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StatusOngoing
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Status date2011-12-10
The project develops extensions to the SkyNMS network management system, used to support configuration, line-up and operation of VSAT networks based on the SkyWAN® product family.
The objectives of these additions are to:
- Support different modes of line-up to ease and simplify terminal installation,
- Support a centralised configuration approach for network configuration,
- Provide status of complete networks to operator,
- Provide automatic download of operational configurations,
- Provide additional internal checks of configurations,
- Provide an operator interface for visualization of download status.
It has to be ensured, that exported and uploaded configurations pass all consistency checks successfully.
If the automatic upload fails, a procedure has to ensure that recycles are limited and a log message is written.
For flexibility in usage, the consistency check with a centrally stored configuration shall, under central operator control, be enabled/disabled for individual stations.
Setup and configuration control of SkyWAN Master, Backup Master and Slave stations must be handled, while keeping the automatic backup switchover.
Network wide configuration consistency must be enforced.
The major benefits of the SkyNMS extensions are:
- Simplified installation and station line-up,
- Saves on installation costs,
- Less skills necessary for installation and commissioning,
- Reduces number of parameters and increases default settings,
- Increased capability to prepare configurations and automated check of configurations before installation,
- Support of local installation by automated upload of operational configurations,
- Flexibility in case by case support of centralised or decentralised lineup,
- Protection against network inconsistency,
- Increase of network security by centralised control of operational configurations.
SkyNMS provides network management support and applications that are used to prepare and check configurations, upload configurations to remote stations and facilitate the station line-up for the installer.
The operator is supported by additional monitoring utilities, automated checks and upload procedures, while the centralised control guarantees consistency and security of network configurations.
Different modes of line-up.
The complexity of line-up at the remote side is reduced. The steps to commission a SkyWAN station are minimised. After the initial antenna pointing and ODU power setting, the installer is supported by the SkyNMS and uploads a selected, prepared configuration.
Centralized Network Configuration.
In case of mismatch, the configuration stored in the SkyNMS is transferred to the affected SkyWAN station.
A software daemon performs mismatch detection and automatic upload initiation. It generates a complete configuration for affected station, transfers this configuration to the station, activates it and verifies success.
Additional Internal Checks of Configuration Files.
Configurations are checked in SkyNMS before upload to the SkyWAN stations. Checks cover individual station configurations as well as configuration profiles on network level.
Visualization of Uploads / of configuration status
- Operator interface Network Configurator GUI,
- Progress of configuration uploads are visualised,
- Generation of Upload Reports, Generate Logs.
Network Configurator capabilities
- Check configuration data before creating exported configurations,
- Export to create configuration for use in line-up,
- Manual upload from central database,
- Exported configuration must pass all checks successfully.
Network Configurator GUI
- States are shown with associated color per station,
- In navigation tree status color propagation is used,
- Manually initiated state changes cause color changes,
- Automatic initiated uploads cause color changes.
The complete project is subdivided into the following parts:
- Different modes of line-up,
- Centralized network configuration,
- Status monitoring of complete networks,
- Automatic download at mismatch of configurations,
- Additional internal Checks of Configurations,
- Visualization of download operations in network configurator GUI.
Additional functionality is implemented in SkyWAN IDU software, SkyNMS Basic and Specific Applications and provided to the user with a new SkyWAN and SkyNMS software release.
The project has been finalised, the developments completed.
The new functionality developed is integrated in the basic SkyNMS software package. As such, it supports management and operation of networks and includes tools for line-up and remote network access. With the new Configuration Manager, advance planning and offline administration of configurations extends the use for the operator.