Objective
The main objective of the project is to develop an open service creation platform which can be applied to TINA and IN architectures. Rapid service creation is recognised as a key requirement for the business opportunities offered by networks providing component based services. This project will build upon the current pragmatic approaches to service creation for Intelligent Networks. In doing so, it will expand upon their functionality, address the openness of these platforms and develop an approach which will provide a streamlined migration to TINA, and combined IN/TINA, service creation.
Expected Achievements
- Development of a number of methods and tools including those for user interaction, service decomposition, service verification, service interaction detection (both for the independent service in isolation and when operating with other services), and decision support.
- Development of target deployment platforms based on TINA and IN/TINA.
- Demonstration of service creation and deployment linked to user trials.
Expected Impact
Rapid and comprehensive user friendly service creation will be commonplace as a method of offering "competitive advantage" in future networks. This project will help to establish this approach by developing a system level service creation platform based on the above objectives, and using current state of the art technology.
Main contributions to the programme objectives:
Main deliverables
Developed an open service creation platform applicable to TINA and IN interworking over and with TINA.
Contribution to the programme
Provided industry with standards and guidelines for the service creation platforms of the future.
Technical Approach
The first part of the project will develop a service creation and deployment platform for a TINA based target network. This service creation platform will draw upon industrial practice, mainly in the creation of intelligent network services. The approach however will be different, given the nature of the TINA architecture as compared to IN structured networks.
The unification of the two will be addressed by emphasis on the use of SDL tools coupled with OMT principles and IDL/ODL interfaces.
Functionality, based on current research findings, will be incorporated into the service creation platform. This will include semi-automated composition/decomposition of services, service validation and interaction detection. The importance of the user interface to the service creation system will also merit special attention. A number of interface types will be explored which will cater for various types of designer from non-technical to technical.
In the second part of the project, the TINA creation process will be extended to include intelligent network interworking. In this part, a number of services will be developed, which are of a cross platform nature. The complications raised by this type of service creation will be explored and demonstrated as part of a second trial. Co-ordination of the services created between two IN platforms and between an IN and TINA platform will be explored.
Summary of Trial
The project has planned two user trials, both of which will be distributed in nature. A TINA based service creation and target deployment platform will be the subject of the first trial and this will be extended to IN/TINA interworking in the second. ATM switching nodes will form the basis of the communications resources for the created TINA services, while narrowband platforms will be used for the IN gateways. These latter elements will be developed using partners' previously designed software components.
Three categories of users will be involved in the development and evaluation of these trials:
- End user business consultants or telecomms managers.
- Service designers employed by Public Network Operator's.
- Developers and users of methods and tools.
Key Issues
- Development of a combined IN/TINA service creation strategy based on component technology migration and interworking.
- Exploration of semi-automated component level service composition/decomposition.
- Exploration of the use of state of the art service verification and service interaction identification techniques in providing solutions to realistic service creation problems.
- Identification and isolation of a number of architecture and component interfaces which will provide "open" service creation platforms.
Fields of science
Call for proposal
Data not availableFunding Scheme
CSC - Cost-sharing contractsCoordinator
9 Dublin
Ireland