Release summary

Release summary for IBM® Telco Network Cloud Manager - Performance, version 1.4.3.

Description
What's new in IBM Telco Network Cloud Manager - Performance, version 1.4.3
Value propositions
Features of Telco Network Cloud Manager - Performance
Supported network technology and devices
System requirements
Media content
Installing Telco Network Cloud Manager - Performance
Known issues
PDF documentation
Support

Description

IBM Telco Network Cloud Manager - Performance, version 1.4.3 is a comprehensive network Analytics and Performance Management Suite. At its core, Telco Network Cloud Manager - Performance is a network monitoring tool that detects the dips or anomalies in network performance and accelerates better user experience.

Telco Network Cloud Manager - Performance constantly checks network devices and traffic and provides an overview of network performance status to communication service providers (CSPs) and media service providers (MSPs). It can monitor and provide tiered and timely alerts on fixed (wireline), mobile (wireless) devices, and cloud or virtualized network anomalies all in a single pane.

Telco Network Cloud Manager - Performance is a containerized application and can be deployed on IBM Red Hat® OpenShift® and on Kubernetes K8s platform.

Table 1. Release update
Version	Type of release	Availability
1.4.3	Telco Network Cloud Manager - Performance core is available in the OpenShift Container Platform catalog. Telco Network Cloud Manager - Performance Base for Kubernetes can be downloaded from IBM Passport Advantage®. Telco Network Cloud Manager - Performance Advanced Package for both OpenShift Container Platform and Kubernetes can be downloaded from IBM Passport Advantage. Technology Packs can be downloaded from IBM Passport Advantage.	March 2023

CAUTION:

Before you attempt an installation of Telco Network Cloud Manager - Performance, you’re advised to read these release notes. Failure to read these Release Notes® might result in a corrupted, incomplete, or failed installation.

What's new in IBM Telco Network Cloud Manager - Performance, version 1.4.3

New features, capabilities, and enhancements in V1.4.3.

Enhancements to Analytics

Calculate the Nth-percentile value for a selected period.
For more information, see Configuring a percentile value.
Calculate the top-N aggregated values for a selected period.
For more information, see Configuring an N-point peak value.
Use of Resource properties to create the User-defined calculations (UDCs).
For more information, see the Using the Resource properties in creating UDCs section in Managing User-defined calculations (UDC).
Flexibility to view any related metrics for a Resource type during the Busy hours for the day. New REST APIs are introduced for the scenarios where you can see the performance of metrics during a defined Busy hour period. You can also monitor the performance of metrics from the child Resource types that are rolled up to Parent level during a defined Busy hour period.
For more information, see Monitoring the Busy hours based on UDCs.

For more information, see Monitoring the Busy hours based on metrics from child Resource level that are rolled up to Parent level.

Create and manage Technology Packs

Pack Service is a new microservice that is added to Telco Network Cloud Manager - Performance. It is a low code tool that allows the domain expert to configure how data can be ingested into Telco Network Cloud Manager - Performance. It has a web-based UI and has the following capabilities:

Performance Management data integration to 5G networks is typically via the Element Management System (EMS).
Metrics and KPIs from the EMS are exported in file-based formats - 3GPP XML or CSV.
The tool is low code with a web-based UI to configure how the performance management file must be parsed and modelled in Telco Network Cloud Manager - Performance.
Pack Service automatically generates the file parsing pipeline (Apache NiFi template) and data model files.

You can perform the following task from the web-based UI:

Create new Technology Pack from scratch.
Modify the contents of an existing Technology Pack.
Validate the content in the Technology Pack.
Deploy the Technology Pack, which is then installed on the Telco Network Cloud Manager - Performance system.
Remove the Technology Pack content, which is then uninstalled from the Telco Network Cloud Manager - Performance system.

For more information, see Creating and managing Technology Packs.

Improved housekeeping of the Inventory database

All the Resource types from which the data is not collected are set to inactive and removed from the Inventory database. When you query the database, it ensures that the database is clean and retrieves relevant data.

