSI forums have made one step towards the definition of the appropriate UNI signalling messages ([5], [6]), which will allow the dynamic set-up of end- to-end connections between IP routers spanning the optical network. The latter has suspended its operation as announced in their official site [reference to OIF]. On the other hand, the IETF has proposed the MPLambdaS framework [4], which extends the MPLS ideas to the optical domain, allowing the re-usability of the existing Internet protocols with the appropriate extensions. The OSPF as well as the IS-IS routing protocols have been enhanced to disseminate information relevant to the optical domain ([7] , [8]). Furthermore, [10] and [9] present the mapping between the signalling messages defined in [5] and existing IP/MPLS signalling protocols, namely RSVP-TE and CR-LDP. MplambdaS was based on the peer model, enabling the direct interaction and integrated routing among the two. IEFT extended the MPLambdaS framework with Generalised MPLS or GMPLS [11], which was limited to MPLS/WDM interaction to multiple layers. In this sense, Label Switch Routers (LSR) can take forwarding decisions based not only on packets and cells but also on time slots, wavelengths and physical ports. In [11] four classes of interfaces on LSRs are being defined, namely the Packet-Switch Capable (PSC), the Time Division Multiplex Capable (TDM), the Lambda Switch Capable (LSC) and finally the Fibre Switch Capable (FSC). Using label stacking, a forwarding hierarchy can be built, where at the top of the hierarchy FSC interfaces are present, incorporating LSC interfaces, which in turn incorporate TDM interfaces, followed by PSC interfaces. GMPLS is not restricted by the Peer model, but is extended to cope with the overlay or augmented models. MPLambdaS, in contradiction to ASON/ASTN, focused in the provisioning of MPLS LSPs, but it was extended through GMPLS to multiple layers, thus becoming a superset of ASON as far as the context is concerned. It is obvious that one of the main reasons for the above control plane frameworks is the acceleration of the connectivity provisioning. Nevertheless, this is not the case for some of the equipment vendors or telecom operators that through their sophisticated management systems can do a series of functions covering the control plane functionality. In the next section this view is being described, which as a medium-term solution is proposed by this paper.
2.2 Management Plane Approach
The term management plane is used in the literature to refer to the set of near real-time management mechanisms and algorithms related to the system as a whole and to the OAM [1]. It deals mainly with the procedures related to five functional areas, namely Configuration, Fault, Accounting, Performance and Security (FCAPS). The three main management functions of the FCAPS, which have similar functionality with the control plane functions, thus competing each other, are path provisioning with routing and QoS support, in the Configuration Management Area, and automatic recovery of failures or performance degradations in the Fault and Performance Management Areas. Network Management functionality mainly exists independently for the IP-electrical world and the WDM-Optical world rather than for the integration of the two worlds. In this direction we will first deal with the advances and proposals for IP layer and WDM layer separately and then we will provide the limited efforts on their integration. The appearance of the MPLS protocol makes the IP network resemble a connection-oriented network. This paves the way to extend network and service management to the IP layer. On the other hand, the paradigm of Policy Based Network Management (PBNM) enters also into the arena with the Common Open Policy Service (COPS) ([15], [16]). The motivation is to be able to automate the management of the network devices and hence to allow scalable network management solutions. Very recently, the IETF has already provided policies and mapping mechanisms for networks based on MPLS. The opportunities of MPLS and PBNM will be further investigated in our research work. On the other hand, Management is dominant in the Optical Layer. WDM equipment manufacturers have adopted the SDH-style Management Systems although standardisation efforts are not yet paving very fast. They provide TMN-layered sophisticated management systems in the Element Management Layer (EML) -Element Managers- and Network Management Layer (NML) -Network Managers. Service Management Layer (SML) functionality, although still limited in commercial products, is complementary to the Network Layer providing end-to-end path provisioning services specialised per customer (optical channels, optical VPNs) and limited fault or performance management to identify service impact for client signals, mainly ATM and SDH. In addition some lightweight integration is performed by including the WDM management functionality inside the SDH management systems. Real multi-technology management integration in terms of configuration, fault or performance is still under development in commercial product releases. Efforts have been reported on SDH/WDM, which are now commercially available, providing integrated end-to-end SDH paths over WDM OChs. As a next step ATM/SDH/WDM or even IP/ATM/SDH/WDM integrated management systems will appear, capturing the strong demand for IP oriented services. Tele Management Forum (TMF) has launched a series of programs along with the supporting catalyst projects to capture the needs of network operators and service providers to enable