ANNUAL REPORT
RESEARCH AREAS
Network Management and OSS
An ACE, or Application Construction Environment, was developed.
Each application is constructed starting from software modules based on the object-oriented paradigm.
The resulting applications use a distributed architecture, in accordance with the studies of the TINA Consortium. During the year, the environment was used to construct applications in the Connection Setup & Mgt and management sectors.
The availability of this environment enables Telecom Italia and software developers to produce applications more quickly and with higher quality.
Application Construction Environment using the TINA approach
Work progressed on the Pan-European TMN Laboratory (PET), which will be used to test interoperability of management systems, applications and interfaces.
The laboratory is being developed as part of the EURESCOM 408 project and involves six interconnected sites: in addition to the one at CSELT, laboratories are located in Germany, France, Spain, Sweden and Great Britain.
During 1995, this facility will make it possible to perform management tests for the Pan-European ATM and SDH networks.
CSELT acts as the project's technical supervisor. By the end of 1994, the first interconnection tests between the six sites had been completed, while the laboratory is scheduled to become fully operative by midway through 1995.
PET laboratory sites
During the year, a number of field surveys were carried out at the operation and maintenance centers in Emilia Romagna, Piemonte, Veneto, Campania, Puglia and Lazio.
These surveys, which involved interviewing personnel at various levels of responsibility, covered the procedural issues, condition and operating problems affecting the Operation Systems (OSs).
For these interviews, a data acquisition method was developed which also led to the preparation of a large number of questionnaires. Analysis of the results of this survey enabled Telecom Italia, with CSELT's assistance, to formulate a series of measures designed to improve the process and system serviceability.
Report on interviews and analysis of results
The growing complexity of telecommunications services and the need to provide customers with fast, flexible support means that sophisticated aids must be made available to the operating company's technical and sales personnel.
Consequently, such aids were developed, subjected to field trails, and released to Telecom Italia in the form of PC software with manuals and operator training.
Systems developed and released in the past year included IODA (Itapac Operator Diagnostic Advisor), MIDA (Multi-function ISDN Diagnostic Advisor), RING (the Italian acronym for Guided Intelligent Network Negotiation), and ISDN GUIDE for promotion and training regarding the ISDN service. In addition, the INES system (ISDN Negotiation Expert System) developed by CSELT in recent years was engineered jointly with the Telecom Italia Information System's Turin IT Center.
The MIDA diagnostic advisor for complaints regarding the ISDN service
High speed Networks and Services
Application Construction Environment using the TINA approach
PET laboratory sites
Report on interviews and analysis of results
The MIDA diagnostic advisor for complaints regarding the ISDN service