A new OAM function for accounting: exchanging ATM charging data

In the approach to the accounting function of TMN in the service management layer, we have taken the traditional view of a layered architecture with operations systems communicating across Q-interfaces. This design philosophy, as it might be called, allows a consistent design of the accounting interfaces for the ATM accounting function. For TMN, a method of linking trough the management layers is used based on protocols. These protocols are in general slow or do not allow a high bulk transfer. An implementation approach can be taken for the TMN that uses a very high speed data communication network on the lowest layer in real time, and that, as an added advantage, utilises the existing information flows for signalling. This paper investigates if it might be possible to tap the wealth of information in signalling and transfer this to the location of the charging function by a dedicated communication link. At the same time the proposed mechanism-a set of OAM cells-can be used to convey additional information about usage (cell counts) also needed for accounting, with appropriate (de)activation messages