The recent TMForum’s Digital Transformation conference at Nice France, focused on the evolution of Operational Support Systems (OSS) and Business Support Systems (BSS), as the OSS/BSS industry is facing a transformation. The biggest challenge is that the OSS architecture is changing and is becoming based on openAPIs and common data stores that enable automation and the use of AI and ML.

OSS Architecture

A new architecture is being formulated for Digital Service Providers (DSPs) – DSP is the evolution of Communication Service Provider (CSP). The new OSS architecture requires new generation “smarter” NMS systems but completely replaces OSS/BSS traditional applications with new smaller customer-facing or resource-facing applications.

OpenAPIs​, opensource software, centralized data sources suitable for AI are the critical building blocks of the new architecture.

OSS Architecture

Network as a service (NaaS) / Cloud network

In the new OSS architecture, OSS and BSS are “squeezed”, their functionality is minimized and is now based on catalogs.

  • Services are managed from “cradle to grave”.
  • OpenAPIs are critical
  • Cloud network is not yet a reality but it will soon become reality.

No more silos – no more legacy OSS/BSS

The new architecture eliminates silos by “squeezing” OSS/BSS systems and replacing them with smaller scale applications that use open APIs
to enable a true platform architecture.

the new OSS architecture

We are moving from an island of networks to a software driven catalog enabled architecture

NMS/EMS systems remain, but catalogs are important

In the new OSS architecture, the operational domain is the custodian of services offering the following functions:

  • Expose standard TMF APIs
  • Use standard Service exposures
  • Maintain a catalog of services for the domain
  • Maintain inventory of resources and service instances
  • Develop, grow and exit services
  • Operate and assure exposed services
  • Support composite services, including smaller vendors or domains such as AAA, BNG etc.

EMS NMS on oSS new architecture

 

openAPIs

openAPIs are critical, as they will enable a common architecture across all domains. These openAPIs are based on TMForum APIs and MEF
LSO.

  • TMforum is closely cooperating with MEF for the new APIs.
  • Tier-1 vendors (Vodafone, BT, DT) expressed their belief on the openAPIs value
  • No commercial implementations of openAPIs yet, but lots of trials are taking place.