the technology integration and the end-to-end process automation of telecommunications and data services operations [17]. The Telecom Operations Map (TOM) is one of the main frameworks for accomplishing the above mission. The TOM defines the business processes and their interactions used by Service Providers in the Customer, Service and Network Management areas. In this context, TMF has adopted and started specifying a transport- technology-independent common management interface from the EML towards the NML and from the NML towards the SML, sometimes called the Open CORBA interface. The transport technologies under consideration are ATM, SDH and WDM domains with the focus of attention given to WDM, being soon the new dominant in transport networks. As a next step, the technology neutral management interface will be adapted to an IP connection- oriented model characterised by MPLS technology. In this view, the necessity of an Integrated or Inter-technology-domain NMS (INMS) is pointed out by most manufacturers serving as an umbrella on top of the single technology domain management systems, providing southbound IDL interfaces towards the technology-domains and northbound interfaces to the Service Management Systems (SMS). 3 Proposed Management Architecture Such an Inter-technology Management Architecture is proposed by this paper. The management architecture is obviously based on an overlay model and identifies a management system for each technology i.e. IP/MPLS, ATM, SDH and WDM accompanied by one Inter-technology management system [18]. This paper focuses only on the INMS and on the MPLS-capable-IP and WDM management systems, since ATM and SDH have been dealt extensively in the past. The proposed system architecture is composed by one INMS and several NMSs devoted to the specific network technologies. The main focus will be the implementation of the INMS for Configuration, Fault and Performance Management with open interfaces to the Service Management and the Network Management Systems of the WDM and IP technologies complemented with a Graphical User Interface. The work done by TMF will be used as a starting point with the appropriate extensions to support the IP technology. Our intention is to define and implement a standard connection-oriented technology neutral interface supporting IP and WDM technologies. In addition, the WDM and IP NMS will be designed and implemented from scratch, following a technology-neutral internal architecture and providing in turn open interfaces towards the vendor-specific WDM and IP EMSs.
3.1 Business Model Figure 1 depicts the elements of the corresponding business model, the involved actors and the services or facilities they can get through their interaction. The proposed management solution is intended for two broad categories of users. The first category consists of network operators or ISPs (with or without their own network infrastructure). These users will make use of such management architecture to increase revenues by offering improved and more efficient services to their customers. The second category of users are third parties interested in building sophisticated management solutions for their own services (i.e. Virtual Private Networks subscribers). Both categories of users will shape the system requirements.
In the field of the services, two types are considered. The first type includes connectivity services that support real-time data transport over IP, like voice and multimedia applications (Voice over IP-VoIP, Multimedia over IP-MoIP). The second type embraces connectivity services for the establishment of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs).
The proposed architecture, which is derived from the enterprise model, is depicted in figure 2. This approach is independent of the transport network technology. This means that, although the lowest transport network layer equipment will always be the WDM, the equipment between IP and the WDM layer could be ATM and SDH, or SDH only (IP/SDH/WDM), or none, with just a thin adaptation layer realized by the IP equipment (Packet over SDH, Gigabit Ethernet etc.) The solution will add value by integrating the management of the above mentioned transport layers as opposed to the independent management of each of them individually. The emphasis will be on the operational aspects of these scenarios. The overall problem of designing, deploying, managing and controlling an IP Optical Network encompasses several areas including: network design and configuration, Performance Monitoring, Fault Management, IP/WDM routing and Topology management.
Figure 1 Proposed Business Model
Classification and characterisation not only of the current, but also of the upcoming and future IP-based applications is considered another research goal in order to get an open and flexible approach. Service requirements derived from pre-determined Service Level Agreements (SLAs) will be converted into policies, which in turn will be enforced by management systems.
3.2 System architecture The proposed management systems will be designed by applying mainly Open Distributed Processing (ODP) principles taking also into consideration the Telecommunications Management Network (TMN) framework. The TMN architecture structures the management complexity by layering the management applications, defining a common data model, enabling re-use of management data, and specifying system interfaces. ODP goes one step further, enabling the design of management applications that are independent of distribution, the underlying infrastructure and management protocols.
