ETSI creates ZSM group centered on management and automation
ETSI announced it has created a new branch dubbed Zero touch network and Service Management Industry Specification Group (ZSM ISG), which will focus on 5G end-to-end network and service management. The aim of the ZSM group, according to ESTI, is to automate the execution of operational processes and tasks, ideally at 100%, from delivery to deployment.
ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute ) is a non-profit organization that helps develop global standards for the telecom industry. Over the past few years, technologies like network functions virtualization (NFV) and software-defined networking (SDN) have transformed telecom infrastructure. ETSI was founded as a way to address technical issue coupled to these kinds of emerging technologies, boasting more than 800 member organizations globally.
According to the organization, the ZSM group has been assigned the task of defining a new, future-proof horizontal and vertical end-to-end framework. In this context, horizontal end-to-end refers to cross-domain, cross-technology aspects, whereas vertical end-to-end refers to cross-layer aspects.
ETSI underscored how a new way of managing and orchestrating services is needed as budding technologies give rise to increasingly complicated environments, particular with the commercialization of 5G on the horizon. 5G stands for fifth generation and represents the next mobile wireless standard. Its purpose is to stay up to pace with the flood of devices connected to the web. With commercialization set for 2020, the success of 5G networks will largely depend on the ability to integrate network and service automation into future Operation and Support Systems (OSS), according to ETSI.
“There are many issues that are currently hindering the automation of operations and Network and Service Management functionalities that need to be addressed at an industry level,” said Klaus Martiny, convenor of the ETSI ZSM ISG., in a statement. “A primary goal of the ZSM ISG is to identify requirements on the necessary management architecture and interfaces to support the end-to-end zero touch network and service management in a multi-vendor environment. It is important as well that existing solutions will be considered.”
Additionally, ETSI said the ZSM group will help facilitate coordination and cooperation between relevant standardization bodies and open source projects.The ZSM group is set to hold a kick off meeting at ETSI facilities in Sophia Antipolis, France Jan. 10 to 12 next year.
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