==Phrack Inc.== Volume Two, Issue 12, Phile #5 of 11 THE TOTAL NETWORK DATA SYSTEM BY DOOM PROPHET The Total Network Data System is a monitoring/analysis network used byseveral offices within the Telco to analyze various levels of switchingsystems in relation to maintenance, performance, and future network planningpurposes. The systems and the offices that use them will be described indetail in the following text. All switching entities that are in one particular serving area collecttraffic information that is classified in three ways: peg count, overflow, andusage. Peg count is a count of all calls offered on a trunk group or othernetwork component during the measurement interval, which is usually one hour.It includes calls that are blocked, which is classified as overflow traffic.The other measurement types that the TNDS network analyzes and collects are asfollows: Maintenance Usage (for 1ESS, 2ESS, 5XB, 1XB, XBT) Incoming Usage (for 1E, 2E, 4AETS) All trunks busy (SxS) Last Trunks Busy (SxS) Completions (SxS, 5XB, XBT, 1XB) Incoming Peg Count (DMS) Maintenance Busy Count (2E, 3E) Detector Group Usage (SxS, 5XB, XBT, 1XB) In ESS and DMS offices, traffic data is collected by the central processor ofthe switch. In electomechanical offices such as crossbar, a Traffic UsageRecorder is used to scan trunks and other components about every 100 seconds,counting how many are in use. This data when compiled is sent to the EADASsystem, which is located in the Operating Company's Network Data CollectionCenters and runs on a minicomputer. 4ESS and 4Xbar toll offices do not useEADAS, but their own system called the Peripheral Bus Computer for trafficdata analysis. After receiving the traffic data from up to 80 switchingoffices, EADAS performs two basic functions: It processes some data in nearreal time (shortly after it is received) to provide hourly and half hourlyreports and a short term database for network administrators. It also collectsand summarizes data that it will pass on to the other TNDS systems via datalinks or magnetic tape. Three other systems receive directly from EADAS. These systems are ICAN,TDAS, and EADAS/NM. ICAN stands for Individual Circuit Analysis plan and isused to study individual circuits in central office equipment that have beenspecified by network administrators. TDAS is the Traffic Data Administration System, which formats traffic datafor use by the remaining downstream systems. ICAN and EADAS/NM are the onlytwo systems with data links to EADAS that don't have their data formatted byTDAS before reception. TDAS is run on a mainframe in the NDCC and can bethought of as a distribution facility for the traffic data. EADAS/NM is usedto watch switching systems and trunk groups designated by network managers,and reports existing or anticipated congestion on a display board at theNetwork Management Centers, where the system is located. Problems can beanalyzed with this system and dealt with within a short period of time afterthey occur. Central Office Reporting Systems -------------------------------- There are five TNDS engineering and administrative systems that provideoperating company personnel with reports about CO switching equipment. Theseare the LBS, 5XBCOER, SPCSCOER, ICAN, and SONDS. LBS, the Load Balance System,helps assure that the customer traffic load is uniformly distributed over eachswitching system. It minimizes congestion on the concentrators, which allowsubscribers to share the equipment in the switch. The LBS analyzes trafficdata coming to it from TDAS to determine the traffic load on each line groupthat the system serves. LBS generates reports used by the NMC to determineline groups that can have new incoming subscriber lines assigned to them. LBSalso does a load balance indexes for the entire operating company, indicatinghow effectively each CO has avoided congestion. Crossbar #5 Central Office Equipment Reports (5XBCOER) and Stored ProgramControl Systems COER used for 1, 2, and 3 ESS offices, analyze traffic data toindicate the overall service provided by the switching system and to tell howmuch of its capacity is being used. This info helps determine if new equipmentis needed. ICAN, which was described briefly above, detects switching systemequipment faults by identifying abnormal load patterns on individual circuits.A series of reports printed at the Network Administration Center helps networkadministrators analyze individual circuit usage and verify circuit grouping.ICAN is located at the BOC main computer center along with 5XBCOER. The fifth CO equipment reporting system is called the Small Office NetworkData System, or SONDS. SONDS performs a full range of data manipulationfunctions, and is used to provide economically the full TNDS features for stepby step offices. Step offices send data directly to this system, and it is notformatted by EADAS or TDAS, as it doesn't go through these systems. Weekly,monthly, exception and on demand reports are automatically distributed bySONDS to the NAC personnel. Trunk Network Reporting Systems ------------------------------- These systems are parts of the TNDS used by the Circuit AdministrationCenter to support trunk servicing and forecasting. The Trunk Servicing Systemhelps trunk administrators develop short term plans to make the best use ofthe trunks that are already in use. It receives and processes data receivedfrom TDAS and computes offered load. Offered load is the amount of traffic atrunk group would have carried had the number of circuits been large enough tohandle the load without trunk blocking (giving the caller a re-order or allcircuits busy recording). TSS produces weekly reports showing underutilizationof trunks and below grade of service trunk groups which do not have enoughtrunks in them. The CAC uses these reports to add or disconnect trunksaccording to what traffic requirements exist. The Traffic Routing and Forecasting System, replacing the TrunkForecasting System, forecasts message trunk requirements for the next fiveyears. Major conversions and similar network changes are all taken intoconsideration when determining the future traffic needs. TRFS receives datafrom EADAS, TDAS, and TSS and is located at the Operating Company computercenter. Since TDAS and some of the downstream TNDS systems need much of the sameinformation, that information is maintained in a system called Common Update.In this manner, some data does not have to be duplicated in each individualsystem. Some of the information includes the configuration of switchingequipment and the trunk network and specifications on traffic registers forcentral offices. Numbers recorded by each register are treated consistently byeach system that uses the Common Update data base. There is an update base fortrunking, referred to as CU/TK, and an update on equipment known as CU/EQ. Thetrunking part of the Operating Company's data base is coordinated by the TrunkRecords Management System. Since the TNDS systems are so important to the proper operation of thenetwork, the CSAR (Centralized System For Analysis and Reporting) is used tomonitor the entire TNDS performance. The NDCC, the NAC, and the CAC areprovided with measurements of the accuracy, timeliness, and completeness ofthe data flow through TNDS from beginning to end. It doesn't analyze data fromEADAS/NM, SONDS, or TRFS. BOC Operations Centers ---------------------- NAC-Network Administration Center. Responsible for optimum loading, andutilization of installed COE. Performs daily surveillance of COs and trunkgroups to ensure service objectives are being met. The NAC Reviews profiles ofoffice load relating to anticipated growth. They work with NSEC to initiatework orders to increase equipment in use. The systems they use are EADAS,SPCSCOER, CSAR, and SONDS. NMC-Network Management Centers. The NMC keeps the network operatingefficiently when unusual traffic patterns or equipment failures wouldotherwise result in congestion. The NMC analyzes network performance andprepares contingency plans for peak days, telethons, and major switchfailures. They monitor a near real time network performance data to identifyabnormal situations. The system they use is EADAS/NM. CAC-Circuit Administration Center. The CAC ensures that in service trunksmeet current as well as anticipated customer demands at acceptable levels ofservice. For planned servicing, the CAC compares current traffic loads withforecasted loads for the upcoming busy season. If the loads are consistent,the CAC issues the orders to provide the forecasted trunks. Wheninconsistencies occur, they examine the variation, develop modified forecasts,and issue orders based on the new forecast. They review weekly traffic data toidentify trunk groups that need additions and issue the necessary trunkorders. The systems they use are TSS, TRFS, and CSAR. NSEC-Network Switching Engineering Center. They plan and design thenetwork along with the CAC. NSEC develops a forecast of loads for trafficsensitive switching equipment, sets office capacities, and determines reliefsize and timing. For long range planning, the following offices are utilized. TNPC-Traffic Network Planning Center. The TNPC determines the mosteconomic growth and replacement strategies. They handle future networkconsiderations over a 20 year period for tandem systems, operator servicesnetworks, interconnecting trunks, and switching terminations to accommodatethe trunks. WCPC-Wire Center Planning Center. This office does the same as the TNPC,but their jurisdiction includes local switches, the subscriber network, andinteroffice facilities. They have the numbers, types, and locations ofswitches and homing arrangements. They also keep track of alternate routes,tandem centers, etc. Both the TNPC and WCPC provide the CAC and NSEC withoffice and network evolution plans for 20 years. District based maintenance and administration operations are handled bythe NAC, RCMAC, and the SCC. These can cover 240 square miles of serving area. Network Operations Centers -------------------------- The highest level of network operations is the Network Operations Center,located in the AT&T Long Lines HQ in Bedminster, NJ. The main computers usedby the NOC are in Netcong, about 25 miles away, along with some backups. TheNOC are responsible for interregional coordination between the 12 RNOCs, 27NMCs, and 2 RNMCs in Canada; for monitoring the top portion of toll switches(all class 1 Regional Centers, 2 Canadian, about 70 class 2 Sectional Centers,200 Primary centers, some class 4 Toll centers); for monitoring of theinternational gateways, and the CCIS network for these switching systems. TheSTP signalling links connect STPs to each other, to switches, and to acentralized database called an NCP (Network Control Point) of which access isgiven to switches directly via CCIS.The Data Transfer Point, which is a data switch that furnishes the NOC with aflow of monitoring information for all key toll switches, also gives theminformation about CCIS STPs and the IOCCs that they monitor. The operating system supporting the NOC is the NOCS (the S being System),which is configured with the DTP, a wall display processor, graphicsprocessors, receive only printers, and CRT terminals for the technicians. TheNOC also uses EADAS/NM through the DTP. Both the NOCS and the DTP run Unixoperating systems. The second highest level of these operations centers are the RNOCs, orRegional Network Operations Centers. The 12 RNOCs monitor the CCIS network andcoordinate the 2-3 NMC's activities for its region. The RNOCs use the EADAS/NMsystem and something called NORGEN, Network Operations Report Generator, thatprints out reports from EADAS's traffic data. The first or lowest level of these centers is the Network ManagementCenters. There were 27 EADAS/NM supported NMCs across the United States as of1983. The NMC was described above, as well as the systems it used.============================================================================== Some of this information was taken from Bell System publications and fromtrashed materials, and may not be the same for every area. All material iscorrect to the best of the author's knowledge. Thanks to The Marauder forsupplying some information. This file was written for educational purposesonly.-End Of File- Written March, 1987
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