/ NOC Operations /
The heritage of We Are CORTEX is in Automated NOC operations and goes back over 25 years. The biggest Telcos in the business trust us to automate their NOC operations, and from there we have extended automation and orchestration across their wider network, their OSS and their BSS.
Fault or Event Management, a traditional responsibility of a NOC, requires the ability to identify when a fault is occurring within the network, and to analyse and resolve it as quickly as possible.
Faults may be reported directly by network elements (e.g., in the form of SNMP Traps) or there may need to be a regular status check on elements or resources. However an individual fault is identified, it must be enriched with relevant data gathered from inventory and network systems, correlated with other faults that are occurring, and then analysed to determine the root cause. This will identify a set of possible resolution activities that are to be executed; typically these will include applying configuration changes to the network. A CORTEX customer has seen Mean Time to Resolve drop by 40% by automating this part of their operations.
Network Configuration is also the responsibility of NOC Operations when it comes to upgrading the network elements (for example, with new vendor software versions), or when the network architecture changes in response to planned network growth or usage, or when network performance is degrading. Connections are made to various network elements and commands issued to change the configuration. Sometimes, if many separate elements must be configured together, there may be complex sequencing or sensitive timing considerations to be followed when submitting the configuration commands. When it comes to upgrading the network elements, or when the network architecture changes in response to planned network growth or when network performance is degrading. Connections are made to various network elements and commands issued to change the configuration.
Changes in interconnect configuration with other operators, for example as received from GSMA through the IR.21/RAEX data notifications, must be applied accurately and at the appropriate time to the affected network elements.
Service Testing – whether performed as part of Service Provisioning or in response to a customer-reported problem – can also be the responsibility of NOC Operations.
Any problems that are discovered during such testing will require a trouble ticket to be raised, followed by the fault diagnostic and rectification activities.
These rectification activities can include updates to the logical design of the service and concomitant changes to the network configuration.
Any problems discovered during such testing will require a trouble ticket to be raised, followed by the fault diagnostic and rectification activities. These rectification activities can include updates to the logical design of the service and concomitant changes to the network configuration.
IT and Resource Compliance for the network elements is a key aspect of NOC Operations. This includes performing routine maintenance activities on the network elements, in accordance with vendor recommendations; making regular backups of critical data and configurations; ensuring software and firmware versions are at the correct levels; and scanning for and responding to cybersecurity threats. CORTEX is delivering a 90% increase in compliance to one mobile network operator.
Finally, NOC Operations also has responsibility for physical security of the network sites. Access rights and associated equipment (cards, key fobs, etc) must be reviewed and granted only to approved individuals. Processes must exist to review and approve exceptional access to sites, for example, when the access card has been lost or forgotten.