TECHNICAL
“...in essence hyperautomation means “automate as many business and IT processes as possible”. In telco, this means that we need to consider not just automation within processes (adjusting router capacity and flows, based on known alarm conditions, for example), but also automation between processes.”
happens while ‘z’ is also occurring, then the output may be different.
Automation: A recap of the basics Telco automation is an on-going journey, and many CSPs are at different stages. As such, while there is a roadmap and generally agreed definitions of automation, it’s worth starting at the beginning and reflecting on what automation means in practice. At its basic level, automation is applied to specific, often repetitive, tasks or processes and by automating one or other aspect of these, removes the need for human intervention at each point. In turn, it eliminates human error and optimises efficiency. Because we are concerned with CSPs, each task or process depends on actions and responses to events in the network (fixed, mobile or converged) or business systems (the BSS and OSS layers that support the network and its customers). In general, there is a finite number of responses – there may be binary choices, there may be many alternatives – but automation is typically contingent upon a software process that determines the appropriate response to a particular event or action. So, if ‘x’ happens, do this, but if ‘y’ occurs, do something else. Context adds to the potential decision tree, as if ‘x’
3 Conditional autonomous network – Senses real-time environmental changes and can optimise and adjust itself to enable intent-based, closed- loop management. 4 Highly autonomous network – In a more complicated, cross-domain environment, the system enables decision-making based on predictive analysis or active closed-loop management of service-driven and customer experience-driven networks. 5 Fully autonomous network – A system with closed-loop automation capabilities across multiple services and domains, including partners’ domains, over the entire lifecycle. While this journey presents many challenges, some CSPs already have the end game in sight. Others are earlier in their automation journey. For all, however, one of the key hurdles to overcome on this journey lies in the move from automation to what’s known as ‘hyperautomation’. In this paper, we’ll explain the differences between the two, and compare automation to hyperautomation. We will also show how the leap can be made using practical examples.
In general terms, automation ranges from instructing another machine to change a setting, or it can mean taking the next step in a process based on entry to a particular field. In all cases, a flow can be defined, with different steps being taken, depending on the inputs received and the overall context of the event and/or process – which determines the outputs or appropriate actions to be taken. In telecoms, for example, this could mean that an alarm is generated by a core network IP transport router that has a specific meaning – in this simple case, that the router has reached its maximum capacity for a given traffic flow. The response to this alarm (the action taken) demands rerouting of traffic via another resource that does have sufficient capacity, which can also be automated. The automation simply means that this rerouting takes place automatically without the need for human intervention, because the network has been configured to ensure that alternative routes are available for traffic flow. Since routers can generate many kinds of alarms, and since the responses to each may be finite, automations to effect the necessary response can be created
May 2025 Volume 47 No.2
95
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker