OAM Management and Provisioning of Optical Metro Ethernet Access

» Management Capabilities
» Software Interface Options
» Hardware Requirements
» 803.3ah OAM Management
» 802.3ah OAM Management Application Example

Read the White Paper: 802.3ah OAM for Carrier-Class Optical Ethernet in the First Mile

iConverter ® management access is a comprehensive network management and provisioning solution that monitors performance, configures equipment and reports on network status. With Omnitron's network management solutions, Service Providers can reduce costs associated with "truck rolls" to edge equipment locations and lost profits from customer down time by remotely configuring network parameters and quickly diagnosing network problems.

Using securely managed iConverter intelligent Ethernet demarcation with performance monitoring, QoS and rate limiting, Service Providers can support Service Level Agreements with performance guarantees.

iConverter optical Ethernet access equipment can be managed via Omnitron’s NetOutlook ™ Management Software, third-party management software, via telnet or serial modem connection. NetOutlook supports IP-Less 802.3ah OAM management and IP-Based SMNP management.

Management Capabilities

Remote Network Configuration

iConverter management provides the ability to remotely configure all hardware functionality, including the ability to override physical DIP-switch settings. Network administrators can remotely configure duplex modes, auto or manual negotiation, data rates, link fault detection modes and a variety of other parameters. A Soft-switch Reload setting allows a module to maintain its remotely configured DIP-switch overrides after a module has lost power. Other configurable parameters on select iConverter modules include VLAN membership assignments, QoS prioritization, Port Access Control and Bandwidth Control.

Performance Monitoring and Reporting

iConverter management provides the ability to monitor the status and view information on a wide variety of module and chassis parameters. On iConverter modules equipped with the ability to collect individual Port MIB statistics, reports are available for real-time packet statistics to provide performance and operational monitoring.

Omnitron Small Form Pluggable (SFP) transceivers support digital diagnostic capability, providing enhanced diagnostic information to assist network administrators with network maintenance and management. SNMP management software, such as NetOutlook, can collect enhanced, real-time SFP diagnostic information including fiber optic Tx power, Rx power, voltage and SFP transceiver temperature.

These features give the network administrator the ability to monitor, control and be alerted when unusual events occur, ensuring reliable network functionality and reducing operating costs.

Trap Notifications

Traps provide notification of network events such as module insertion or removal, link-up or down, and power and temperature range violations. Network administrators can specify which network events will generate trap notifications, and initiate a pop-up window upon receipt of a trap. Traps can be sent to eight different trap host locations.

Some of the trap events that can be enabled include:

• Module Insertion / Removal
• Module Link up / down
• Module switch change
• Software Configuration change
• Hardware Configuration change
• Power Application / Removal (of individual power supply)
• Power Supply Temperature or Voltage out-of-range
• Chassis Insertion / Removal
• Primary / Secondary Link up / down (when in Redundancy mode)
• FTP or Telnet Session start / stop
• Power Loss / Dying Gasp notification

Software Interface Options

Integration with 3rd Party Management Software

Using iConverter MIB statistics, iConverter management capabilities can be integrated with third-party network management software such as HP OpenView™. MIB RMON statistics are available for 38 variables per port.

Command Line Interface

The iConverter system can be managed with an easy to use, menu-driven Command Line Interface (CLI), supporting all of the management controls of an SNMP interface. The CLI can be accessed three ways:

1) Via Telnet: iConverter equipment can be managed via Telnet with an easy-to-use, menu-driven user interface.

2) Via out-of-band connection to a Serial Craft Port: iConverter management modules feature a Serial Console Port for management access that has the same user-friendly, menu-driven user interface as the Telnet management interface. The serial interface can be used for parameter configuration, diagnosis and firmware updates.

3) Via remote Serial Modem connection: The port can also be connected to a serial modem to provide an alternative remote management path. Access to the Serial Console Port is protected by password authentication.

Hardware Requirements and Management Access

All iConverter modules and chassis can be used in a managed or unmanaged network. Management is achieved by adding an iConverter Network Management Module (NMM2) to the chassis. An iConverter Network Interface Device (NID), such as a 10/100M with integrated management can also manage an iConverter chassis of modules, or manage itself as a standalone unit.

802.3ah OAM management requires an NMM2 in the iConverter chassis at the Central Office, with a self-managed NID at each end of the OAM link. See 802.3ah OAM Management below for more information.

Click on the links below for more information on iConverter Network Interface Devices with integrated 802.3ah and Secure OAM management capabilities. iConverter NIDs feature VLAN technology with Q-in-Q, QoS, bandwidth control and port access controls. Refer to the iConverter Features Chart for the capabilities of individual modules.

iConverter Network Interface Devices with integrated management:

GX/TM2 10/100/1000 Tx UTP to 1000X Fiber Ethernet Media Converter and Network Interface Device

10/100M2 10/100Tx UTP to 100Fx Fiber Ethernet Media Converter and Network Interface Device

2GXM2 1000X to 1000X Fiber Switch, Ethernet Fiber Converter and Network Interface Device

2FXM2 100Base-Fx to 100Base-Fx Fiber Switch, Ethernet Fiber Converter and Network Interface Device

802.3ah OAM Management

Omnitron is committed to accelerating the delivery of carrier-class optical Ethernet in the First Mile and reducing the cost of service. iConverter fiber access media converters and Network Interface Devices (NIDs) support the IEEE 802.3ah Operations, Administration and Maintenance (OAM) Ethernet in the First Mile standard. Support of this protocol offers the security and robust management capabilities to enable large-scale deployment in carrier Metropolitan Ethernet networks.

• Minimize Operating Expenditures (OPEX) by reducing maintenance costs associated with maintenance man-hours and truck rolls to diagnose CPE equipment problems.
• Maximize profits by optimizing and documenting network performance to support quantifiable Service Level Agreements (SLAs)
• Enable new revenues by servicing a growing market of Small and Medium size Businesses with high-bandwidth Ethernet access.

iConverter intelligent NIDs with comprehensive 802.3ah OAM functions provide "out-of-the-box" carrier-class Ethernet in the First Mile, and allows network administrators using iConverter equipment to connect to and monitor 802.3ah compliant third-party devices at the Customer Premises.

802.3ah OAM management requires the use of NetOutlook version 3.0 or higher, a Network Management Module (NMM2) in the master chassis, and an iConverter media converter module with built-in management (such as the 10/100M, GX/TM, 2FXM or 2GXM Network Interface Device) at each end of the link that is utilizing the 802.3ah OAM management channel.

The 802.3ah OAM Feature Set:

Discovery

Discovery is the first phase of 802.3ah OAM protocol and identifies the 802.3ah-capable link partner. Since 802.3ah is a multi-vendor, non-proprietary protocol, Discovery is necessary for link partners to communicate their OAM capabilities and configurations.

Link Performance Monitoring

Link monitoring tools are for the detection and notification of link performance (quality) faults. Since Ethernet data performance can deteriorate slowly before disrupting service, the 802.3ah standard enables a user to set the level of threshold that generates an event notification.

Remote Loopback

An 802.3ah OAM-capable device can put its remote link partner into loopback mode using a loopback control. Every frame received is transmitted back on the same port to ensure the quality of links during installation or troubleshooting.

Fault Detection

An 802.3ah-capable device can convey severe events and failure conditions to its OAM link partner. 802.3ah OAM Detects and indicates the following conditions:

• Link Fault: Loss of link is detected by receiver
• Dying Gasp: Unrecoverable condition such as power failure is sent to the remote link partner
• Critical Event: Organization specific critical event or major failure

Collecting Performance Statistics (MIB Variable Retrieval)

A Management Information Base (MIB) is a database of variables that used to measure a link’s performance and support SLAs.

Omnitron’s Implementation of 802.3ah Organizational Specific Extensions

Additional capabilities and proprietary management functions can be achieved with 802.3ah Organizational Specific Extensions. Omnitron’s NetOutlook Network Management Software supports the OAM features of the 802.3ah standard, and the Organization Specific Extensions to provide management and provisioning of iConverter Network Interface Devices that is identical to IP-based SNMP management capabilities.

802.3ah OAM Security

Management of service provider owned equipment at the Customer Premises (CP) has traditionally been accomplished with an IP-base management protocol such as SNMP or Telnet. The IP management function of the CP equipment poses security risks because of the susceptibility to intrusion attacks, and the IP-based management provides a path to the network management system at the Central Office (CO) from the CP equipment.

802.3ah OAM management is an IP-less management protocol that eliminates the need for IP addresses in the first mile. 802.3ah IP-less management enhances the security of the iConverter system and provides two benefits. First, it allows management of a large number of individual media converters and chassis through one IP address, and second, it provides an added level of security for the management channel that is not affected by customer/end-user actions or traffic on the system.

Using 802.3ah IP-less management, the IP address of the network management is isolated to a secure part of the carrier's management network. This increases network security and prevents denial of service attacks by removing access to the carrier's management from the Customer Premises Equipment. iConverter NIDS with 802.3ah OAM provide a securely managed demarcation that overcomes vulnerabilities of IP-based network services.

802.3ah OAM Management Application Example

iConverter NIDs can be managed with SNMP management, Telnet, or with one of two Remote OAM management channels; an encrypted Secure IP-less channel or an 802.3ah channel.

The IP-based management can be accessed via Telnet or SNMP-based management software such as NetOutlook. iConverter NIDs are IEEE 802.1Q compliant, and VLAN can be used to protect the management traffic by prioritizing and isolating it from the user traffic. This configuration is best suited for networks already using VLAN management.

When utilizing a Remote OAM management channel (Secure IP-less or 802.3ah), the NID at the Customer Premises is securely managed by its fiber link partner located at the Central Office or Point of Presence. The management network IP address is not available to the customer network and is isolated by the iConverter Network Management Module (NMM2) in the 19-Module Chassis at the Central Office.

A management processor on the 10/100M in the 19-Module Chassis isolates the encrypted management data from the customer data and communicates with the NMM2 via a separate management backplane bus. Management traffic on the user data lines is IP-less and carried on a securely encrypted data channel to protect the management from unauthorized access. The chassis at the Network Core requires only a single IP address to manage itself and all of the connected remote chassis managed by the Remote OAM channel. This is the ideal configuration for networks that separate secure management traffic from the service (customer) traffic on different networks, or when management IP addresses are at a premium.