8 Managing Resource Specifications

Use Resource Specifications in Solution Designer to define your resources. The resources include logical devices, connectivity, custom network address, custom object, device interfaces, flow identifiers, flow interfaces, IPv4Address resource extension, network, telephone number, and so on.

Topics in this document

About Resource Specifications

Resource specifications are entities required for service provisioning. Network specialists manage these specifications in Solution Designer, and they form the foundation for PSR Models used to represent network solutions.

Resources are objects in the network or inventory that can be consumed, referenced, or shared when provisioning a Resource Facing Service (RFS). Resources may be physical (a port) or logical (bandwidth). For example, resources such as IP addresses, VoIP phones, and DSLAM ports could be specified. In the Mobile Service example, resources like TN, SIM Card, and UDR are necessary to fulfill the service, and the Mobile Identity RFS utilizes SIM Card and TN resources.

Resources can be associated with other resources and may be realized in external systems such as supply chain or activation platforms.

You can define the following types of resources in Solution Designer:

  • Business Interaction Specification: Define arrangements or transactions (for example, service orders, projects). These provide the context for tracking inventory transactions. Any additions, changes, or deletions to items in the inventory made under the context of a business interaction are included in its transactions. The transactions associated with a business interaction become effective when the business interaction is completed, and they are canceled when the business interaction is canceled. They also enable transaction cancellations and changes. Business interactions can include child business interactions.

  • Connectivity Specification: Represent the connectivity in your network. You can create the connectivity specification in Solution Designer, however, the built-in support for various technologies is not supported. If you create a Connectivity specification, it is realized as a PacketNetworkConnectivity entity by default at runtime. If you want to create a different entity type, you must use the extended designer class.

    See "Extending Solution Designer" in Developer's Guide for more information on extended designer class.

  • Custom Network Address Specification: Define network addresses not modeled by default. For example, default models are telephone numbers and logical device accounts.

  • Custom Object Specification: Define entities that do not fit into pre-defined categories, allowing you to extend the inventory without changing the underlying schema. All standard specification features—such as characteristics, relationships, and policies—are available for custom objects.

  • Device Interface Specification: Describe device access points for a device. Logical devices often provide device interfaces. These device interfaces may be for connectivity, power, timing, or any other means of interaction with the device.

  • Flow Identifier Specification: Model flow identifiers like VLAN IDs, VPI/VCI, DLCI, VPLS, and more for isolating network traffic in virtual networks. In UIM, you use flow identifiers to represent these various types of network addresses.

  • Flow Interface Specification: Model flow interfaces used with flow identifiers to trace service paths through device interfaces. There are four termination types defined by Flow Interface specifications:

    • Access: Indicates that the purpose of an interface is to terminate connectivity that provides access to a service provider network, such as Ethernet UNI connectivity.

    • Internetwork: Indicates that the purpose of an interface is to terminate connectivity that interconnects two service provider networks, such as Ethernet E-NNI connectivity.

    • Trunk: Indicates that the purpose of an interface is to terminate connectivity that connects equipment and devices in the same network, such as Ethernet I-NNI connectivity.

    • Unknown: Indicates that the purpose of the interface is unknown. Used to support scenarios not covered by the Access, Internetwork, and Trunk termination types.

  • Logical Device Account Specification: Model special network address types hosted by or managed by a logical devices. For a service provider, a logical device account could be a management account, such as a login name, for configuring a logical device. You use Logical Device Account specifications to define these accounts in your inventory. The information captured in a Logical Device Account specification depends on the account that you are modeling.

  • Logical Device Specification: Model logical devices, representing a functional view of a set of resources. The logical device itself is not physical, but it can be supported by one or more physical resources that support it and act together logically to perform one or more functions.

  • Media Stream Specification: Represent media (audio, video) over cable, satellite, radio, or streaming IP. You can create the media stream specification, however, the built-in properties are not supported.

  • Network Specification: Define networks as collections of related entities (equipment, logical devices, sub-networks). You can create network specification, however, the built-in network properties are not supported.

  • Network Address Domain Specification: Define the context for unique network addresses used with flow identifiers and IP subnets. For example, you can use network address domain to define private routing domains for IP addresses. You can use network address domains with Flow identifiers and IP subnets.

