Systems Management in the 1990s

Abstract

During the late 1980s, business customers increasingly viewed systems-management tools as a means to increase staff productivity while lowering operational costs. In this regard, AT&T Global Business Communications Systems (GBCS) designed a suite of site-management applications to facilitate control of the hardware and software elements providing network voice communications. For example, systems-administration products simplify and accelerate the addition, deletion, and modification of stations and trunks. Traffic-management and fault-management tools help to optimize the voice network while minimizing maintenance costs. Call-accounting products allocate costs and help manage calling patterns. Since 1992, a new operational environment has begun to appear among the largest GBCS customers. This environment integrates control of voice and data communications under a single management group. Moreover, while networks have become more complex, the number of communication managers has not increased significantly. End-user demand has grown, however, for management applications that are flexible and easy to use, as well as for applications providing simple access and control of both voice and data elements. In response to these market needs, GBCS is developing a suite of network-management tools — using industry-standard protocols — to support its wide variety of core products in the integrated network. These applications will be part of the AT&T OneVision™ Network-Management Solutions.