Framework- and paradigm-based process for TINA service creation

Abstract

Time-to-market for new communication services is far too long. The situation will certainly not improve in the future unless the capabilities of the service creation environments are enhanced and the service creation is simplified. The ACTS Project TOSCA (TINA open service creation architecture), proposed a novel approach that facilitates rapid service creation and allows this task to be performed by less-technically oriented people. The TOSCA approach assumes that for a certain class of services, a flexible software framework is developed. The architecture of TOSCA frameworks follows the TINA principles. A framework is specialised and parameterised by so-called paradigm tools to create particular services. This paper describes how the TOSCA approach should be scaled up to meet the objectives of service creation on an industrial scale. For this purpose, a comprehensive set of development processes has been defined. The paper outlines a general architecture of the processes and discusses in more details the framework and service development processes. The results of practical experiments with the TOSCA approach and user trials are then summarised and evaluated.