In response to evolving demands, Orange Romania has committed to implementing a cutting-edge solution for network monitoring. This solution aims to furnish precise insights into service quality metrics, equipment inventory, and seamless integration of performance indicators stipulated in SLAs, all within a dedicated portal tailored for our esteemed business clientele. To spearhead this pivotal initiative, Orange Romania has enlisted the expertise of Datanet Systems, an official partner of Infosim®, renowned for its proficiency in implementation and customization services. Datanet Systems’ proven track record and extensive experience make them the ideal collaborators for executing this ambitious project.
ORANGE ROMANIA MONITORS NETWORK QUALITY WITH INFOSIM STABLENET SOLUTION IMPLEMENTED BY DATANET SYSTEMS
CASE STUDY ORANGE ROMÂNIA & INFOSIM STABLENET
The ever-growing influx of new clients and the accelerated growth in demand have put pressure on Orange’s network capacity to consistently and reliably deliver the highest quality services. To address this challenge, Orange Romania a decided to invest in a new network monitoring solution that would provide scalability and proactively support a high level of network performance. Additionally, Orange aimed to provide its business customers access to service performance indicators agreed upon through SLAs via a dedicated portal.
After analyzing several network management solutions, Orange Romania opted for the Infosim StableNet® platform, alongside the technical expertise and support of the integrator Datanet Systems. The three parties worked closely to develop an automated and customized network monitoring solution based on Orange’s requirements.
ABOUT ORANGE ROMANIA
TECHNOLOGICAL CONTEXT
INITIAL PROJECT REQUIREMENTS
PROPOSED SOLUTION
ACHIEVED BENEFITS
ABOUT ORANGE ROMANIA
ABOUT ORANGE ROMANIA
Orange Romania is part of the Orange Group, one of the largest telecommunications operators globally, connecting hundreds of millions of customers worldwide. With over 11 million local clients and an annual turnover exceeding 1.5 billion euros, Orange connects 1 in 2 Romanians and offers a wide range of communication solutions for residential and corporate clients: voice services, fixed and mobile internet, TV, smart home, as well as complex IT&C solutions through Orange Business. Orange Romania ranks as the number 1 operator in terms of network performance. The company also holds nine consecutive Top Employer certifications, confirming that Orange, in addition to its remarkable products and services provided to customers, pays special attention to its employees and work environment.
TECHNOLOGICAL CONTEXT
TECHNOLOGICAL CONTEXT
INITIAL PROJECT REQUIREMENTS
INITIAL PROJECT’S REQUIREMENTS
The initial Orange Romania teams requirements for the implementation of a network management solution:
- Automation capability to enhance efficiency
- Achieving a high level of network visibility
- Continuous and granular monitoring
- Scalability to accommodate future network expansions
- Integration options with a customer portal
- All-in-one platform compatible with multiple equipment brands
- Advanced reporting capabilities
“We decided on Infosim StableNet for its advanced features tailored to both our design and operational teams. It’s a versatile solution, allowing us to effortlessly visualize performance metrics for all network equipment, irrespective of the supplier, within a unified interface. Moreover, it offers comprehensive inventory statistics and ensures compliance with configuration policies. Additionally, its lifecycle management capabilities enable us to conduct audits in preparation for end-of-life equipment support. Operationally, the platform provides various automation options for efficient equipment monitoring and management, including seamless device addition or removal. Furthermore, it automatically generates and dispatches tailored alerts and reports via email, catering to the unique needs of each user or department.” Daniel Tichiu, IP Network Engineer, Orange Romania.
PROPOSED SOLUTION
PROPOSED SOLUTION BY DATANET
Datanet Systems has proposed the implementation of StableNet®, Infosim® solution, a comprehensive platform merging various functionalities including configuration, inventory management, performance monitoring, and error evaluation into one cohesive system. This solution was tailored to monitor the Orange Romania network and seamlessly export data to our dedicated customer portal. As the cornerstone of our monitoring endeavor, the project entailed configuring discovery and inventory processes for Cisco and Juniper equipment integrated into our network. Datanet’s seasoned experts meticulously customized the network equipment discovery process to automatically discern equipment properties based on their designated roles, interface types, or other connected devices. We established over 15 distinct roles for Orange network equipment (such as distribution routers, backbone routers, etc.), complemented by meticulously crafted scripts enabling precise monitoring and data collection for each role.
To optimize the utilization of StableNet’s licensed resources, Datanet developed scripts for the automatic deletion of unnecessary measurements, such as those for unused interfaces, or specific features of IS-IS and BGP routing protocol instances. Additionally, Datanet created a script for data retrieval and measurements on EPG equipment, which involves data retrieval in XML format, parsing, and subsequent specific measurements for certain APNs.
The solution was customized to swiftly detect and rectify network dysfunctions based on automated root cause analysis functionalities and error management. This approach enables the identification of underlying causes affecting network functionality, initiating necessary measures to resolve them and prevent congestion. To attain a highly granular perspective of the network, the solution employs various protocols (VRFs, MPLS, BGP neighbors, IS-IS, BGP) and syslog modules. Additionally, Datanet Systems customized and incorporated intelligent alarms with multiple triggering factors into the solution.
