Avaya Unified Communications Management

Avaya Unified Communications Management in computer networking is the name of a collection of GUI software programs from Avaya utilizing a service-oriented architecture (SOA) that serves as a foundation for unifying configuration and monitoring of Avaya Unified Communications Servers and data systems.

Avaya Unified Communications Management
Developer(s)Nortel (now Avaya)
Operating systemWindows and Linux
TypeCommunication software

History

Origins

These management tools were originally named and created by Synoptics, carried on by Bay Networks, and later updated with the family name Unified Communications Management by Nortel.[1][2] The products, in a similar fashion as the Optivity product predecessors are notable for their innovative use of web browser based user interface not only for access to network management data, but also for configuration of the network. This was something which heretofore was only possible with an installed binary application.[3][4][5]

Version history

In June 1996, release 7.0 included the Optivity Network Management System, which included version 7.0 which provided SNMP based auto-discovery of the data network switches, analysis, planning tools, policy services, and telephony management. This management tool was rated very high by Info World with an analysis of the tools from Bay Networks, HP, 3Com, and Network General solutions, with HP open view receiving the highest marks.[6]

Capabilities

The products in the Unified Communications Management (UCM) suite integrate into the same SOA based Web Services framework to provide a comprehensive[7] set of management capabilities all available through a web browser[8] single sign on. Web browser[9] sessions of the Unified Communications Management Suite use HTTP Secure sessions to provide access to the UCM Home Page. From the UCM Home page each user can access any of the UCM applications by clicking on the application link from the navigation bar on the left hand side of the page.

Visualization Performance and Fault Manager

Visualization of the Network Topology - VPFM is able to perform autodiscovery[10] of the Wireless, WAN, LAN and VoIP network infrastructure as well as Servers, End Node Devices, Printers. VPFM has a Path Trace Capability that provides functionality to see the physical network connectivity from the End Node Device to the server it may be trying to access. This provides more functionality than a traceroute in that the graphical path trace functionality is able to show Split Multilink Trunk physical connections and related statistics down the path being diagnosed. The diagnostic tools such as trending can be used to observe errors and traffic levels down each link in the Split Multilink Trunk.

Auto Trending - Capacity Planning and Reporting[11] is an important feature of a network management system in order for the operator to respond to network utilization and growth. Upon auto-discovery of the physical slot/port connectivity of the entire network, VPFM is able to understand which connections link the network together. VPFM automatically enables trending of Key Resource Indicators and Key Performance Indicators to provide historical views of things like errors, congestion, utilization in/out of the important trunk links of the switch by slot and port. These interface trends allow the operator to determine if the conditions that are being encountered at the current time are atypical or not. VPFM also enables Key Performance Indicator trending at the overall switch level as well to provide a view into the routing stability, physical connection stability, bridging stability, and CPU utilization among other key statistics.

VoIP Monitoring and Quality Management – Visualization Performance and Fault Manager provides the capabilities to monitor the traffic levels to key Voice over IP equipment.[12]

VPFM can also receive and display Syslog Messages from Network Devices. VPFM has the ability to forward events and send email notifications when important issues happen. This function coupled with event de-duplication and correlation makes email notifications effective without flooding mobile devices with too many events.[13] It provides a GUI software network management system to discover and manage network attached devices. It transforms complex networks into physical and logical views to allow the operators to identify application or network issues.[14]

Configuration Orchestration Manager

Device Firmware or System Image[15] Upgrades - Configuration and Orchestration Manager can be used to automate the task of device firmware upgrades, for operational or security enhancement purposes. Network Devices can be grouped together through multiple criteria such as core or network edge location. Upgrades can be performed from edge to core to ensure successful communication to switches being upgraded thereby preventing communications failures due to switches being randomly upgraded. This prevents the situation where the edge switch behind the core switch is attempted to be upgraded.

Enterprise Policy Manager

Enterprise Policy Manager, formerly known as Optivity Policy Services supports identification of network traffic based on several criteria such as IP Address, TCP or UDP port number, or VLAN Number[16]

Centralized ACLs for Filtering and QoS – VPFM provides the ability to monitor the traffic levels on the many links that connect a network together for excessive utilization or error rates. This information can be used in conjunction with flows observed in IP Flow Manager to create Roles and Policies within Enterprise Policy Manager against these links on the switches referred to as a Policy Decision Point or PDP.[17]

See also

References
  1. Hickey, Andrew (25 March 2009). "Nortel Updates Flagship UC Tools". Computer Reseller News. Archived from the original on 2010-07-23. Retrieved 5 Aug 2011.
  2. Lawson, Stephen (June 3, 1996). Optivity maps out virtual LANs. Info World. Retrieved 11 Aug 2011.
  3. Terplan, Kornel (2009). Web Based Systems and Network Management. CRC Press. p. 135. ISBN 9780849395987. Retrieved 5 Aug 2011.
  4. Terplan, Kornel; Zamir, Saba (April 1999). Web-Based Systems and Network Management (First ed.). Taylor & Francis, Inc. ISBN 978-0-8493-9598-7.
  5. Fitzloff, Emily (January 19, 1998). Bay Networks extends analysis capabilities with new tools. Info World. Retrieved 11 Aug 2011.
  6. McClure, Stuart; Zittle, Tim (February 17, 1997). Enterprise network analysis tools. Info World. Retrieved 16 Aug 2011.
  7. Steven, Karris (2009). Networks: Design and Management. Orchard Publications. pp. 9–20. ISBN 978-1-934404-15-7. Retrieved 12 Aug 2011.
  8. Misra, Kundan (2004). OSS for telecom networks: an introduction to network management. Springer Verlag London Limited. p. 277. ISBN 9781852338084. Retrieved 13 Aug 2011.
  9. Harler, Kurt (1999). Web-based network management: beyond the browser. Wiley. p. 75. ISBN 9780471327394. Retrieved 13 Aug 2011.
  10. Mann-Rubinson, Teresa (1998). Network Design: management and technical perspectives. CRC Press LLC. p. 277. ISBN 978-0-8493-3404-7. Retrieved 13 Aug 2011.
  11. Muller, Nathan (2002). Desktop Encyclopedia of Telecommunications. McGraw Hill. p. 681. ISBN 978-0-07-138148-2. Retrieved 13 Aug 2011.
  12. Porter (PhD.), Thomas (2006). Practical VoIP Security. Syngress Publishing. p. 344. ISBN 978-1-59749-060-3. Retrieved 13 Aug 2011.
  13. "Nortel Visualization Performance and Fault Manager Configuration". NN48014-500. Nortel. 15 June 2009. pp. 87–90. Missing or empty |url= (help)
  14. "Avaya Visualization Performance and Fault Manager (VPFM)". CPI. Retrieved 20 Feb 2011.
  15. Noonan, Wesley (2004). Hardening Network Infrastructure. McGraw-Hill/Osborne. p. 453. ISBN 978-0-07-225502-7. Retrieved 13 Aug 2011.
  16. Strassner, John (2004). Policy-based network management: solutions for the next generation. Morgan Kaufmann Publishers. ISBN 978-1-55860-859-7. Retrieved 12 Aug 2011.
  17. Chowdhury, Dhiman (2001). Unified IP internetworking. Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg New York. p. 213. ISBN 978-3-540-67370-5. Retrieved 13 Aug 2011.
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