Network Integrity compares two sets of data to identify and facilitate the correction of differences between the data sets.

Use Network Integrity to discover network data (such as network elements, resources, and services) using discovery or assimilation scans. Use Network Integrity to import inventory data using an import scan. You can filter scan results by specifying search criteria.

The discovered data is compared with the imported data to generate lists of discrepancies, which are instances where the data from the two data sources do not match. Discrepancies can be shown for relevant entities of the device or for other objects. You can select an entity to show a side-by-side comparison of the discovered view and the inventory view. You can then resolve an individual data discrepancy or several data discrepancies.

You can even generate reports from the discovery, import, or discrepancy information.

Figure 1-1 illustrates a typical Network Integrity discovery and discrepancy resolution process flow.

The typical Network Integrity process flow is:

1. Run an import scan to import inventory data from an inventory system.

2. Run a discovery or assimilation scan, to discover or assimilate network data from a network system, with the Detect Discrepancies option enabled.

   Elements, physical resources, and logical resources in the network are discovered by scanning Network Elements (NEs), Element Management Systems (EMSs), and Network Management Systems (NMSs). For example, you poll an NE to find all ports and to determine whether each port is free or assigned, or you poll an optical EMS to find unused ports.

3. Discovered or assimilated entities are matched with the inventory view of networks and services and generate discrepancies. For example, you match the discovered NE and each port on it with objects in inventory.

   See "Managing Scans and Viewing Scan Results" for more information.

4. Discrepancies are evaluated in the Network Integrity UI, or by viewing generated reports, which can be studied to obtain a deeper understanding of the inventory discrepancies.

   For more information, see "About Discrepancy Detection, Review, and Resolution" and "About the Reporting Solution".

   Figure 1-2 Network Integrity UI View of Discrepancies

   
   Description of "Figure 1-2 Network Integrity UI View of Discrepancies "

5. Discrepancies are corrected using Network Integrity. You can make individual or bulk corrections. Network Integrity synchronizes the discovered data with the inventory reference data. You can assign, rank and annotate discrepancies. Using the UI to perform synchronization reduces the likelihood of errors, compared to making changes manually, and better supports a multi-user environment.

Network Integrity offers a number of benefits for optimizing resource use and increasing provisioning efficiency.

Service Catalog and Design - Design Studio is a design-time platform and graphical service creation environment that enables you to design, build, and deploy cartridges. Design Studio supports multiple Oracle Communications applications including Network Integrity. You can use the same Design Studio instance for multiple Oracle Communications products.

Design Studio is based on Eclipse, a popular, open-source development environment. Design Studio provides an integrated development environment to support plug-in configuration and customizations.

You use Design Studio for Network Integrity to develop and deploy Network Integrity cartridges that extend Network Integrity for various environments, applications, or implementations. Network Integrity's cartridge-based architecture promotes cartridge and artifact reuse and extensibility. For example, you can extend Network Integrity with cartridge-based Actions and Address Handlers. Each cartridge is created or customized using Design Studio GUI wizards and editors that:

• Validate the integrity of configurations.

• Generate cartridge Java code and other cartridge artifacts.

• Build the cartridge code.

• Package the cartridge artifacts into deployable files.

Although many of the cartridge artifacts are produced automatically, you may have to manually write some Java code to complete the cartridge implementation. Cartridges offered by Network Integrity offer:

• Network discovery

• Inventory import

• Data assimilation

• Discrepancy detection

• Discrepancy resolution

Network Integrity conforms to Oracle security standards. Network Integrity should be installed as securely as possible and configured to listen to, read, and write data as securely as possible, to protect the integrity of the information it accesses.

"Network Integrity Security Overview" in Network Integrity Security Guide outlines all Network Integrity security features and explains how to install and configure Network Integrity securely.