**3.3.1 Normal execution**

56 Telecommunications Networks – Current Status and Future Trends


Naturally the exchange of information between processes is crucial in the eTOM. The detailed specification of the information supporting the eTOM is provided by the SID informational framework (Figure 4). The SID provides an information model capable of interpreting dynamic and static information of business processes and respects the decomposition of the eTOM. The SID specification uses extensively UML class diagrams.




behalf of the supplier or enterprise in such cases.

Fig. 4. The main classes of SID: Product, Resource and Service.

considered as involving Services and Resources.

for service delivery.

**3.2 System Information & Data (SID)** 

The normal execution is a normal state of service delivery without SLA violation and the customer will be billed according to services offered and resources reserved. The operation activates a set of processes and many messages are exchanged between them; the SLA verification requires a mapping between Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and Key Quality Indicators (KQI) related to service and resource instances.

The SLA verification activates a number of separate processes (Figure 5) which are able to assess QoS according to their positions in the different layers: Customer, Service and Resource.

Fig. 5. Active processes in SLA verification.

eTOM-Conformant IMS Assurance Management 59

A real-time continuous monitoring of provided services allows early alerts concerning exceeded thresholds and resource failure alarms, which are main causes of violations and SLA unconformity. Most interactions occur within Assurance processes, but interactions are also concerning the Fulfilment processes, and violation is considered for reimbursement

Two specific processes handle the escalation mechanism depicted above: the *Service problem* 

The goal of these two processes is to perform a restoration of services and resources in short time, and to locate troubles before their expansion, with an optional notification to the user. The operation is initiated by a usual collection of data by the **RDC&P** process when detecting and exceeded threshold. The process sends relevant information to **RPM** to alert the **RTM** process; in case of a component failure the communication is done directly

The RPM process sends details to the Service Quality Management (SQM) and to the RTM process, depending on the type of trouble, trying to start procedures for resource restoration; for each attempt it notifies the Service Problem Management (SPM) process to

*Management* and *Resource Trouble Management* processes (Figure 6).

through the Billing processes.

Fig. 6. Active processes in SLA violation.

synchronize their information about troubles (Figure 7).

between **RDC&P** and **RPM**.

The SLA verification involves following processes:


The workflow of the SLA verification consists of following steps:

