AMDOCS OSS

RELEASE 8.1

Amdocs OSS - Sync Engine

Product Description
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Release: 8.1
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Table of Contents

1 Introduction to Sync Engine ............................................................................................ 1

Key Features and Benefits ................................................................................................................... 2
Integrated Product Suite ...................................................................................................................... 2

2 Product Features .............................................................................................................. 5

3 User Interface Features .................................................................................................... 9

Views .................................................................................................................................................... 9
WebReports ......................................................................................................................................... 9
Wizards ................................................................................................................................................ 9
Resource and Relations Browsers..................................................................................................... 10
Homepages ........................................................................................................................................ 10

4 Licensing Information..................................................................................................... 11

Appendix A Glossary of Terms .........................................................................................13

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1 Introduction to Sync Engine
Accurate inventory is a prerequisite for provisioning and process automation support.
Sync Engine provides generic technology and vendor independent capabilities to
maintain alignment between inventory data in Resource Manager and equivalent data in
external systems.
Sync Engine combines and cross-references network, circuit and service data from
multiple sources, and can automatically initiate corrective action – from database updates
to field engineering - for any discrepancies it finds. The result is automatic alignment
between as-built and as-designed networks, circuits and services.
Sync Engine is built on an intermediate data exchange standard called Unified Data
Model (UDM). UDM provides the vendor and technology independence. External
sources read and translate the source data from external systems into a UDM description
that is then processed by the Sync Engine core product.
As part of the Amdocs DIM solution, Sync Engine is integrated out of the box with
Amdocs Discovery Engine and Resource manager via technology specific Sync Packs for
technologies such as Broad Band, SDH and others and via the Core Sync Pack for
physical infrastructure. The Sync Packs are a piece in the end to end Amdocs Data
Integrity Management solution to reconcile the actual network with Resource Manager.
In summary, Sync Engine provides:
 Change process auditing by confirming the „as built‟ network against the planned
network specification held in Resource Manager
 Automated data loading capability into the Resource Manager inventory

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Amdocs OSS - Sync Engine Product Description

Key Features and Benefits

Reduce rework and provisioning failures
The benefits of accurate inventory can be directly quantified in terms of reduction in
costly rework and provisioning failures. Failure rates for provisioning tasks can be in the
order of 50% - 80%. This can be directly attributed to inaccurate information on the
allocation of existing capacity and the availability of spare capacity. Mistakes take
valuable time and resources to diagnose, extend delivery times, and result in delays and
decreased customer satisfaction. Sync Engine directly addresses this problem by auditing
network changes and aligning inventory records with network management systems.
Streamlined, repeatable data migration
Data migration can be a complex and time-consuming task. Sync Engine provides a
platform for repeatable and configurable data migration when deployed in data load
mode. Any data load configurations can then be used as the basis for synchronization
with the same external data sources once the system is in operational use.
Centralized integrated inventory
A single centralized model of the network and the network-to-service relationships is
essential for rapid and effective service assurance and service management. The benefits
of a single, centralized inventory can still be had even where other inventory systems
remain in use. Sync Engine acts as an inventory concentrator, pulling data in from other
inventory sources. An integrated view across all network domains is maintained, even
where Cramer is not directly responsible for all inventory data.
Reduced lifecycle costs for integration ownership
Periodic upgrade of the external system has traditionally been the largest contributory
factor to the cost of integration ownership. Sync Engine minimizes the impact of external
system upgrades by decoupling the external data format from the synchronization
process. Decoupling is achieved at both the data and architectural levels; the use of an
intermediate data format achieves data decoupling; the use of distributable, N-tier
architecture provides architectural decoupling.
Rapid, low risk deployment of reusable adapters
When customized adapters are used in place of the Amdocs DIM solution, Sync Engine
provides a product framework for configurable synchronization, reducing integration-
specific development effort to an absolute minimum. Decoupling the external adapter
reduces adaptor-specific development to data extraction and formatting only.

Integrated Product Suite

Sync Engine is integrated with Amdocs Resource Manager and with Adapter products. In
addition, Sync Engine is a key part in many productized Amdocs Data Integrity
Management solutions that include Discovery Engine and technology and vendor packs.
The following diagram shows Sync Engine as part of the Amdocs OSS portfolio.

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 Chapter ‎1. Introduction to Sync Engine

Figure ‎1.1 Amdocs OSS Portfolio

Resource Manager
Ensuring Accuracy of Resource Manager inventory records is the primary function of
Sync Engine. This can be achieved through generation of discrepancy reports allowing
users to resolve data or implementation issues. Alternatively Sync Engine can also
implement customer specific business rule to automatically update Resource Manager
using the standard API and DesignRecords.
Data Integrity Management Solutions
DiscoveryEngine provides an option to use a dedicated platform to assist in integration
with network data sources such as management systems (NMS), element managers
(EMS), sub-network managers (SNM) and other equipment vendor interfaces.
Through the integration of Sync Engine, Discovery Engine and packs, Amdocs offers a
number of pre-integrated Data Integrity Management solutions for major technologies
and network equipment types.
Adapters
Sync Engine can use adapters to manage the access to external systems and also the
translation of data to a format Sync Engine understands. Sync Engine can interact with
adapters either by scheduling batch sync processes and requesting scoped data from the
adapter, or by allowing the adapter to send data on an event basis. In either case, the
adapter is required to supply data in UDM format.

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Amdocs OSS - Sync Engine Product Description

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2 Product Features
Scalable synchronization architecture
Sync Engine‟s product architecture supports a vendor and technology-neutral information
model for exchanging data with external systems through Discovery Engine or via
adapters. Sync Engine components – packs, adapters and comparison engine - are fully
distributable and support parallel processing of data.
Discovery Engine (via Discovery Packs) or an Adapter manages connection to external
data sources such as network management systems and translation of data from the
external system into an XML based data exchange standard called Unified Data Format
(UDM). The adapters are responsible for the data extraction, the translation of the data
into UDM, and the delivery of the UDM to the core Sync Engine comparison engine.
Discovery Engine, Discovery Packs and Adapters are available as separate products from
Amdocs
Specific Discovery Packs and adapters may also be built to meet an operator‟s specific
requirements by Amdocs, system integrators or third-parties.
Synchronization processes
Synchronization processes are run either manually or at a scheduled time. When a
process is run Sync Engine is responsible for requesting the correctly scoped data from
Discovery Engine or an adapter, querying for the current Resource Manager data, then
performing a comparison between the two data sources.
The output from the synchronization process is a set of discrepancies between the
Resource Manager model and the external system. Discrepancies can be ignored,
reported, or automatically updated. Updates can be performed in either the Amdocs
inventory or the external system (subject to the appropriate API capability being
available).

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Amdocs OSS - Sync Engine Product Description

A synchronization run can be started, paused, restarted and abandoned at specific points
during the execution through both the user interface and the API.
Configurable synchronization rules
Sync Engine uses profiles that set the scope of the synchronization. Each profile may
contain one or more rules, where each rule will specify a domain, the object class of
interest (devices, for example) and either a filter or a list of object instances.
Each rule may have include and exclude conditions attached. For example a rule might
specify a circuit type filter in the “Management System A” domain and an include
condition might specify that only “in service” circuits are to be synchronized.
Finally a rule will specify which details and attributes of the object should be returned.
For example, for a device, you may want to request just attribute information, or even the
full structural information including contained nodes, shelves, slots, cards and ports.
Manual, semi-automatic and fully automated synchronization
Differences can be automatically updated in the Resource Manager database, manually
applied after user intervention, or converted to a DesignRecord to drive a network update
(in the event that the network configuration is incorrect).
Scheduled synchronization
Synchronization runs can be initiated manually through the Sync Engine user interface,
through the API, or automatically launched at specific times using the Sync Engine
scheduler. Synchronization runs can then be scheduled to execute outside office hours or
during periods of low activity.
Event-based synchronization
The capability to support event-driven synchronization enables the update of the
Resource Manager inventory to be driven by external system requests. A Sync Engine
synchronization process can be initiated by an external system. Object creation,
modification and deletion events are supported.
Flexible object model synchronization
Sync Engine is able to automatically update the Resource Manager inventory even where
the information available from the network describes physical equipment types or
physical equipment configuration that is not currently modeled in Cramer.
Under certain circumstances an external system may define both the configuration and
the structure of an inventory object. Typically this is the case for distribution frames (for
example DDFs and ODF), where frames are managed by inside-plant engineering
systems. Unlike devices such as routers and switches, a distribution frame‟s structure
may change and expand as engineers require additional connectivity.
Supports network domains
Resource Manager contains inventory data spanning many different technologies and
sub-networks. The Domain object is used to capture the set of network elements that are
meaningful to a network management system or other external source of configuration
information.
Domains can be defined as either management or sub-network. Management domains
typically specify the complete set of elements under the control of the external system.

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 Chapter ‎2. Product Features

The sub-network domain defines a specific subset of managed elements. Sub-network

domains allow for the efficient retrieval of subsets of the total network.
Supports cross-domain synchronization
Sync Engine's ability to support cross-domain synchronization of connections allows
connection sections from multiple domains to be pieced together to form a single end-to-
end connection in Resource Manager.
Management systems use virtual nodes to provide a termination point for connections
transiting the domain. These virtual nodes convince the management system that the
circuit is held entirely within the domain, whereas in reality the end-to-end connection is
routed across many domains. Sync Engine can update Resource Manager with virtual
nodes, for example where the virtual node represents an OLO termination point, or can
maintain virtual node information to support cross-domain representations of the circuit
in Resource Manager

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3 User Interface Features
This chapter describes the Sync Engine user interface features.

