1 Overview

This chapter provides an overview of the Oracle Communications Network Integrity MSS Integration cartridge.

About the MSS Integration Cartridge

The MSS Integration cartridge is used to integrate Network Integrity with Oracle Communications MetaSolv Solution (MSS), to retrieve inventory data from MSS, and to compare the imported data with discovered network data.

The MSS Integration cartridge includes the following types of actions:

  • Import: retrieves specified equipment and circuit information from MSS and model it in the Oracle Communications Information Model.

  • Discrepancy Detection: compares imported MSS data with either discovered equipment data or assimilated circuit data and reports any differences.

  • Resolution: resolves discrepancies on equipment and circuits by correcting entities, associations, and attributes in MSS.

This cartridge also includes a reference implementation of automatic discrepancy resolution. Automatic discrepancy resolution enables Network Integrity to automatically correct specific discrepancies without the user having to interact with the UI. Complete the reference implementation to specify the types of discrepancies that you want automatically resolved. In the MSS Integration cartridge, the automatic discrepancy resolution reference implementation is built with a properties file and with Java. See Network Integrity Developer's Guide for more information.

Limitations

The MSS Integration cartridge has the following limitations:

  • Network Node Resolution: The MSS CORBA createNetworkElement API method is run by the Resolve in MSS action to create a network nodes in MSS. You must use MSS to search for the created node, manually updating it with the type and associating it with the network system, which allows later resolution actions to create equipment and hierarchies under the new node. Network Integrity cannot upload entire equipment hierarchies under a new network node with a single Resolve in MSS action. Subsequent discrepancy detection actions are likely to detect new entity+ discrepancies on the child entities of the new network node.

  • Port Resolution: There is no API support to create or delete ports. The ports associated to card equipment are obtained from the equipment specification. There is no API support to update MSS equipment. Therefore, Network Integrity cannot resolve entity+ or entity- discrepancies on ports. You must manually resolve such discrepancies from MSS.

  • Equipment Resolution: When there is more than one root equipment for a logical device, the cartridge considers and resolves the first root equipment only.

  • Partial Circuits: The MSS Integration cartridge cannot resolve discrepancies on partial circuits from Network Integrity. Network Integrity assigns the Ignored state to discrepancies on partial circuits.

  • Network Integrity cannot detect discrepancies on all Information Model fields. See "Field Mapping" for a list of tables listing the fields used for discrepancy detection.

  • The MSS Integration cartridge suppresses discrepancies on empty slots and sub-slots.

  • Rack, shelf, and card hierarchy: MSS does not follow a consistent standard for identifying equipment types. Therefore, the MSS Integration cartridge uses a logical algorithm for modeling equipment. See "Data Import Algorithm" for more information.

  • For discrepancy resolution on customer circuits to work properly, the MSS instance service type configuration must be aligned with customer circuit bandwidth. Possible customer circuit bandwidths in SDH networks are E1, E3, and E4. MSS service type configuration defines the circuit auto-build source higher bandwidth to target lower bandwidth. Network Integrity cannot define multiple service type definitions with same source higher bandwidth to different target lower bandwidths.

    Table 1-1 lists the service type configurations for each customer circuit type.

    Table 1-1 Service Type Configurations for Customer Circuit Types

    Circuit Type First Level Service Type Second Level Service Type Third Level Service Type Fourth Level Service Type

    E1

    STMX-VC4 (X=1, 4, 16)

    VC4-TUG3 (Pos=3)

    TUG3-VC12 (Pos=28)

    VC12-E1 (Pos=1)

    E3

    STMX-VC4

    VC4-TUG3 (Pos=3)

    TUG3-VC3 (Pos=3)

    VC3-E3 (Pos=1)

    E4

    STMX-VC4

    VC4-E4 (Pos=1)

    N/A

    N/A

  • When uploading customer circuits to MSS to resolve discrepancies, Network Integrity sets the Customer Account ID and Product Catalog ID a configurable, static value. You must use MSS to manually assign uploaded circuits with the correct Customer Account ID and Product Catalog ID. Configure the MSS Customer Account ID and MSS Product Catalog ID MBean attributes to set the static value that Network Integrity assigns to uploaded customer circuits. See "Setting Up Cartridge MBeans" for more information. The Customer Account ID and MSS Product Catalog ID values must be valid values taken from the MSS database.

  • In MSS, it is possible to model a fully-protected HOT circuit two different ways:

    • As a single HOT between two devices, connected by two paths

    • As two separate unprotected HOTs between two devices

    By default, the MSS Integration cartridge matches against two separate unprotected HOTs between two devices.

    To match against fully-protected HOTs modeled as a single HOTs between two devices, connected by two paths, you can do one of the following:

    • Extend the Import from MSS action to separate protected HOT circuits into two unprotected HOT circuits. The protected HOT circuits must not have the same originating or terminating port.

    • Extend the Assimilate Optical Circuits action on the Network Integrity Optical Circuit Assimilation Cartridge, adding a processor to find separate HOTs that should be merged, modeling them as single HOTs with multiple paths.

    If you extend the assimilation or the import action, you must also extend your discrepancy resolution actions to understand the extended circuit model.

About Cartridge Dependencies

The MSS Integration cartridge has the following dependencies.

Run-Time Dependencies

For the MSS Integration cartridge to work at run time, the following dependencies must be met:

  • MSS must be installed.

    • MSS must be configured with the MSS Extract Schema. The MSS database must be populated using the MSS extract process. See "Setting Up the MSS Extract Process" for more information.

  • Network Integrity must be configured with a database connection to the MSS Extract Schema.

    • The data source for the MSS Extract Schema must be created in the Network Integrity WebLogic server domain.

  • Network Integrity must be configured with the common object request broker architecture (CORBA) Name Service details.

  • Network Integrity must be configured with Enterprise Java Bean (EJB) connection details.

Design-Time Dependencies

The MSS Integration cartridge has the following dependencies:

  • Abstract_CORBA_Cartridge

  • NetworkIntegritySDK

  • Optical_Model

  • OpticalAssimilation_Cartridge

  • ora_uim_model

  • TMF814_Model

  • TMF814Discovery_Cartridge

Configuration Dependencies

This section describes the necessary configurations you must perform before you can use the MSS Integration cartridge.

Configuring the JDBC Data Source Driver

  1. Log in to the Oracle WebLogic Server Administration Console for Network Integrity using administrator credentials.

  2. Under JDBC, select Data Sources.

    The Summary of JDBC Data Sources screen appears.

  3. Click the New button.

    The Create New Data Source screen appears.

  4. Do the following:

    1. In the Name field, enter a name.

    2. In the JNDI Name field, enter a unique JNDI name to be used by Network Integrity. For example, jdbc/NIMSSDatasource.

    3. In the Database Type field, enter Oracle.

    4. In the Database Driver field, select Oracle's Driver (Thin) for service connections; Versions:9.0.1,9.2.0,10,11.

  5. Click Next.

    The Transaction Options screen appears.

  6. Do the following:

    1. Select the Support Global Transaction check box.

    2. Select the Emulate Two-Phase Commit option.

  7. Click Next.

    The Connection Properties screen appears.

  8. Do the following:

    1. In the Database Name field, enter the SID or service name of the database.

    2. In the Host Name field, enter the IP address or host name of the system on which the database running.

    3. In the Port field, enter the port number used to communicate with the database.

    4. In the Database User Name field, enter the database user name.

    5. In the Database User Password field, enter the database user password.

  9. Click Next.

    The Test Database Connection screen appears.

  10. Click the Test Configuration button.

    The console displays a success or failure message.

  11. Click Next.

  12. Select the check box corresponding to the target server.

  13. Click Finish.

    The data source is created.

Configuring MSS as the Import System

To enable Network Integrity to import data from MSS, MSS must be configured as the import system in Network Integrity.

To set MSS as your import system:

  1. In Network Integrity, in the Tasks pane, click Manage Import Systems.

    The Import System screen appears.

  2. Click the Create or Edit icon.

    Note:

    The Create icon is available only if no import system is configured. The Edit icon is available only if an import system is already configured.

    The Edit Import System dialog box appears.

  3. Do the following:

    1. In the Name field, enter a name for your import system.

      For example, MSS.

    2. In the Address field, enter the unique JNDI name for the JDBC data source.

      For example, jdbc/NIMSSDatasource.

      See "Configuring the JDBC Data Source Driver" for more information.

    3. Click Save and Close.

Adding JacORB JAR Files to the Cartridge Project

The Discrepancy Resolution action uses a third-party object request broker (ORB) called JacORB to establish CORBA connectivity with MSS. The JacORB JAR files must be manually added to the /lib directory of the cartridge project.

To add the JacORB JAR files to the cartridge project:

  1. Download version 3.9 of JacORB from the JacORB web site:

    http://www.jacorb.org

  2. Open the JacORB ZIP file and extract the following JAR files from the /lib directory:

    • slf4j-api-1.7.14.jar

    • slf4j-jdk14-1.7.14.jar

    • jacorb-3.9.jar

    • jacorb-omgapi-3.9.jar

  3. In Design Studio, switch to the Package Explorer view.

  4. Copy the extracted JAR files to the MSS_Cartridge/lib cartridge project directory.

  5. Add the JacORB JAR files to the cartridge project classpath:

    1. Right-click MSS_Cartridge and select Properties.

      The Properties for MSS_Cartridge dialog box appears.

    2. In the Navigation pane, click Java Build Path.

    3. On the Libraries tab, click the Add JARs button.

      The Add JARs dialog box appears.

    4. Select the new JacORB JAR files and click Add.

      The new JacORB JAR files are added to the JARs and class folders on the build path list.

    5. Click OK.

      The Properties for MSS_Cartridge dialog box closes.

    6. Save the project.

Adding MSS appserver Jar Files to the Cartridge Project

To add the MSS appserver Jar files to the cartridge project:

  1. Extract appserver.jar from MSS_Installation_Home/deploy/nur.ear!/APP.INF/lib/appserver.jar, where MSS_Installation_Home is the directory where MSS is installed.

  2. In Design Studio, switch to the Package Explorer view.

  3. Copy the extracted JAR file to the MSS_Cartridge/lib cartridge project directory.

Configuring Custom Ports for Reference Integration Between Network Integrity and MSS

In situations where the reference integration between Network Integrity and MSS is implemented in a way that both the products communicate through a firewall that restricts specific ports, you must configure the jacorb.properties file in MSS and Network Integrity to open specific ports or a range of ports, which will allow network data to pass through a firewall.

The reference integration between Network Integrity and MSS uses the CORBA IIOP (Internet Inter-ORB Protocol) Specification and JacORB to establish CORBA connectivity over the network.

JacORB provides a number of socket factories to allow control over the way sockets are created on both the client side and the server side. On the server side, JacORB uses jacorb.net.server_socket_factory and jacorb.ssl.server_socket_factory to control the creation of sockets. On the client side, JacORB uses jacorb.net.socket_factory and jacorb.ssl.socket_factory to control the creation of sockets. A factory design pattern is used for the creation of sockets and server sockets.

You use the jacorb.net.socket_factory property to configure a socket factory that implements the operations defined in the interface org.jacorb.orb.factory.SocketFactory. You use the jacorb.net.server_socket_factory property to configure a server socket factory that implements the operations defined in the interface org.jacorb.orb.factory.ServerSocketFactory, as follows:

jacorb.net.socket_factory=org.jacorb.orb.factory.DefaultSocketFactory
jacorb.net.server_socket_factory=org.jacorb.orb.factory.DefaultServerSocketFactory
jacorb.net.socket_factory=org.jacorb.orb.factory.PortRangeSocketFactory
jacorb.net.server_socket_factory=org.jacorb.orb.factory.PortRangeServerSocketFactory

