This Recommendation addresses the management aspects of the components that provide the functions of managing and/or controlling the transport network resources. The concept whereby management and control functions are considered to be a continuum is known as the management-control continuum (MCC); i.e., it expresses the view that management and control functions are essentially the same and, thus, they can be grouped into one set of functions. This set of functions is collectively called management and control (MC) functions. A component that provides one or more MC functions is called an MC component.

MC functions

The control functions considered for management in this Recommendation include the common control functions specified in [ITU-T G.7701], the SDN architecture specific control functions defined in [ITU-T G.7702] and the ASON architecture specific control functions defined in [ITU-T G.7703].

The management functions within the scope of ITU-T G.7718 in general follows the TMN principles specified in [ITU-T M.3010] and include the generic fault management, configuration management, account management, performance management and security management (FCAPS) functions specified in [ITU-T X.700], the transport-technology-neutral FCAPS management functions in [ITU-T G.7710], and the transport-technology-specific FCAPS management functions in [ITU-T G.784 series] for SDH, [ITU-T G.874 series] for OTN, [ITU-T G.8051 series] for Ethernet, [ITU-T G.8152 series] for MPLS-TP, [ITU-T G.7721 series] for synchronization, etc.

MC components

MC components provide functions for managing and controlling transport resources. They are used to construct scenarios for explaining the operation, interface and architecture of MCS. The related management operations/interfaces are studied in the aspects listed below:

– Between MC components;

– Between MC component and transport resources;

– Between administrative role (e.g., management-control system (MCS)) and MC components;

– MC components for control purposes are defined in [ITU-T G.7701], [ITU-T G.7702] and [ITU-T G.7703], including:

– Connection controller (CC)

– Calling/called party call controller (CCC)

– Discovery agent (DA)

– Directory service (DS)

– Link resource manager (LRM)

– Network call controller (NCC)

– Protocol controller (PC)

– Routing controller (RC)

– Resource notification component (RNC)

– Termination and adaptation performer (TAP)

– MC components for management purposes are defined in [ITU-T G.7710]. For example, Figure 7 of [ITU-T G.7710] depicts the fault management related components within the equipment management function (EMF) and their functional interactions. Illustration of the operations/interfaces to and from each of the fault management functions/components are described in clauses 7.2.1 to 7.2.14 of [ITU-T G.7710]. MC components for configuration management and performance management are specified in clauses 8 and 10.2 of [ITU-T G.7710].

Managing the MC functions and components

This Recommendation addresses the management, including administration, of the MC components and functions that manage and/or control the transport network resources.

In this edition of the Recommendation, only the control components and functions (i.e., those defined in [ITU-T G.7701], [ITU-T G.7702], and [ITU-T G.7703]) are considered. Management of the management components and functions (i.e., those defined in [ITU-T G.7710] and the transport-technology-specific Recommendations [ITU-T G.874], [ITU-T G.8051], etc.) are for study in future editions of this Recommendation.

The management aspects covered in this Recommendation include the management requirements of the MC components and the interfaces from the MC components to the administrative context and the client contexts. The management requirements include, but are not limited to, lifecycle management of the components and the contexts for transport services and/or resource, ranging from simple static connectivity service to client specific virtual network service.