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3.3.2 Service life cycle

Overview

Service design (BML/SML)

• Define new service:  characteristics, markets;
• Create Business Plan (target segment, tariff-levels, costs & revenues, ROI).

Service planning (BML-NEL)

• Plan service implementation:  consequences for operations (procedures), network and Network Management.
• Provide data for Service Forecasts in Capacity Management.

Service creation (SML-NEL)

• Define options and tariffs
• Implement new service in the organisation.
• Market the service.

Service provisioning (SML → NML/EML/NEL)

• Prepare contract:  get (potential) customer data (addresses, credibility check) and service options (tariffs, QoS, billing), etc.
  • Locate NEs involved (geographic mapping of topological address to physical equipment), potentially reserve/­pre-allocate capacity.
• Agree contract (commit) → Service Order
  • Define service details
  • Create user service profiles
• Allocate resources
  when they are static in the service to this customer.  Note that there are various allocation schemes (see Capacity Management).
  • when suitable equipment is not available, this should result in Work Orders to Equipment provisioning (install/­adapt equipment & cables);  see Equipment life cycle.
  • for service parts that cannot be provided by yourself, subcontract with other providers.
  • Implement user service profiles (locked) in the network (NEL).
  • Test service (end-to-end).
  • Initiate service usage monitoring & billing.
  The service is now ready to be delivered.
• Commission:  Unlock service profile & inform customer.
  For a scheduled service, Unlocking occurs at the agreed time;  for repetitive services Unlocking and re-Locking occur regularly;  resources may remain allocated.

Service operation

The service can now be activated/­used by the user/­customer.
During this phase, one has to regularly:

• Collect usage data (AM & PM).
• Issue bills.

Service modification (SML → NEL)

• Modify service (profile), potentially bill.

Service cessation (SML → NEL)

• Lock service profile (Administrative state = Locked).
• Wrap-up billing (force resource usage data) & contract.
• Resources:  basically there are two options (trade-off):
  1. the service profile is locked precluding further use, but resources and potentially related equipment remain available (allocated/­reserved).  {It is not always possible to cease the service without changes to equipment (old equipment, e.g. straps).}
  2. resources are de-allocated (potentially re-used for another customer or equipment may be de-installed);
     cancel external (subcontracted) service parts.
• Archive/­delete service profile.

Service termination (BML-NEL)

• Requires planning (analyse impact, migration of and information to remaining customers).

The minor action steps described above are just an indication;  most must be done, but potentially in a different order (depending on service characteristics, availability of resources, likelihood of obtaining the contract, importance of the customer, etc).

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