Technical approach to OSS

Written on 4:16 PM by ooe

The definition of industry processes for LLU was an essential precursor to the definition of the technical interfaces. The LLU Automation Forum (LLUAF), a working group established under the OPF, was set up to address this specific need. An innovative approach was adopted for the specification of these interfaces.

Rapid progress had been made in the development of business-to-business e-commerce technologies and supply chain integration. It was recognised that OSS integration might be simplified if they were employed. The ordering interfaces were based on the Commerce One Common Business Library CBL. This is a recognised e-commerce library that allows the specification of purchase orders and order status using the XML (extensible mark-up language). The library comprises a large number of definitions of general use in constructing ordering processes and messages. For example, CBL defines a structure of a purchase order and semantics for data types such as customer name, address, order reference codes and the semantics of delivery and order dates [8]. The Commerce One library needed some adaptation to make it suitable for use in telecommunications services. These extensions are based upon conclusions reached in a research study in an EURESCOM project P908 on business-to-business OSS gateways [9].

Publication of the LLU message sets for the agreed industry processes was completed in January 2001 and industry feedback and comment was solicited through the LLU Automation Forum and the UK Telco API Forum web sites [10]. Promotion of the work through the ITU-T, and the Tele Management Forum lead to world-wide acclaim of the leading-edge innovative approach being taken by BT and the UK industry.