  • Other Resource: You use Other Resource specification to define configurations. A configuration is a hierarchically organized collection of facts (configuration items) in the form of characteristics, resource allocations, and entity references. Configurations can be versioned such that a collective set of facts can be organized, managed and referenced as a unit (version) with its own life cycle. In the PSR model, you add a component for other resource, select Resource component as Type and Config hierarchy as Relationship type. You add the child resource specification that has Other Resource as its type. Any component or resource that you add as a child of the Other Resource specification, is created as a configuration item in UIM run-time environment. Configuration items define the content of the configuration. See "Configurations" in UIM Concepts for more information on configuration and configuration items.

  • Party Specification: Model people or organizations in your inventory. Party specifications answer the business question of who is involved in your inventory.

  • Pipe Specification: Define trails, connections, or hierarchical relationships for pipes or layered connectivity. You can create Pipe specification, however, built in properties are not supported.

  • Telephone Number Specification: Define and manage types of telephone numbers in your inventory. A Telephone Number specification is a blueprint for the various kinds of telephone numbers you might use.

About IP Address Resource Specifications

IP Address Resource Extensions model networks, subnets, and IP addresses for IPv4 and IPv6 management. The following are preloaded in Solution Designer:

  • IPv4Address
  • IPv4Network
  • IPV4Subnet
  • IPV6Address
  • IPV6Network
  • IPV6Subnet

You can only revise the preloaded IP Address resource specifications to add supplemental characteristics. You cannot create or clone new IP Address resource specifications.

About Hard Attributes

Hard attributes are the data elements that are added by default as characteristics in the resource specifications. The hard attributes are added based on the resource type. For example, the hard attributes for logical device specification are id, name, description, deviceIdentifier, and networkLocationEntityCode. Hard attributes are available as Data Elements and are associated with the initiative UIM Configuration. Based on the resource type, some of the hard attributes are required and some of them are optional. In general, id and name are the hard attributes added for all the resource types. You cannot edit, clone, revise, or delete the hard attributes.

The hard attributes are displayed with Type as Hard Attribute in Resource Specifications. At run time, all these hard attributes are available for all the instances of the specification as required or optional based on the resource type.

Creating Resource Specifications

Network specialists create and manage resource specifications. Use the Resource Specifications application or the Build Model step in the guided PSR Model creation process. You can relate a resource to a location, another resource, or RFSs. See "About Solution Designer Applications" for more information on Solution Designer applications and "Creating PSR Models using Guided Process" for more information on the guided process.

Prerequisites:

  • An initiative. See "Creating Initiatives" for more details.

  • Domains. See "Creating Domains" for more details.

  • Resources or Locations. To configure a resource, you must create the child resources, or have locations within the same initiative so they are available for the resource to build the hierarchical relationship between them.

To create resources:

  1. On the Solution Designer landing page, click the Resource Specifications application.

  2. Click Create Resource from the Actions drop-down.

    The Create resource specification dialog opens.

  3. Select the type of resource specification that you want to create. See "About Resource Specifications" for more information on the types of resources supported.

  4. Enter the following fields. Note that fields such as rate code, vendor, technology, stacking level, and more, may apply only to specific resource types. Table 8-1 describes the fields in creating resources.

    Table 8-1 New Resource Fields

    Field Name Required or Optional Description Applies to

    Name

    Required

    Unique resource name. In the Mobile Service example, TN, SIM Card, and UDR are the resources.

    		All

    ID

    Required

    Unique resource identifier.

    		 All

    Initiative

    Required

    The initiative this resource belongs to. This resource is available only for the selected initiative across the application until the initiative is released. Specifications from the released initiative are available system-wide.

    		 All

    Primary Domain

    Required

    Primary domain. Only one primary domain can be selected for a resource.

    		 All

    Secondary Domains

    Optional

    Secondary domains(must match the primary domain’s type). Multiple secondary domains are allowed.

    		 All

    Description

    Optional

    		 Description of a resource.

    All

    Rate Code

    Required

    The rate code of a device interface. Rate code values are system-provided. See "About Rate Codes" in Design Studio Modeling Inventory for information on rate codes.

    Device Interfaces

    Vendor

    Optional

    Vendor for a logical device.

    Logical Devices

    Model Number

    Optional

    Model number for a logical device.

    Logical Devices

    Part Number

    Optional

    Part number for a logical device.

