Summary

Many service providers require an EMS when deploying MSPP networks and offering Layer 2 Ethernet services. This is especially true for some ILECs that cannot use their traditional legacy OSS for managing shared Ethernet services supported by MSPP rings. CTM supports Layer 2 Ethernet services with a set of user interfaces and a CORBA NBI. This enables a service provider, such as an ILEC, to support Layer 2 Ethernet provisioning using CTM's GUI while using Telcordia's OSS to provision Layer 1 SONET circuits on an MSPP ring. By using CTM, you do not have to use the Cisco IOS Software commands to configure ML card parameters such as MTU size, or provision Layer 2 Ethernet services on a 15454 RPR; instead, you can use CTM's GUI to provision these parameters.

The user can use CTM to add ML cards to an existing RPR topology as well. This scenario is common in customer private MSPP rings offered by service providers when customers need to expand their Ethernet drops at their locations on the private ring. In this case, CTM automatically steps the user through a series of user interface windows to add or delete an ML card from the RPR topology.

When the service provider gains experience in offering Layer 2 Ethernet service, it can begin to integrate CTM into its OSS (for example, a next-generation OSS) by using the CORBA NBI. Service providers that do not have a legacy OSS or that already have a complete next-generation OSS can immediately use CTM's GUI or CORBA NBI to provision Layer 1 SONET and Layer 2 Ethernet services. When a next-generation OSS is operational, the service provider can support flow-through provisioning and support CNM by using the CORBA NBI to interface CTM with the next-generation OSS.