M*Ware Services

To appreciate the open M*Ware architecture that allows customers to configure advanced network applications in exactly the way they need it, one needs to understand the concept of M*Ware Services.

There are generic M*Ware system services that support any type of network application.

• Naming

• Notification

• Log 

• Activity 

• Profile

• Transport

The other services are optional and provide specific application functions or one of the FCAPS functionality.

The available M*Ware FCAPS services are:

• For Fault Management

  • Fault or Alarm Management

  • Alarm diagnosis and correlation 

  • Connection and Service Management 

  • Protection switching 

• For Performance and QoS Management 

  • Performance Management 

  • QoS Management 

  • House keeping 

• For Configuration Management 

  • Topology

  •  Network discovery 

  • Inventory 

  • Inventory discovery 

  • Audit 

  • Software distribution 

  • Delayed activation 

  • Request multicast 

  • Test 

• For Security Management 

  • Profile 

Additional application services include: 

• Rules based mediation using JavaScript 

• Rules based mediation using ILOG Rules

• Trouble ticket management

• Fault Tolerance 

A customer can buy the required services, with the confidence that it will be easy and very cost efficient to enhance functionality when it is required. For example, to configure a Convergent Management application i.e., an embedded agent, or an agent/manager application without GUI, or an EMS, NMS or SMS, the customer purchases a specific set of services and interfaces. These services can be easily extended to support Fault Tolerance service in the future.

REAL Access to functionalities 

Any Java and C++ programmer can use the M*Ware platform and the M*Ware services after a few weeks of training, and will have such advanced, in depth access to the system that he will be able to exactly build the required application as it fits the operator environment. This “building” process does not need to take longer than the 4 to 6 weeks, normally allocated for “customization” of so called "off-the-shelf-applications".

What is a Service technically?

A service is an application module providing a specific functionality for the M*Ware application. A service is an independent entity which can be started, shutdown and/or having relationship with other services and contains: 

• A very advanced, standard-based solution to a specific set of (process) requirements. 

• A model representing the requirements (Data, Operations and Behavior) and an implementation of the model. 

• A programming interface to access, customize and extend the functionality of the service. 

• An external interface to provision the service (e.g., Create User). 

• A set of beans to create GUI or other applications. 

• A presentation (GUI, Web based or stand alone) to provision and access the functionality offered by the service. 

Services can be managed using Service Managers that provide service specific interface to the client application. (For example, the “Profile Service” Manager provides an API to login and establish a session, logout, change password, etc.) Service Managers maintain the necessary knowledge about distributed applications.