Orange Romania also opted for the installation of StableNet’s Configuration and Change Management, which encompasses comprehensive reports on End-of-Life (EoL) and End-of-Service (EoS) scenarios, providing an overview of the network component lifecycle. The solution includes functionalities for vulnerability management and backup to mitigate configuration errors.
Utilizing a REST API, Datanet Systems integrated the StableNet solution with other applications used by Orange to retrieve specific monitoring data from network equipment and verify service functionality in case of incidents or technical interventions (migrations, equipment additions, configuration changes, etc.). Moreover, this data is incorporated into the customer portal for self-service quality verification of contracted services. At the project’s conclusion, Datanet and Infosim experts provided the necessary training for the Orange team to effectively utilize the solution.
”The collaboration within the project team was incredibly tight-knit, driven by our shared goal of avoiding any downtime or critical impacts. However, our main focus was on enhancing the StableNet® platform with custom functionalities. This meant that rigorous testing of new features or service modifications was conducted in a controlled laboratory environment before going live. This meticulous approach significantly minimized any potential risks.” Mircea Huideș, SP Consultant, Datanet Systems.
ACHIEVED BENEFITS
ACHIEVED BENEFITS
Orange Romania has successfully leveraged Infosim StableNet to establish a robust platform for comprehensive network monitoring and management, alongside essential service quality metrics crucial for customer interactions. Through a tightly-knit collaboration among the three partners, the project has yielded anticipated outcomes, prompting Orange to extend the solution’s implementation across various other departments.
”Infosim StableNet enables Orange to consistently uphold and elevate network service quality through near-real-time access to performance metrics. Its automation features streamline operations, sparing network administrators from tedious equipment and port configuration micromanagement. Additionally, it facilitates network audits to swiftly pinpoint any configuration discrepancies. This substantial time-saving efficiency greatly benefits our entire management team.” – Daniel Tichiu, Orange
- Operational Simplification: By consolidating multiple management tools and functionalities into a single platform, operations are streamlined for Orange.
- Enhanced Efficiency: Automation of numerous configuration and management operations saves time for the Orange team, boosting overall efficiency.
- Error Avoidance: Unified policy application helps prevent configuration errors across the network.
- Seamless Inventory Management: The platform facilitates easy inventorying of network components and monitors their entire lifecycle.
- High Customization: The platform offers a high degree of customization to mirror Orange’s network topology and provide the requested datasets and performance indicators.
- Optimal Service Performance: Continuous monitoring and proactive elimination of root causes ensure an optimal level of network service performance.
- Flexible and Scalable Platform: The platform’s flexibility and scalability grow in tandem with Orange’s network.
„The benefits of utilizing the Infosim solution extend to Orange Romania’s customers as well. By closely monitoring the network’s health and proactively identifying any potential degradation, Orange customers always enjoy services at an optimal level of quality. Furthermore, network data collected by the StableNet solution is integrated into customer interaction platforms, providing them with transparent access to a dashboard displaying the quality indicators of their contracted services.” – Daniel Tichiu, IP Network Engineer Orange România.
”We decided on Infosim StableNet for its advanced features tailored to both our design and operational teams. It’s a versatile solution, allowing us to effortlessly visualize performance metrics for all network equipment, irrespective of the supplier, within a unified interface. Moreover, it offers comprehensive inventory statistics and ensures compliance with configuration policies. Additionally, its lifecycle management capabilities enable us to conduct audits in preparation for end-of-life equipment support. Operationally, the platform provides various automation options for efficient equipment monitoring and management, including seamless device addition or removal. Furthermore, it automatically generates and dispatches tailored alerts and reports via email, catering to the unique needs of each user or department.”
”Infosim StableNet enables Orange to consistently uphold and elevate network service quality through near-real-time access to performance metrics. Its automation features streamline operations, sparing network administrators from tedious equipment and port configuration micromanagement. Additionally, it facilitates network audits to swiftly pinpoint any configuration discrepancies. This substantial time-saving efficiency greatly benefits our entire management team.”
”The benefits of utilizing the Infosim solution extend to Orange Romania’s customers as well. By closely monitoring the network’s health and proactively identifying any potential degradation, Orange customers always enjoy services at an optimal level of quality. Furthermore, network data collected by the StableNet solution is integrated into customer interaction platforms, providing them with transparent access to a dashboard displaying the quality indicators of their contracted services.”
Daniel Tichiu
IP Network Engineer, Orange Romania
Mircea Huideș
SP Consultant, Datanet Systems
”The collaboration within our project team was incredibly tight-knit, driven by our shared goal of avoiding any downtime or critical impacts. However, our main focus was on enhancing the StableNet® platform with custom functionalities. This meant that rigorous testing of new features or service modifications was conducted in a controlled laboratory environment before going live. This meticulous approach significantly minimized any potential risks.”