You can use additional socket factories to specify the maximum and minimum port numbers in a fixed port range to enable network data to pass through a firewall, as follows:

jacorb.net.socket_factory.port.min
jacorb.net.socket_factory.port.max
jacorb.net.server_socket_factory.port.min
jacorb.net.server_socket_factory.port.max

Configuring JacORB in MSS for Communicating Through a Firewall

To enable MSS to communicate with Network Integrity through a firewall, you must configure custom ports in MSS by configuring the jacorb.properties file located in the MSS_Home/server_name/jacORB/etc folder, where MSS_Home is the directory on the server under which the MSS software is installed and server_name is the name of the WebLogic Administration server.

To configure JacORB in MSS to communicate through a firewall:

  1. Navigate to the MSS_Home/server_name/jacORB/etc folder and open the jacorb.properties file.

  2. Configure the following factory properties to specify the maximum and minimum port numbers in a fixed port range:

    jacorb.net.socket_factory.port.min
jacorb.net.socket_factory.port.max
jacorb.net.server_socket_factory.port.min
jacorb.net.server_socket_factory.port.max

  3. Save and close the jacorb.properties file.

Configuring JacORB in Network Integrity for Communicating Through a Firewall

To configure JacORB in Network Integrity to communicate through a firewall:

  1. Copy the jacorb.properties file from the MSS_Home/server_name/jacORB/etc folder to the MSS_Cartridge/src folder in Network Integrity.

  2. Build and deploy the MSS Integration cartridge.

    See the Design Studio Help for information about building and deploying cartridges.

Configuring Connection Between Network Integrity and MSS

In order for CORBA to successfully connect to MSS, you must configure the MSS gateway.ini file.

To configure the MSS gateway.ini file:

  1. Navigate to the MSS_Home/server_name/appserver/gateway folder and open the gateway.ini file.

  2. Uncomment the following line by removing ; at the beginning of the line:

    ;INFRASTRUCTURESERVER=MetaSolv.CORBA.WDIInfrastructure.WDIRoot,MetaSolv.WDIInfrastructure.WDIRootImpl”

  3. Restart the MSS server.

Note:

If the MSS gateway.ini file is not configured, when a connection is attempted from Network Integrity to MSS, Network Integrity returns the following error message: 
Can¿t establish Corba connection with MSS IDL: omg.org/CosNaming/NamingContext/NotFound1.0"

Setting Up Cartridge MBeans

The MSS Integration cartridge uses generic Network Integrity MBeans to communicate discrepancy resolution commands with MSS. These MBeans contain property groups and properties configured with model variables. The default values are set when the cartridge is deployed. You must use Enterprise Manager to define the MBeans.

The configured MBean values are set in the MSS CORBA Properties Initializer processor during run time.

See Network Integrity System Administrator's Guide for information about setting MBeans using Enterprise Manager.

Table 1-2 lists the generic Network Integrity MBeans used to communicate with MSS. Set each MBean with the value required to connect the cartridge to your MSS system.

Table 1-2 Cartridge MBeans Required for Discrepancy Resolution

Attribute Name Property Group MBean Property Name

MSS CORBA Password

Resolve in MSS:MSS CORBA Property Initializer:MSSCORBAConnectionDetails

MSSCORBAPassword

Required to establish the MSS CORBA connection for MSS equipment upload.

Use the runPropertyEncryptor.sh script to encrypt this property. See Network Integrity System Administrator's Guide for more information.

MSS CORBA IOR

Resolve in MSS:MSS CORBA Property Initializer:MSSCORBAConnectionDetails

MSSCORBAIOR

Required to establish the MSS CORBA connection for MSS equipment upload.

When integrating Network Integrity cluster with an MSS cluster, ensure that you set up the Network Integrity CORBA MBean properties in such a way that each Network Integrity managed server in the Network Integrity cluster refers to the same IOR value of a specific MSS managed server in the MSS cluster.