VPN Business User VoIP Business User VoIP Residential User PSTN Business User PSTN Residential User VPN Business Customer VoIP Business Customer VoIP Residential Customer PSTN Business Customer PSTN Residential Customer VPN Service Provider VoIP Service Provider Other VASP N MS Network and Service Provider IP Network Provider ATM Network Provider SDH Network Provider WDM Network Provider IP Network Management Provider SDH Network Management Provider WDM Net work Management Provider ATM Network Management Provider VPN Business User VoIP Business User VoIP Residential User PSTN Business User PSTN Residential User VPN Business Customer VoIP Business Customer VoIP Residential Customer PSTN Business Customer PSTN Residential Customer VPN Service Provider VoIP Service Provider Other VASP N MS Network Management Provider IP Network Provider ATM Network Provider SDH Network Provider WDM Network Provider IP Network Management Provider SDH Network Management Provider WDM Network Management Provider ATM Network Management Provider M oIP Business User M oIP Business Customer VPN Business User VoIP Business User VoIP Residential User PSTN Business User PSTN Residential User VPN Business Customer VoIP Business Customer VoIP Residential Customer PSTN Business Customer PSTN Residential Customer VPN Service Provider VoIP Service Provider Other VASP N MS Network and Service Provider IP Network Provider ATM Network Provider SDH Network Provider WDM Network Provider IP Network Management Provider SDH Network Management Provider WDM Network Management Provider ATM Network Management Provider VPN Business User VoIP Business User VoIP Residential User PSTN Business User PSTN Residential User VPN Business Customer VoIP Business Customer VoIP Residential Customer PSTN Business Customer PSTN Residential Customer VPN Service Provider VoIP Service Provider I N MS Network Management Provider IP Network Provider ATM Network Provider SDH Network Provider WDM Network Provider IP Network Management Provider SDH Network Management Provider WDM Network Management Provider ATM Network Management Provider M oIP Business User M oIP Business Customer ISP Service Provider Other VASP Provider VASP Provider The project is implementing an Inter-technology Network Management System (INMS) for Configuration, Fault and Performance Management with an open interface to the Service Management and the Network Management Systems of the different domains (WDM, IP, ATM, and SDH) complemented with a GUI. These open interfaces will support applications from different users (e.g. third parties that want to manage by themselves the capacity that they hire from a transport network operator), and will run in a multi-vendor environment.
Figure 2: Proposed Management Architecture
The components of the above systems can be distributed over a number of nodes connected by the Data Communication Network. The components have a published interface, over which they can request and send information. The degree of distribution in that case is transparent to the components of the proposed solution. The components do not have knowledge on the location of the other components, whether they are collocated on the same node or running on a node thousands of kilometres away. The maximum degree of distribution is to have one node for every management component. These concepts are depicted in the figure 3.
The following identif ied functional requirements have been considered per management area: Configuration Management The Configuration Management application enables single point access to provisioning tasks and to end-to-end views of connections and their underlying infrastructure and facilities, independent of the technology. The main function is: The Provisioning of end-to-end Label Switched Paths (LSPs) over Optical Channels using MPLS technology with QoS support. In this context the Inter Technology Management System should be capable of calculating (routing), designing and creating MPLS LSPs over the corresponding OChs in the optical layer. Fault Management The Fault Management application collects faults across different technology NMSs and determines the root cause and the layer responsible for the fault. Topology information and IP ATM SDH WDM IP NMS ATM NMS SDH NMS WDM NMS SERVICE LEVEL Integrated Level Technology Dependent Level NETWORK LEVEL NETWORK-ELEMENT LEVEL Network Operator GUI THIRD PARTIES API INTER-TECHNOLOGY NMS CM FM PM Systems will not be implemented WWW user-defined rules are applied to faults received from the NMSs fault managers. The main function is: The report and recovery of faults in the IP or Optical layer in an intelligent and integrated way. Reporting of primary faults should be supported after the corresponding filtering, analysis and correlation of the multiple alarms that are propagated in case of a single fault. The report should include all the attributes of the anticipated alarms together with the list of affected LSPs. An automatic fault restoration mechanism should apply to restore all the affected LSPs triggered by the inter- technology management system after the integrated analysis and correlation of the propagated alarms.