Views
Sync Engine does not provide any additional Views.

WebReports
Synchronization WebReport
The Synchronization WebReport is provided to enable the user to view the results of a
one or more synchronization processes. The synchronization process results can be
filtered and organized. Where synchronization results have not been automatically
processed, users can launch the appropriate wizards to process them.

Wizards
Domain Wizard
This wizard enables objects in the Resource Manager to be placed in one of two domain
types, management domains and sub-network domains.
Sync Profile Wizard
This wizard defines the rules and filters to be included in a synchronization process.
Sync Rule Wizard
This wizard defines which objects are to be synchronized and more specifically, which
attributes are to be compared.

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Amdocs OSS - Sync Engine Product Description

Sync Schedule Wizard

This wizard allows the user to:
 Identify the sync profile to synchronize
 Add the values for any dynamic parameters held in the sync rules
 Start a synchronization process either now or automatically at some specified time in
the future
Sync Process Wizard
This wizard enables a user to manage an active synchronization process. Users can pause,
resume and abandon a running synchronization process and they can modify the
synchronization process attributes.
Sync Diff Filter Wizard
This wizard defines filters that ignore known differences. Sync diff filters are created,
modified and deleted using this wizard.

Resource and Relations Browsers

The Domain, Sync Process and SyncDiff objects appear in the Resource and Relations
Browser tree levels.

Homepages
Each Sync Engine instance object: Domains, Sync Processes and Sync Diffs: has
HomePages.

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4 Licensing Information

Product name Sync Engine

Product Code IN8-SV-0200-00
Product pre-requisites IN8-SV-0100-00 Resource Manager
Licensing The product is licensed on a deployed instance basis
with a base price plus a service capability increment.
Notes Adapters and/or Discovery Pack products are required to
connect each external system to Sync Engine.
Amdocs does not grant the rights to connect to the
external systems; these rights must be sought from the
external system vendor.
Adapters, Discovery Packs, Sync Packs and Discovery
Engine are separate products and can be licensed
separately.
Delivery list  Right to use license
 Software
 Documentation
 Installation notes and release notes

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Appendix A Glossary of Terms

Adapter
This is a piece of software that has to be written for each external system with which the
Resource Manager is to synchronize. An adapter contains all the objects in the NMS that
can be synchronized.
DesignRecords
A DesignRecord describes a change that has been made to the network model in
Resource Manager. For example, a change record is created when a user specifies a new
device. DesignRecords also provide roll-back and auditing capabilities.
Differences
A difference is a single difference found in the data that is held by both the Resource
Manager and an external system. There are many types of difference and each has an
associated type.
Domain
Two types of domain are used in the Sync Engine: management domains define a set of
objects in an external system for which the Resource Manager holds inventory; sub
network domains define a subset of these sets of objects.
External system
A system that is external to the Amdocs OSS Suite and that holds application specific
inventory information.
NMS
Network Management System

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Amdocs OSS - Sync Engine Product Description

Sync diff
See Differences.
Sync diff filter
A sync diff filter is the final refinement to a synchronization that you can add. Sync diff
filters exclude particular differences or objects from the Synchronization WebReport.
Sync profile
There are two types of sync profile, single and group.
A single sync profile is a means to group sync rules and generic sync diff filters together
to refine the amount and type of information that is required from a synchronization. A
single sync profile cannot contain any other single or group sync profile.
A sync group profile is a means to group single sync profiles together to combine the
different requirements of single sync profiles for the synchronization. A sync group
profile cannot contain any other sync group profile.
Sync rule
A sync rule is a means of identifying a particular object that should be included or
excluded from synchronization. You group sync rules together in a sync profile to make
complex conditions for including or excluding objects from synchronization.
Topologies
Network elopements and their connectivity can be grouped in to Topologies to represent
a logical network region or entity. For example, optical networks may be rolled out in
rings to provide redundant routes. These rings can be described by a Topology.
Topologies may then be used to provide context to automation processes (primarily Task
Engine and Route Finder) and also to offer users additional subjects for views and
reporting.
UDM Unified Data Model
UDM is the means by which Sync Engine can exchange information with external
systems, usually Network Management Systems (NMS). It is a standardized XML
description of network inventory information.
XML Extensible markup language
XML is a flexible way to create common information formats and share both the format
and the data between computers in a consistent way.

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Document Release Information
Doc
Release Editor Edited Date Comments Sent to Site Approved By
Version
8.0 Gil 2010–02–02
Steiner
8.1 Gil Nov 2010
Steiner

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