The SIS project: a distributed platform for the integration of telecommunication management systems

Abstract

This paper presents SIS (System for the Integration of Supervision), a system that has established a new paradigm for the management of telecommunication networks. The SIS approach is based on the gradual integration of the existing management systems-which are often proprietary-to a reference integrating platform, while concurrently pursuing the conformance of the platform to the ITU-T network management standard, that is, TMN. The paper presents, besides the platform itself, the methodology adopted in the design of the whole system. It includes the statement of the original problem, requirements, functionalities, and restrictions. The functional, hardware, software and data architectures are also presented, as well as the data distribution schemes and the man-machine interface. The problems found and the solutions adopted throughout the development and deployment phases are also summarized. The platform has been developed in Brazil by the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) jointly and funded by the Minas Gerais State Telecommunications Company (TELEMIG). Today the system is totally deployed, distributed over a large area, collecting data from thousands of points and executing actions upon hundreds of devices.