For more information, see Cleaning and maintaining the inventory database.

Architectural changes

The following changes are implemented in the product:

Elastic Search is replaced with Apache Solr.
It is a blazing-fast, open source enterprise search platform built on Apache Lucene.
Older Analytics Engine is replaced with Apache Spark. The Spark SQL is used to do the calculations for compatibility with an earlier version to support the complex UDC formula. Some new features that are supported in Spark Analytics are as follows:
1. Weekly and monthly calculations
2. Resource grouping
3. Resource filtering
4. Override default metric aggregator for Batch analytic jobs and Busy hour definitions.
5. Inventory properties in UDC
6. Ad hoc execution of Batch jobs and Busy hour definitions by specifying custom date range.

New and updated Technology Packs

The following new packs are introduced:

Nokia Altiplano v1.0.0
Nokia Altiplano Technology Pack integrates with Nokia Altiplano Access Controller for monitoring of Nokia Fixed Access network that includes Intelligent Services Access Manager (ISAM) broadband access devices. The data collection interface is based on REST API.
LTE Huawei IMS v1.0.0
IP Multimedia Subsystem or IMS is a standards-based architectural framework for delivering multimedia communications services such as voice, video and text messaging over IP networks. In Huawei IMS Technology Pack, the supported IMS network elements are Access Gateway Control Function (AGCF), Session Border Controller (SBC), Call Session Control Function (CSCF), and Media Gateway Control Function (MGCF). The file-based performance data is collected from Huawei U2020 EMS.

No additional configuration tasks are needed for this Technology Pack.
LTE Cisco vEPC v1.0.0
Cisco vEPC Technology Pack integrates and collects file-based performance data from Cisco StarOS on ASR 5x00 platform for monitoring of Cisco LTE network elements that include MME, SGW, and PGW.

No additional configuration tasks are needed for this Technology Pack.
Cisco EPNM v1.0.0
Cisco EPNM Technology Pack integrates with Cisco Evolved Programmable Network Manager (EPNM) for device plus interface traffic and health monitoring. The data collection interface is based on REST API.

For more information about these Technology Packs, see Configuring Technology Packs.

For all the Technology Packs that are updated, see here.

New and updated Telco Network Cloud Manager - Performance system configuration pages

The following new configuration pages are introduced:

The following configuration page is introduced:

Pack service

The following configuration pages are updated for functional updates:

Batch analytics
Streaming analytics
User-defined calculations (UDC)
Resource management
Group configuration

For more information about the new and updated system configuration pages, see Configuring system environment.

Upgrade path

Upgrade is supported from Telco Network Cloud Manager - Performance V1.4.2 Interim Fix2 to 1.4.3. For more information, see Upgrading.

Supported installations

Installation is supported on both OpenShift Container Platform and Kubernetes cloud platforms. See Install Telco Network Cloud Manager - Performance.

Value propositions

IBM Telco Network Cloud Manager - Performance, version 1.4.3 offers the following unique value to service providers:

Rationalize the number of tools that they use for monitoring network performance.
Effectively monitors and analyzes network traffic of all formats that include the NetFlow and sFlow.
Optimize their network and service management processes for consistent network quality levels and customer experience.
Low cost of deployment and operation.
Manage complex modern network infrastructure in real time.
A web-based network performance monitoring for remote access.
As a multi-vendor solution that is part of a broader integrated AI Ops Management suite, it can provide broad visibility across operations and business functions of consistent performance management data.

In a nutshell, Telco Network Cloud Manager - Performance provides the following network performance management solutions to service providers:

Monitors network devices at high scale.
Monitors hybrid network domains - fixed, mobile, and cloud.
Monitors across physical and virtual network interfaces.
Identifies, isolates, and troubleshoots performance bottlenecks and issues.

Features of Telco Network Cloud Manager - Performance

The following are the distinctive features and functions in Telco Network Cloud Manager - Performance version 1.4.3:

Highly scalable and simple deployment

Telco Network Cloud Manager - Performance is deployed as a cloud-native application, its deployment is simple and fast.

Telco Network Cloud Manager - Performance is built on highly scalable microservices architecture on cloud.

Open and flexible integrations

It supports open access to data and integration with multiple data sources with Rapid Device Onboarding (RDO) Toolkit.

Accomplishing accurate onboarding of devices in a dynamic network infrastructure is critical to any enterprise. Rapid Device Onboarding feature in Telco Network Cloud Manager - Performance can discover new or replaced devices that get connected. It can bring new devices such as routers, switches, and servers into a network environment seamlessly.

Streaming and batch analytics

It provides real-time monitoring capability with low latency. It supports user-configurable dual processing pipelines, extract-transform-load (ETL), and extract-load-transform (ELT).

Unified monitoring across layers and domains

As a converged network performance monitoring system, it monitors across multiple layer and domains. It can screen critical health status of both wireline devices, wireless devices, line-of-business applications, and network traffic all in a single system. It supports OSSii performance management integrations.

Flexible NetFlow, sFlow, and Cisco Application Visibility and Control (AVC)

Network-Based Application Recognition (NBAR)
Next Generation Network-Based Application Recognition (NBAR2) and
Application Response Time (ART)
QoS to collect the Queue Drops to report the number of drops in the queue.
Type of Service to determine the packet delivery prioritization for low-delay, high-throughput, highly reliable service, or normal service for NetFlow traffic. On all Flow packets, Type of Service byte is represented as Differentiated Service Code Point (DSCP) and Explicit Congestion Notification.
Supports configurable Autonomous systems and IP Grouping for enterprise network management with the help of new aggregation views.
Provides flexible retention periods for raw and aggregated data.
Provides DNS lookup for inventory data.

Performance reporting

Telco Network Cloud Manager - Performance has easy to read built-in visualizations on common performance metrics.

Actionable insights and trends visibility on domain to device level

A library of ready-to-use Technology Packs that encompass device and file-based EMS integrations for wireline and wireless domains. It delivers performance information of all devices that are connected to a network. Features like data collection and resource discovery ensure that all the devices in your network are working correctly.

Self-service dashboards

Wide range of visualizations and reporting as domain-specific dashboards are provided in Telco Network Cloud Manager - Performance. These dashboards provide analytical, diagnostic, and mitigation capabilities on common network performance metrics. You can customize the visibility of your own significant metrics.

Predefined dashboard components

Telco Network Cloud Manager - Performance has a library of predefined or custom widgets and dashboards that are readily available in the Dashboard designer tool. You can add these widgets to a dashboard layout, previewed, and published immediately. These widgets come with readily available data definitions and filters and there by saving much time and provide high level of flexibility.

For more information, see built-in dashboard components.

Supported network technology and devices

Functions that are supported by Telco Network Cloud Manager - Performance.

Table 2. Supported Telco Network Cloud Manager - Performance functions
Functions	Value
IP SLA	Cisco Huawei Juniper
MIB - II	RFC1213 (MIB-II)
Class-Based QoS	Cisco Huawei Juniper
Supported internet protocols	IPv4 IPv6
Load Balancer	F5 Big IP
Transmission	Ciena
Cisco Wireless Controllers	Cisco 2504 Wireless Controller Cisco 3504 Wireless Controller Cisco 5520 Wireless Controller Cisco 5760 Wireless LAN Controller Cisco 8540 Wireless Controller Cisco Catalyst 3850 24-P Switch
SD-WAN supported Cisco devices	Cisco vEdge Cloud Services Router (CSR) 1000 V 1000 Series-Integrated Services Routers (ISRs) 4000 Series ISRs, and with platforms Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) by using Cisco SD-Branch solutions such as Cisco 5000 Series Enterprise Network Compute System (ENCS) Cisco UCS® E-Series
SD-WAN supported Fortinet devices	https://www.fortinet.com/products/sd-wan See Models and Specifications section.
Wireless technologies GSM UMTS LTE 5G NR	Huawei
Fixed IP	Huawei SNMP devices Cisco SNMP devices Juniper M/T series Juniper ERX Huawei U2000 ACME Packet Net-Net 9200 HDR
Fixed Access	Huawei SNMP GPON Nokia 5529 SDC Nokia Altiplano
IP Core	Nokia NSP Infoblox DNS Cisco EPNM
Metro Ethernet	Accedian ADVA
Supported flow formats	Cisco NetFlow (V1, V5, and V9) and Flexible NetFlow Juniper J-Flow (V5 and V9) Huawei NetStream (V5 and V9) Alcatel CFlow (V9) IPFIX sFlow v5
Supported flow transport protocols	UDP SCP Note: You must configure your SELinux to support the SCTP protocol.
Application Visibility and Control (AVC) supported Cisco devices.	Cisco Aggregation Services Routers (ASR) 1000 Series, Cisco ISR 4000 Series Cisco Cloud Services Router (CSR) 1000 V, Cisco-Integrated Service Routers Generation 2 (ISR G2)

System requirements

For more information about system requirements for the IBM Telco Network Cloud Manager - Performance, version 1.4.3, see the Requirements section.

http://www-969.ibm.com/software/reports/compatibility/clarity/index.html

Media content

Table 3. Part numbers for Telco Network Cloud Manager - Performance 1.4.3
Bundle	Components	File name	Part no.
IBM Telco Network Cloud Manager - Performance V 1.4.3 English Core eAssembly			G085QEN
	IBM Telco Network Cloud Manager - Performance V1.4.3 English Base for Kubernetes	M0BP1EN.tar.gz	M0BP1EN
IBM Telco Network Cloud Manager - Performance V1.4.3 English Advanced eAssembly			G085REN
	IBM Telco Network Cloud Manager - Performance V1.4.3 English Multiplatform Advanced	M0BP2EN.tar.gz	M0BP2EN
	IBM Telco Network Cloud Manager - Performance V1.4.3 Multilingual Multiplatform Quick Start Guide	M0BP3ML.pdf	M0BP3ML

Download the Technology Pack media packages from IBM Passport Advantage portal. Telco Network Cloud Manager - Performance consists of the following Technology Pack bundles:

Table 4. Part numbers for Technology Packs
Bundle	Component	File name	Bundle part number
IBM Telco Network Cloud Manager - Performance V1.4.3 Technology Packs eAssembly			G085SML
Dependent Tech Packs Bundle M0BP4ML.tar.gz	Network Wireless v1.4.0	network-wireless-1.4.0.jar	M0BP4ML
	Neutral Access Gom v1.8.0	neutral-access-gom-1.8.0.jar
	Network Health v1.18.0	network-health-1.18.0.jar
	Network Health Generic v1.7.0	network-health-generic-1.7.0.jar
	Network Health (extension) v1.7.0	network-health-extension-1.7.0.jar
	SDWAN GOM v1.5.0	sdwan-gom-1.5.0.jar
Network Health Tech Packs Bundle M06VMML.tar.gz	Network Health for Cisco Devices v1.5.0	network-health-cisco-1.5.0.jar	M06VMML
	Network Health for Huawei Devices v1.4.0	network-health-huawei-1.4.0.jar
	Network Health for Juniper Devices v1.4.0	network-health-juniper-1.4.0.jar
Network Probe Tech Packs Bundle M0BP5ML.tar.gz	Network Probe for Cisco IPSLA v1.6.0	network-probe-cisco-1.6.0.jar	M0BP5ML
	Network Probe for Huawei NQA v1.8.0	network-probe-huawei-1.8.0.jar
	Network Probe for Juniper RPM v1.9.0	network-probe-juniper-1.9.0.jar
Network QoS Tech Packs Bundle M0BPRML.tar.gz	Network QoS for Cisco CBQoS v1.5.0	network-qos-cisco-1.5.0.jar	M0BPRML
	Network QoS for Huawei CBQoS v1.5.0	network-qos-huawei-1.5.0.jar
	Network QoS for Juniper CoS v1.4.0	network-qos-juniper-1.4.0.jar
Metro Ethernet Tech Packs Bundle M0BPSML.tar.gz	Network Ethernet Adva Optical v1.2.0	network-ethernet-adva-1.2.0.jar	M0BPSML
	Network Ethernet Accedian v1.1.0	network-ethernet-accedian-1.1.0.jar
	Network Cisco IP SLA Ethernet v1.0.0	network-cisco-ip-sla-ethernet-1.0.0.jar
IP Core Tech Packs Bundle M0BP6ML.tar.gz	Nokia NSP v1.4.0	nokia-nsp-1.4.0.jar	M0BP6ML
	Infoblox DNS v1.0.0	network-infoblox-dns-1.0.0.jar
	Cisco EPNM v1.0.0	ciscoepnmxml-ciscoepnm-1.0.0.jar
SD-WAN Tech Packs Bundle M0BP7ML.tar.gz	Cisco SD-WAN v1.4.0	cisco-sdwan-1.4.0.jar	M0BP7ML
SD-WAN Tech Packs Bundle M0BP7ML.tar.gz	Fortinet SD-WAN v1.0.1	fortinet-sdwan-1.0.1.jar	M0BP7ML
MPLS Tech Packs Bundle M05KRML.tar.gz	Network Cisco MPLS v1.1.0	network-cisco-mpls-1.1.0.jar	M05KRML
	Network Juniper MPLS v1.2.0	network-juniper-mpls-1.2.0.jar
	Network Huawei MPLS TE v1.0.0	network-huawei-mpls-te-1.0.0.jar
	Network Generic MPLS LSP v1.1.0	network-mpls-lsp-1.1.0.jar
	Network Juniper MPLS RSVP Tunnel v1.0.0	network-juniper-rsvp-tunnel-1.0.0.jar
WiFi Tech Packs Bundle M0BPTML.tar.gz	WiFi Health for Cisco Controllers v1.7.0	wifi-health-cisco-1.7.0.jar	M0BPTML
Load Balancer Tech Packs Bundle M0BPVML.tar.gz	Load Balancer for F5 BIG-IP v1.7.0	load-balancer-f5BigIp-1.7.0.jar	M0BPVML
Fixed Access Tech Packs Bundle M0BP8ML.tar.gz	Network Access GPON for Huawei OLTs v1.5.0	network-access-huawei-1.5.0.jar	M0BP8ML
	ACME Packet Net-Net 9200 HDR-SBC v1.1.0	network-health-acmepacket-sbc-hdr-1.1.0.jar
	Nokia Altiplano v1.0.0	nokiaaltiplanojson-nokiaaltiplanoaccess-1.0.0.jar
	Huawei iManager U2000 V200R016C60 v1.3.1	network-u2000-huawei-1.3.1.jar
	Network Access Nokia v1.4.0	network-access-nokia-1.4.0.jar
	ACME Packet Net-Net 9200 HDR v1.3.0	network-health-acmepacket-1.3.0.jar
Transmission Tech Packs Bundle M0BP9ML.tar.gz	Ciena Transmission v1.3.0	network-transmission-ciena-1.3.0.jar	M0BP9ML
Network Flow Tech Packs Bundle M06VSML.tar.gz	Network Flow v1.3.0	network-flow-1.3.0.jar	M06VSML
Wireless 5G Tech Packs Bundle M0BPBML.tar.gz	NR Huawei NUTRAN V100R015C10 v1.5.0	nr-huawei-nutran-v100r015c10-1.5.0.jar	M0BPBML
Wireless 4G Tech Packs Bundle M0BPCML.tar.gz	LTE Huawei EUTRAN V100R015C10 v1.5.0	lte-huawei-eutran-v100r015c10-1.5.0.jar	M0BPCML
	LTE ZTE EUTRAN IR14 v1.0.0	lte-zte-eutran-lr14-1.0.0.jar
	LTE Huawei HSS V900R008 v1.1.0	lte-huawei-hss-v900r008-1.1.0.jar
	LTE Huawei MME V900R018C10 v1.1.0	lte-huawei-mme-v900r018c10-1.1.0.jar
	LTE Huawei PCRF V300R005C00 v1.1.0	lte-huawei-pcrf-v300r005c00-1.1.0.jar
	LTE Huawei SGWPGW V900R018C10 v1.2.0	lte-huawei-sgwpgw-v900r018c10-1.2.0.jar
	LTE Huawei IMS v1.0.0	lte-huawei-ims-v1-1.0.0.jar
	LTE Cisco vEPC v1.0.0	ciscovepccsv-ciscovepc-1.0.0.jar
Wireless 3G Tech Packs Bundle M0BPDML.tar.gz	UMTS Huawei MSCS V200R011C10 v1.5.0	umts-huawei-mscs-v200r011c10-1.5.0.jar	M0BPDML
	UMTS Huawei UTRAN V100R015C10SPC156 v1.5.0	umts-huawei-utran-v100r015c10spc156-1.5.0.jar
	UMTS ZTE UTRAN UR17 v1.1.0	umts-zte-utran-ur17-1.1.0.jar
	UMTS Huawei MGW V200R010C20 v1.2.0	umts-huawei-mgw-v200r010c20-1.2.0.jar
Wireless 2G Tech Packs Bundle M0BPFML.tar.gz	GSM Huawei BSS V900R021C10SPC600 v1.5.0	gsm-huawei-bss-v900r021c10spc600-1.5.0.jar	M0BPFML
	GSM Huawei STP V200R005C08 v1.0.0	gsm-huawei-stp-v200r005c08-1.0.0.jar
	GSM Tekelec STP R46-1 v1.1.0	gsm-tekelec-stp-r46-1-1.1.0.jar
Cloud Monitoring Tech Packs Bundle M06VTML.tar.gz	Cloud Kubernetes v1.8.0	cloud-kubernetes-1.8.0.jar	M06VTML
Cloud Monitoring Tech Packs Bundle M06VTML.tar.gz	Cloud VMWare vSphere v1.1.0	cloud-vmware-vsphere-1.1.0.jar	M06VTML