    Logical Devices

    Technology

    Required

    The technology that a specification operates under or supports. The supported values are:

    Flow Identifier specification: ATM, Ethernet, Frame Relay, and MPLS.

    Flow Interface specification: ATM, Ethernet, Frame Relay, MPLS and DSL.

    Flow Identifier

    Flow Interface

    Minimum value

    Required

    The minimum value that specified the lower boundary of ranges for the flow identifier. UIM users can create ranges of flow identifiers. If you enter a Minimum value, you must also enter a Maximum value.

    The default value is 0.

    Flow Identifier

    Maximum value

    Required

    The maximum value that specified the upper boundary of ranges for the flow identifier. UIM users can create ranges of flow identifiers. If you enter a Maximum value, you must also enter a Minimum value.

    The default value is 0.

    Flow Identifier

    Stacking level

    Required

    Enter a stacking level for flow identifiers based on this specification. The stacking level is used in UIM to implement Q-in-Q stacking. Flow identifiers with lower stacking level values can be stacked within flow identifiers with higher values. Q-in-Q stacking enables VLAN IDs to be encapsulated (stacked) within each other to allow customer traffic with the same VLAN ID to travel safely through the same service provider network. Stacking levels are oriented from the customer site looking into the service provider network. A CEVLANID is level 0 and an SP-VLAIND is level 1. Stacking levels are used in packet technologies other than Ethernet. For example, stacking levels support VPIs (virtual path identifiers) and VCIs (virtual channel identifiers) for ATM and DLCIs (data link connection identifiers) for Frame Relay.

    The default value is 0.

    Flow Identifier

    Provider Managed

    Optional

    		 Select if this specification represents a Provider Managed flow identifier. In UIM, provider-managed flow identifiers are grouped into network address domains and resource pools from which they can be assigned. For example, an SP-VLANID is a provider managed flow identifier. Unmanaged flow identifiers are not managed by service providers. They are typically received on an order and referenced with a service location on the service. For example, a CE-VLANID is unmanaged by the service provider. The identifier value must be unique across all flow identifiers associated with the same network address domain.

    Flow Identifier

    Allow untagged

    Optional

    		 This check box ix enabled only when you select Ethernet as Technology. Select to indicate that the specification can be used to create untagged flow identifiers. Untagged flow identifiers allow untagged frames to pass through an interface. If this check box is selected, you can create both tagged and untagged flow identifiers. If the check box is not selected, you can create only tagged flow identifiers. Untagged flow identifiers must be named Untagged and cannot have an identifier. Otherwise, the identifier is required.

    Flow Identifier

    Delivery Action Target

    Optional

    Select the check box to mark a resource to be the delivery action target for the delivery policies. Only those resources that have delivery action target selected are available for the delivery policies. See "Defining Delivery Policies" for more information on how to define delivery policies.

    Connectivity Specification

    Custom Network Address Specification

    Device Interfaces

    Logical Devices

    Media Stream

    Network

    Party

    Pipe

    Telephone Number Specification

    Custom Object

    Logical Device Account

    Assign to Multiple Entities

    Optional

    Indicates that the instances of the specification can be assigned to more than one instance of a parent related entity at the same time.

    Available only for Custom Network Address Specification, Device Interfaces, Logical Devices, Custom Object, and Logical Device Account.

    Custom Network Address Specification

    Device Interfaces

    Logical Devices

    Custom Object

    Logical Device Account

    Network Address Type

    Required

    Determines the entity types to which the network address domain applies. The valid values are IP Subnet and Flow Identifier. The default value is IP Subnet.

    Network Address Domain

    Allow Multiple Assignments

    Optional

    Indicates if the instances of the specification can assign entities whose specifications allow them to be assigned to multiple instances at the same time.

    Logical Devices

    Logical Device Account

    Termination type

    Optional
    Select the termination type:

    • Access

    • Trunk

    • Internetwork

    • Unknown

    The Termination Type and Termination Packet Rider values are interrelated. If you select the Termination Packet Rider check box, Termination Type becomes disabled.

    Flow Interface

    Termination packet rider

    Optional

    		 Indicates if the specification is rider or bearer. This field is disabled when Termination Type is selected.

    Flow Interface

    Start Date

    Optional

    Start date of a resource.

    All except Other Resource

    End Date

    Optional

    End date of a resource.

