The world of network inventory has changed dramatically since its inception. Today, operators are tasked with managing evolving network technologies and waves of investment that includes the cloudification and virtualization of networks, sustainability and energy reduction, and an increased usage of radio/cellular networks.
Traditional network inventory solutions are no longer sufficient to support these new demands. Hybrid infrastructure management tools are needed to support resource, asset lifecycle, activation and assurance scenarios, as well as the more dynamic, virtualized, cloudified, radio-centric, power-optimized and expanded-reach networks of the future. Organizations that implement a hybrid infrastructure management tool will be able to harness the force of these trends and gain a significant competitive advantage.
New demands, new tools
While network inventory solutions (NIMs) are still needed to support traditional workflows such as resource management, asset lifecycles, service activation, service assurance, and predictive maintenance, the way in which they support these workflows has changed significantly. Inventory updates, for example, must be performed with increased dynamic (e. g., event-driven) as virtualized network resource allocations change fast and frequently. In addition to supporting traditional resources from physical network devices to communications rooms, modern NIMs must also now support the resources that underpin hybrid infrastructure that includes:
- Data centers and data center infrastructure management (DCIM), which includes power and environmental management (HVAC - Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning), CRAC / CRAH (Computer Room Air Conditioning / Handling), and building management systems (BMS)
- Cloud infrastructure and virtualized network objects such as virtualized or cloud- native network functions (VNFs or CNFs)
- Cell sites with modern architectural models such as front-haul fiber, mobile-edge compute (MEC), cloud-hosted infrastructure models (5G)
- Private networks and enterprise infrastructure which can include smart city devices, sensor networks, digital twin models, and enterprise IT stacks
With sustainability and energy reduction now at the forefront of network planning, having an accurate understanding of power network/infrastructure is essential. Having sophisticated awareness of power infrastructure also provides the extra benefit of being able to perform root-cause analysis that relates to power infrastructure. As planned and unplanned power outages remain the cause of a large proportion of communication network outages in many places today, root-cause diagnoses can be challenging without the right power inventory awareness.
Benefits of the hybrid infrastructure management approach
- Speed to market, speed to repair, speed to operate – Having all of your hybrid infrastructure already pre-integrated and at your command will speed up every aspect of your network lifecycle – from planning to building to commissioning to operating and maintaining.
- Additional dimensions of scalability – Look for a solution that allows you to scale across other infrastructure dimensions that go beyond the traditional telco core, such as environmental controls, energy optimization, and reach into private networks to create more powerful managed service offers.
- Built-in data integrity controls – The success of your NIM can only be as good as the quality of data that supports it. Hybrid-domain, multi-factor reconciliation will ensure you maintain high data quality within your database.
- Architected for future immersive experiences – NIM solutions will play a critical role in providing data to augmented reality (AR) solutions. AR techniques are sure to revolutionize the way your workforce and clients interact with infrastructure in the not-too-distant future. To do so, NIMs will need to provide accurate asset geo-positioning data in three dimensions, not just two as in traditional map and topology representations. Look for a solution that allows asset information to be collected in three dimensions and allows you to visualize your infrastructure in 3D.
- Increased operational efficiency – Your hybrid infrastructure data (and the accuracy of it) is a fundamental starting point for building automations and algorithms. These are important to further optimize workflows across entire asset lifecycles. Look for a solution with extensive APIs that enable insight generation and automations in combination with third party applications.
- Advanced integration capabilities – A NIM performs a central role in any network management solution because other applications and workflows rely on the contained inventory data. As a result, advanced integration is essential. Look for a solution that provides a comprehensive framework of tools, APIs, and software development kits (SDKs) that allow you to build both simple and highly sophisticated integrations. This provides freedom to choose the right architecture and integration partner for your needs while avoiding vendor lock-in.
- Comprehensive situation awareness – Your comms, power, data center and customer information should all be combined within a single platform and a single data model, letting you know exactly how all of your critical infrastructure connects, correlates, and influences each other.