Supported languages

Telco Network Cloud Manager - Performance documentation is available in the following languages:

English
Brazilian Portuguese
Czech
French
German
Italian
Japanese
Korean
Polish
Spanish
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Turkish

Telco Network Cloud Manager - Performance application is available in the following languages:

English
German
French
Brazilian Portuguese
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese

Installing Telco Network Cloud Manager - Performance

For step-by-step installation instructions, see Install Telco Network Cloud Manager - Performance.

Known issues

Provides the list of all current known problems and issues with IBM Telco Network Cloud Manager - Performance, version 1.4.3.

For a list of known issues and resolutions for IBM Telco Network Cloud Manager - Performance, version 1.4.3, see Known issues Telco Network Cloud Manager - Performance.

PDF documentation

Link to the product documentation in PDF format for convenient printing.

Documentation in PDF format for Telco Network Cloud Manager - Performance is available here:
https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/SSDSJH_1.4.3/pdf/tncm-p-1.4.3-documentation.pdf

Support

IBM Electronic Support offers a portfolio of online support tools and resources that provide comprehensive technical information to diagnose and resolve problems and maintain your IBM products.

IBM developed many smart online tools and proactive features that can help you prevent problems from occurring in the first place, or quickly and easily troubleshoot problems when they occur. IBM's improved personalization of support resources helps you focus on and be alerted to exactly the information and resources that are needed for efficient and effective problem prevention and resolution. For more information, see https://support.podc.sl.edst.ibm.com/support/home/.