MSS CORBA UserId

Resolve in MSS:MSS CORBA Property Initializer:MSSCORBAConnectionDetails

MSSCORBAUserId

Required to establish the MSS CORBA connection for MSS equipment upload.

MSS EJB JNDI Name

Resolve in MSS:MSS CORBA Property Initializer:MSSEJBConnectionDetails

MSSEJBJNDIName

Required to establish the MSS EJB connection for MSS circuit upload.

MSS EJB URL

Resolve in MSS:MSS CORBA Property Initializer:MSSEJBConnectionDetails

MSSEJBURL

Required to establish the MSS EJB connection for MSS circuit upload.

MSS EJB UserId

Resolve in MSS:MSS CORBA Property Initializer:MSSEJBConnectionDetails

MSSEJBUserId

Required to establish the MSS EJB connection for MSS circuit upload.

MSS EJB Password

Resolve in MSS:MSS CORBA Property Initializer:MSSEJBConnectionDetails

MSSEJBPassword

Required to establish the MSS EJB connection for MSS circuit upload.

Use the runPropertyEncryptor.sh script to encrypt this property. See Network Integrity System Administrator's Guide for more information.

MSS Customer Account ID

Resolve in MSS:MSS CORBA Property Initializer:MSSEJBConnectionDetails

MSS Customer Account Id

Used to assign customer circuits created by Network Integrity to a customer account.

MSS Product Catalog ID

Resolve in MSS:MSS CORBA Property Initializer:MSSEJBConnectionDetails

MSS Product Catalog Id

Used to specify the catalog reference for customer circuits created by Network Integrity.

MSS TUG3-VC12 Channel Positions Count

Resolve in MSS:MSS CORBA Property Initializer:MSSEJBConnectionDetails

mssTUG3VC12ChannelPositionsCount

Used to specify the number of positions in MSS service type defined for TUG3 to VC12.

Enable Container Resolution

MSS Circuit Discrepancy Detection:Partial Circuit Discrepancy Filter:ResolutionProperties

enableContainerResolution

Set to false and is used to not display discrepancies on container entities in Network Integrity. Network Integrity cannot resolve discrepancies on containers.

Enable STM Resolution

MSS Circuit Discrepancy Detection:Partial Circuit Discrepancy Filter:ResolutionProperties

enableSTMResolution

Set to false and is used to not display discrepancies on STMs in Network Integrity. Network Integrity cannot resolve discrepancies on STMs.

Enable HOT Resolution

MSS Circuit Discrepancy Detection:Partial Circuit Discrepancy Filter:ResolutionProperties

enableHOTResolution

Set to false and is used to not display discrepancies on HOTs in Network Integrity. Network Integrity cannot resolve discrepancies on HOTs.

Password properties should be encrypted using the runPropertyEncryptor.sh script. See Network Integrity System Administrator's Guide for more information about encrypting properties.

When encrypting MBean properties, you must enter the property name as it appears in the MBean Property Name column of Table 1-2. For example, enter MSSCORBAPassword when encrypting the MSS CORBA Password attribute.

Downloading and Opening the Cartridge Files in Design Studio

To open, view, and extend the MSS Integration cartridge, you must first download the cartridge ZIP file from the Oracle software delivery web site:

https://edelivery.oracle.com

The MSS Integration cartridge ZIP file has the following structure:

  • MSS_Cartridge

  • Optical_Model

The MSS_Cartridge project contains the extendable Design Studio files.

See Network Integrity Concepts for guidelines and best practices for extending cartridges. See Network Integrity Developer's Guide for information about opening files in Design Studio.

Building and Deploying the Cartridge

To build and deploy the MSS Integration cartridge, you must first add JacORB JAR files and MSS appserver.jar to the cartridge project. See "Adding JacORB JAR Files to the Cartridge Project" and "Adding MSS appserver Jar Files to the Cartridge Project" for more information.

See Design Studio Help for information about building and deploying cartridges.