IP EMS Domain Manager NMS SDH EMS Domain Manager NMS ATM EMS Domain Manager NMS End-to-End Design Manager Inter-Domain Configuration Manager Design DB Implementa tion Manager Perfroma nce Manager PM data DB Inter-Domain Performance Manager Fault Topology DB Fault Correlation Manager Inter-Domain Fault Manager WDM EMS Domain Manager NMS Inventory DB Physical Inventory Manager Published CORBA API Service Management Layer Published CORBA API WDM SDH ATM Systems will not be implemented IP Network Element Level Network Management Level Network Element Management Level Network Operator GUI Service Management Level Service Management Trouble Manager Customer Service Manager Service Level Reporter Billing Manager Order Manager
Figure 3: WINMAN System Architecture
Performance Management The Performance Management application collects data from the technology NMSs and processes these data in order to assess the performance of the network and the usage of the resources. Based on these assessment results, the operator is able to perform pro-active management of transport capacity across their multi-layer network and is able to perform pro- active management in order to prevent congestions (hot-spots) affecting the service in the network. The main function is to: Monitor, filter and report performance data. The INMS shall monitor the basic traffic and QoS network parameters of the LSPs and report service degradations in case of performance gauges or counters threshold crossings. The above functionality is currently being designed in the WINMAN research project [18] and will be implemented, tested and demonstrated in a field trial.
4 Evaluation and field trials Consistent with the main objective of this project, the WINMAN solution, in essence a management software product, will be validated on a trial infrastructure, equipped with appropriately interconnected Network Elements (NEs), the corresponding management platforms and one or more data connection networks (DCNs).
Figure 4: WINMAN Trial Configuration
Partners in the consortium will provide test sites or even public networks [19] for the validation and verification of the WINMAN management solutions. These sites offer different types of networks (IP/WDM, IP/ATM/SDH/WDM, and other combinations) and different types of IP applications running on these networks. The project will investigate these sites and will determine, based on pre-defined criteria, sites suitable for WINMAN deployment.
Optical ADM OpticalADM Optical ADM Hub Gigabit Ethernet switch LAN (10/100 Mbs IP/Ethernet) Gigabit Ethernet switch/ IProuter DPE Platform WDM IP ATM SDH InterDomain Performance Management (PM) InterDomain Fault Management (FM) InterDomain Configuration Management(CM) LAN (10/100 Mbs IP/Ethernet) Optical ADM Optical ADM OpticalADM Hub Gigabit Ethernet switch Gigabit Ethernet switch LAN (10/100 Mbs IP/Ethernet) Gigabit Ethernet switch/ IP router Internet IP WDM EMS CM, FM, PM ENCAPSULATION CM, FM, PM NMS IP WDM EMS CM, FM, PM ENCAPSULATION CM, FM, PM NMS ATM SDH EMS encapsulation CM, FM, PM NMS CM, FM, PM ENCAPSULATION DCN The selected sites may be interconnected through the Internet. This will create the WINMAN Infrastructure that will allow the project to validate and verify the Inter-Domain Network Management solution for provisioning and maintenance of end-to-end IP connections traversing hybrid transport networks. A possible instance of this trial configuration is depicted in figure 4. 5 Conclusions This paper gives an overview of the work carried out in the IST Project WINMAN whose main task is to develop and validate an open and flexible integrated management of IP over WDM networks. The project will contribute to the establishment and operation of worldwide IP over WDM networks. The trials envisaged in the WINMAN project would demonstrate inter-connectivity across a worldwide network management infrastructure in a multi-provider and multi-domain environment. The proposed architecture and enterprise model of the initial WINMAN specifications makes possible the development, provision and validation of a novel Integrated Network Management architecture for future IP networks.
During its two-year and a half life span, the WINMAN project will develop and validate innovative solutions in the field of integrated management of IP over WDM networks.
6 Acknowledgements This paper describes work undertaken and in progress in the context of the WINMAN IST 13305, a two and a half years research and development project during 2000-2002. The IST programme is partially funded by the Commission of the European Union.
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