    All except Other Resource

    ID Generation

    Optional

    Method for resource ID generation. Select Manually or ID specification to specify the method in which the resource ID must be generated at the run time environment. This field is not available for Network Address Domain and Other specifications.

    Flow Interface Specification

    Media Stream Specification

    Network Specification

    Party Specification

    Pipe Specification

    Business Interaction

    Custom Object Specification

    Connectivity Specification

    Device Interface Specification

    ID Specification

    Optional

    		 Select the Identifier specification that must be used to generate resource IDs at runtime. This field is active only when you choose ID Specifications as the ID Generation method.

    Flow Interface Specification

    Media Stream Specification

    Network Specification

    Party Specification

    Pipe Specification

    Business Interaction

    Custom Object Specification

    Connectivity Specification

    Device Interface Specification

    Note:

    Resource IDs must be unique and follow naming rules. See "About Naming Rules" for more information on naming rules.

  5. Click Create and Continue.

    The Resource editor page opens.

  6. Use the appropriate tabs to further define resource details (tab availability varies by resource type):

    • General Information: Displays the general information of the specification. You can add advanced policy implementation assets to a specification. See "Adding Advanced Policy Implementation Assets" for information on how to add advanced policy implementation assets.

    • Configuration: Configure the relationship between a resource and the other entities such as resources and locations. This builds a hierarchy between resources and locations. The Configuration tab is displayed only for the following resource types:

      • Flow Interface

      • Logical Device Account

      • Logical Device

      • Network

      • Other Resource

      See "Configuring Relationships between Specifications" for details on how to configure the relationships between specifications.

    • Design Parameters: Configure the design parameters for the resource using the existing data elements or create new data elements. Design parameters are carried from the upstream order management systems and you define them in the resource. See "Defining Design Parameters" for details on how to define design parameters.

    • Characteristics: Configure the characteristics for the resource using the existing data elements or create new data elements. Data elements are added as characteristics to realize them in UIM run-time environment. See "Defining Characteristics" for details on how to define entity characteristics.

    • Parameter Mapping: Configure the parameter mapping of the design parameters to the characteristics of the specification and also to the design parameters of its child specification. See "Mapping Design Parameters" for details on parameter mapping.

    • Design Policies: Configure the design policies to provision the services in UIM. UIM provisions the service based on the defined design policies. See "Defining Design Policies" for details on defining design policies.

    • Delivery Policies: Configure the delivery policies which are requests to downstream delivery systems such as activation, supply chain management, and so on, to make changes in the network. See "Defining Delivery Policies" for details on defining delivery policies.

    • Related Specifications: Relate a specification to the selected resource specifications. The Related Specifications tab is available only for Business Interaction, Custom Network Address, Custom Object, Flow Identifier, Device Interface, Logical Device, Logical Device Account, Party, and Telephone Number Specifications. See "Relating Specifications" for details on defining related specifications.

    • Used by: Lists all the PSR Models and specifications that use the specification.

    Note:

    Resources of type Other Resource do not support Design Parameters, Characteristics, Parameter Mapping, Design Policies, and Delivery Policies.
  7. Click Go to Resource Specifications on the top left to return to the Resource Specifications page.

Note:

You cannot create new IP Address Resource Specifications, as these are preloaded. You may revise preloaded specifications if needed. See "Revising Resource Specifications" for information on how to revise resource specifications.

Viewing Resource Specifications

You can view the resource specifications from the Resource Specifications application or from the Initiative Items tab in the Initiatives application.

To view the resource specifications:

  1. On the Solution Designer landing page, select the desired application.

  2. Do one of the following:

    • In the Resource Specifications application, search for a specification using the following criteria:

      • Specification name
      • Status
      • Initiative
      • Domain
      • Type
      • Resource Type
      • Last Updated

      The resources specification result is filtered based on the search criteria.

      Note:

      In the resource specifications results page, click View Errors to view the validation errors if any.

    • In the Initiatives application, search for an initiative and click the Initiative Items tab in the initiative editor page.

  3. Select a resource specification to view the details.

    The resource specification editor page opens.

  4. Review the resource specification details such as configuration, design parameters, characteristics, design policies, delivery policies, used by, and general information for the respective specifications in different tabs.

  5. Click Go to Resource Specifications to return to the main page, or Go to previous page to return to the Initiative Items tab.

Updating Resource Specifications

You can update the configuration, design parameters, characteristics, parameter mapping, design policies, delivery policies and general information. You can update the primary domain and the secondary domains if the specification does not have any components or any child specifications associated with it.

Note:

You can update a resource specification only if the associated initiative is in Definition and Advanced Configuration status.
To update a resource specification:

  1. In the Solution Designer landing page, click the application that you want to work with.

  2. Do one of the following:

    • In the Resource Specifications application, search for a resource specification and open the resource specification.

    • In the Initiatives application, search for an initiative and click the Initiative Items tab in the initiatives editor page. Select a specification to update the details.

    The specifications editor page opens.

  3. You can update the specification configurations, design parameters, characteristics, parameter mappings, design policies, delivery policies, and general information for the respective specifications. See "Configuring Service and Resource Specifications" for more information on updating the resource specifications.

  4. Do one of the following:

    • Click the Go to Resource Specifications link on the top left to return to the Resource Specifications page.

    • Click the Go to previous page link on the top left to return to the Initiatives Items tab in the initiatives editor page or the parent specification page from where this specification is opened.

Cloning Resource Specifications

You can clone the existing resource specifications to create a copy and update the details as necessary. See "About Cloning Entities" for information on the cloning process.

To clone a resource specification:

  1. In the Solution Designer landing page, click the application that you want to work with.

  2. Do one of the following:

    • In the Resource Specifications application, search for a specification.

      In the specifications result list page, click Clone.

      The Clone Specification pop-up appears. Specification includes resource and location.

    • In the Resource Specifications application, search and open the specification.

      The specifications editor page opens. Click the Clone in the specifications editor page.

      The Clone Specification pop-up appears. Specification includes resource and location.

    • In the Initiatives application, search and select an initiative. Click the specification in the Initiative Items tab in the initiatives editor page.

      In the specifications editor page, click Clone.

      The Clone Specification pop-up appears. Specification includes resource and location.

  3. Update the name, ID, and description as necessary. See "About Naming Rules" for more information on naming rules for ID.

    Note:

    • You can't select a new initiative when you clone a specification in the Definition and the Advanced Configuration status.
    • You must select a new initiative that is in Definition status when you clone a specification in Released status.

  4. Click Continue.

    The specification editor page opens with all the details.

    You can update the configuration, design parameters, entity characteristics, and general information. You may configure parameter mapping, design policies, and delivery policies after cloning, as those are not copied when cloning a specification.

Revising Resource Specifications

Network specialists can revise resource specifications in Released status. See "About Revising Entities" for information on revising an entity.

To revise a resource specification:

  1. On the Solution Designer landing page, select the desired application.

  2. Do one of the following:

    • In the Resource Specifications application, search a specification.

      The specification is listed in the results section.

    • In the Resource Specifications application, search and open a specification.

    • In the Initiatives application, search for an initiative and click the Initiative Items tab in the initiatives editor page. Select a specification.

      The specification editor page opens.

  3. Click Revise.

    The Revise Specification dialog appears. Specification includes resources and locations.

  4. Select an initiative in Definition status and click Continue.

    The corresponding specification editor page opens.

  5. Update the required details such as configuration, design parameters, entity characteristics, parameter mapping, design policies, delivery policies, and general information. See "Updating Resource Specifications" for more information on modifying the specification details.

Note:

You can only revise preloaded IP Address Resource specifications; you cannot create or clone new ones.

Deleting Resource Specifications

You can delete a specification from the Specifications application or from the Initiative Items tab in the initiatives editor page in the Initiatives application.

To delete a resource specification:

  1. In the Solution Designer landing page, click the application that you want to work with.

  2. Do one of the following:

    • In the Resource Specifications application, search for a specification.

      The specification is listed in the results section.

    • In the Resource Specifications application, search for and open a specification.

      The specification editor page opens.

    • In the Initiatives application, search for an initiative and click the Initiative Items tab in the initiatives editor page. Open a specification.

      The specification editor page opens.

  3. Click Delete.

    A confirmation dialog box appears.

  4. Click Delete in the confirmation dialog box.

    The specification is deleted if it is not associated with any other specifications or PSR models. If you are deleting a revised specification, only the current revision is deleted and the specification reverts to the previously released version.

Note:

You can't delete a resource specification after you complete the Advanced Configuration phase of the associated initiative.