7 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 that are required to provision a service. Network specialists manage the resource specifications in Solution Designer. Resource specifications are the basis for PSR Models you create in Solution Designer to model your network solution.

Resources are entities that are required to provision a service. A resource is a specific object in the network and in the inventory that can be consumed, referenced, or shared by a service when provisioning an RFS. Resources can be physical, such as a port, or logical, such as bandwidth. Examples of resources include IP addresses, VoIP phones, and DSLAM ports. In the Mobile Service example, the TN, SIM Card, and UDR are the resources required to fulfill the service.

In the Mobile Service example, the Mobile Identity RFS utilizes the SIM Card resource and TN resource to fulfill the service.

Resources have associations with other resources. Additionally, you can define resources that you intend to realize in external systems such as supply chain management, activation and so on.

You can define the following types of resources in Solution Designer:
  • Connectivity Specification: You use the Connectivity specification to represent the connectivity in your network. Connectivity entities provide built-in support for a variety of technologies and can be customized to suit your business needs. You can create Connectivity specifications for three types of Connectivity entities:

    • Multiplexed Connectivity entities support technologies such as E-Carrier, T-Carrier, JCarrier, SDH, and SONET, and WDM.

    • Packet Connectivity entities support technologies such as Ethernet, Frame Relay, ATM, and MPLS.

    • Service Connectivity entities represent the connectivities that delivers services to end customers. Service connectivity consumes other types of connectivity and resources, but cannot be consumed itself.

  • Custom Network Address Specification: A network address is a name, label, or number identifying a location in storage or a device in a system or network. You use a Custom Network Address specification to define a network address that is not modeled by default in UIM. The network addresses that are modeled by default in the UIM framework are telephone numbers and logical device accounts.

  • Custom Object Specification: You use Custom Object specifications to define entities that do not fit into one of the predefined categories in UIM. Custom Object specifications enable you extend the inventory model without having to create a custom schema or redeploy UIM. All of the standard features of specifications, such as characteristics, relationships, and policies are available for custom objects.

  • Device Interface Specification: You use Device Interface specification to define the access points into the 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: You use the Flow Identifier specification to model flow identifiers. The various packet connectivity technologies have a variety of ways of identifying network traffic to make it visible to only the appropriate devices. By isolating network traffic in this way, the same physical or infrastructure network can support multiple virtual networks. For example, the Ethernet technology uses VLAN IDs (or tags) for this purpose. Similarly, ATM uses VPI and VCI; Frame Relay uses DLCI; and MPLS uses VPLS IDs. In UIM, you use flow identifiers to represent these various types of network addresses.

  • Flow Interface Specification: You use Flow Interface specification to model flow interfaces. Flow interfaces are used with flow identifiers (such as VLAN IDs) to trace the path of services through the device interfaces and connectivities in multipoint and point-to-point service arrangements.

  • IPv4Address Resource Extension: You use IPv4 Address Resource Extension specifications to model content for IPv4 address management for IPv4 networks, subnets, and IP addresses.

  • IPv6Address Resource Extension: You use IPv6 Address Resource Extension specifications to model content for IPv6 address management for IPv6 networks, subnets, and IP addresses.

  • Logical Device Account Specification: You use the Logical Device Account Specification to model special types of network addresses that are hosted or managed by a logical device. 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: You use the Logical Device Specification to model logical devices. A logical device represents 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: You use Media Stream specification to model content such as audio or video media delivered over cable, satellite, radio, or streaming IP. Media Stream specifications represent provisional or subscription video services such as tiered services and a la carte packages.

  • Network Specification: You use a Network specification to define a network as a whole. In UIM, a network represents a collection of other related entities, such as equipment, logical devices, and other networks.

  • Other Resource: You user 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.

  • Pipe Specification: Use the Pipe Specification to define trails and connections, to model layered connectivity, and to model hierarchical relationships of pipes.

  • Telephone Number Specification: You use Telephone Number specification to define the types of telephone numbers that your inventory includes and how they are managed in the business process. A Telephone Number specification is a blueprint for the various kinds of telephone numbers you might use.

  • Party Specification: You use Part and Role specifications to define the people and organizations in your inventory. You create Party specifications to model the people or organizations that interact with your inventory. Party specifications answer the business question of who is involved in your inventory.

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

A network specialist creates and manages the resource specifications. You create the resource specifications using the Resource Specifications application or in the Build Model step, when creating PSR Models in the guided mode. 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.

Network specialists create and manage the resources. You can relate a resource to a location, another resource, or RFSs.

For creating and configuring a resource specification, you must have the following in Solution Designer:

  • 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 a resource using the Resource Specifications application:

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

  2. In the Resource Specifications application, click Create Resource from the Actions drop-down list.

    The Create resource specification dialog opens.

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

  4. Enter the following fields. Table 7-1 describes the fields in creating resources.

    Table 7-1 New Resource Fields

    Field Name Required or Optional Description
    Name Required

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

    ID Required

    Unique Id of a resource.
    Initiative Required

    The initiative that the 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.
    Primary Domain Required

    The primary service domain or the technology domain. Only one primary domain can be selected for a resource.
    Secondary Domains Optional

    The secondary domains that are associated with the resource. Multiple secondary domains can be associated with the resource. The secondary domains must have the same domain type as that of the selected primary domain.

    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.

    Available only for Device Interfaces specification.

    Vendor Optional

    The vendor name of a logical device.

    Available only for Logical Devices specification.

    Model Number Optional

    The model number of a logical device.

    Available only for Logical Devices specification.

    Part Number Optional

    The part number of a logical device.

    Available only for Logical Devices specification.

    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.
    Assign to Multiple Entities Optional

    Select the check box if 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 Device Interfaces, Logical Devices, Custom Object, and Logical Device Account.

    Allow Multiple Assignments Optional

    Select the check box if instances of this specification can assign entities whose specifications have Assign to Multiple Entities selected.

    Available only for Logical Devices and Logical Device Account.

    Start Date Optional The starting date of a resource. Not available for Other Resource specification
    End Date Optional The ending date of a resource. Not available for Other Resource specification
    Description Optional The description of a resource.

    Note:

    The resource must have a unique ID and follow the naming rules. See "About Naming Rules" for more information on naming rules.

  5. Click Create and Continue.

    The Resource editor page opens.

  6. You can use the following tabs that are displayed based on the resource type to define the resources:

    • 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:

      • Logical Device Account

      • Logical Device

      • Flow Interface

      • 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 Device Interface, Logical Device Account, Logical Device, and Custom Object. 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.

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. 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 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. You can view 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. Do one of the following:

    • Click the Go to Resources 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.

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

A network specialist revises a resource or location specification in the Released status. See "About Revising Entities" for information on revising an entity.

To revise 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 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 box opens. Specification includes resources and locations.

  4. Select an initiative that is in the Definition status and click Continue.

    The corresponding specification editor page opens.

  5. The configuration, design parameters, entity characteristics, parameter mapping, design policies, delivery policies, and general information can be modified for the revised specification. See "Updating Resource Specifications" for more information on modifying the specification details.

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.