Management Automation Tool

MAT is an automation framework, developed by Iquall Networks, oriented to large telecommunication networks.
The main MAT goal is to generate an agile work environment oriented to transform the networks in dynamic ones as SND and NFV requires, using DevOps tools and concepts.
Particularly, MAT provides the possibility to follow and trace every process and task involved in any kind of operation over all the services running, at every moment.

  • 01.
    Think Big
    ideas
  • 02.
    Start small
    with a well – known process
  • 03.
    Move Fast
    to the next one
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Operational Principles

MAT is based on the concept of different hierarchies or orchestration layers which allows that a first layer, called BRAIN, manage and dispose high level information related to the customer and the service; while the lower layers handle information related to the implementation.

MAT versatility and modularity enable the generation of a lower orchestration layer – or network layer – dedicated to each different network environment and provide an abstraction layer to BRAIN who has a general visión of the automized services and decides which lower orchestrator will be in charge of deploying each task.

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Internal Architechture

In the Northbound interface, each MAT instance is provided with RESTful APIs through which is possible to interact with the user portal or the service administration backend.
In the Southbound interface, MAT is able to interact with the network platforms through CLI, NETCONF/YANG, APIs, SQL or automation modules like Ansible, Puppet or Chef.

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API Gateway

  • Enables hierarchy orchestration design, by having a “business logic” orchestrator (Brain) and lower network specific orchestrators for different network areas and scopes.
  • Enables integration with high order Orchestrators from other vendors
  • Allows for Inventory DB information access, using standar API Restful Northbound Interfaces
  • Allows for programatic triggered workflow execution
  • Enables integration with external systems, like OSS, BSS or current customer inventory DB.

Workflow Manager

  • Allow to control the execution of distributed tasks and process order
  • Provide a tracing interfaces and action executed log.
  • Provide statistics of processes per function (Attempts, time execution, Gantt)

Inventory Manager

  • Manage the inventory information, platforms and infrastructure handle by MAT
  • Manage and store each new entity created in the system (Ej L3VPN)
  • Depending on the use case, can be deploy in a relational data base (SQL type) or documental data base (YANG/JSON – RFC7951)

CI

  • Manage the workflows, plugins and Ansible playbooks.
  • In charge of versioning, aproval flows, testing automized processes and rollback procedures

Ansible

  • Enable to prepare configurations agnostic to technology and OS version thorugh templates.
  • Keep synchronzed the network configuration with the inventory defined
  • Enable to define platform roles and automized the configuration deployment based on it
  • Can be implemented through Ansible Tower to get an administration web, if required

ELK + INFLUX-DB

  • Enable the network events analysis (automized process outputs or CLI, syslog, SNMP Traps, netflow, CDRs, etc) and hystoric measures analysis (Time-series Database)
  • Works as feedback, enabling the execution of a workflow based on evento detection
  • Typical use cases:
    • Execute a security or blocking compliance workflow if a potential attack is detected
    • Execute a network configuration (ie, change the BGP distribution policies) based on a performance problem detection
    • Confirm succesfull configurations based on NE logs
    • Execute workflows based on monthly averages, SLA indicators and automatic situations detected (Machine learning)
Open Source
MAT modules are completely developed over OPEN SOURCE software, a very remarkable feature that allows to configure their based on the automation particular requirements. Besides, MAT propietary framework gives the oppotunity to define service inventories, interfaces, integration APIs and interconection modules.
Standard Integration
Even Iquall Networks can provide services to MAT operation, as all the integration configuration and development is based on standard languages (as Python and Ansible) the operator is able to do its own modifications without any assistance.
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In summary

MAT brings the possibility to automize the deployment, configuration and operation tasks over all the operator network, supported in its scalability and modularity. In addition, MAT generate an abstraction layer over the platforms that brings security and agility, optimizing the network resources and setting the environment for the next generation challenges, as SDN, NFV and 5G