Next generation switching operations: a fiber center perspective

Early work to define the functional attributes of next-generation switching (NGS) technology suggests a change in the way switching system functions and processes are likely to be organized. This provides a catalyst for restructuring operations processes throughout the network. The authors explore alternatives to the way operations processes have traditionally been structured and introduce a three-layered NGS operations model optimized for a network in which NGS technology is prominent. This model is based on the relationship of operations processes to a fiber center. Because of its expected prominence and its long-term stability as a fundamental segment of the network, the fiber center can be viewed as an operations focal point in the next-generation network. Some functions that could be performed within a fiber center purview include those in the categories of service negotiation, service provisioning, billing, memory administration, network maintenance, network data collection, network traffic management, and service management