Cisco Cisco Prime Fulfillment 6.1 White Paper
Cisco’s RTOSS service fulfilment turns catalogue synchronisation upside down in preparation for NFV | 2
© Analysys Mason Limited 2014
October 2014
Figure 1: Order orchestration and order management interaction [Source: Analysys Mason, 2014]
The multiple catalogues need to be synchronised, which is an
issue today, but a problem in tomorrow
issue today, but a problem in tomorrow
’s virtualised world
Catalogues are synchronised manually or semi-manually today. Even if both catalogues use the same data
model, the process fragments still need to be synchronised. However, if the catalogues use different data
models, a transformation must be done and, often, specific data input manually – usually on the downstream
system, which needs more details to accomplish its task. The data model issue has been partly solved by the
adoption of the TMForum’s SID model and the use of ITIL Master Data Management (MDM) synchronisation
techniques and master product and service catalogues. But much manual work remains. This is a minor problem
adoption of the TMForum’s SID model and the use of ITIL Master Data Management (MDM) synchronisation
techniques and master product and service catalogues. But much manual work remains. This is a minor problem
at the moment because new types of network resources are added at a measured pace. However, when network
resources have been virtualised, new types of virtualised equipment will be quickly added to the network and
new instantiations of the network equipment dynamically created and destroyed, which will add to the
complexity. More-dynamic techniques will be required.
Cisco synchronises
its ‘active catalogue’ to the underlying
domain catalogues, automating the synchronisation
Cisco acquired the Axiom technology several years ago and embarked on a programme of building a dynamic,
‘active’ set of catalogues that are synchronised automatically. In a normal architecture, the catalogues are
synchronised by a ‘bulk push’ down from the master catalogue at regular intervals, or the lower-level catalogue
‘active’ set of catalogues that are synchronised automatically. In a normal architecture, the catalogues are
synchronised by a ‘bulk push’ down from the master catalogue at regular intervals, or the lower-level catalogue
is synchronised with the master catalogue via a publish and subscribe interface. However, the domain catalogues
in Cisco’s system query the individual technology catalogues for their entries – both the inventory and the types
of equipment that are present in the network (see Figure 2). The domain catalogues, in turn, provide the
in Cisco’s system query the individual technology catalogues for their entries – both the inventory and the types
of equipment that are present in the network (see Figure 2). The domain catalogues, in turn, provide the
information to the overall catalogue – supporting the two layers of decomposition described before. The
interfaces are based on the PSA open standard. Some equipment does not conform to the standard so Cisco also
offers an integration gateway that can meet the equipment and system’s existing APIs, normalising them to the
web services PSA standard.
Billing and other
catalogues
Customer order orchestration
CRM
Master
catalogue
Other CRM
catalogues
Network
Activation
Order management
Activation
Order management
Activation
Order management
Service delivery platforms
Network partners
… and so on
Inventory
Inventory
Inventory
Catalogue
Catalogue
Catalogue