We reuse and extend the generic and technology neutral Parlay and Parlay X concepts to define a SDP business model, reference model and architecture.
The SDP business model is illustrated in Figure 5.4 and is derived from the Parlay reference model shown in Figure 5.1. The model is abstract and illustrates the SDP performing the business roles of a service retailer and service broker. As a result, the SDP provides services to various business entities. Also, business entities use the SDP to locate services. The entities that interact with the SDP include:
• Service Providers: perform OSS/BSS specific functions with the SDP. For instance, service providers use SCE and SME to create and manage their own services, that are integrated into the SDP and contribute to the SDP’s service repository. This business entity is similar to the service supplier in the Parlay reference model.
• Service Consumers: represent application providers who create applications by locat- ing and consuming specific services offered by the SDP. Consumers orchestrate ser- vices into their applications that are used by customers. This business entity is similar to the enterprise operator and client applications in the Parlay reference model. • Customers: use SDP services to locate and access applications. These applications
provide customer services. This entity is lacking in the Parlay reference model. • Network Provider: provides the underlying network resources and capabilities re-
quired by SDP services to support application development and customer service deliver. This business entity is abstracted by the SCFs in the Parlay reference model. Also, the Parlay reference model does promote a standardised interface between the SCFs and this business entity.
Customer Retailer Admin Customer Service Retailer SDP (Retailer/Broker) Converged Networks RCS RRAdmin RRS Service Provider RNS RRAdmin RRC App/Content Provider (RRP) (RSAdmin) (RPR) (RPS) Service Retailer SDP Services RSC RSP
Figure 5.5: SDP Reference Model derived from Parlay Reference Model
Business interactions between entities in the SDP business model are defined using business relationships. These relationships prescribe rules and contracts between the SDP and busi-
ness entities. For instance, the RSC relationship defines access and usage permissions of
services by service consumers. The RSP relationship specifies rules for service providers
to deploy their services using the SDP. In addition, the RN S relationship regulates use of
network resources and capabilities by the SDP and services. Also, the RCS relationship
defines usability of the SDP by customers.
The SDP business model is decomposable into a reference model. An example reference model is shown in Figure 5.5. The reference model is also derived from the Parlay reference model shown in Figure 5.1. The reference model decomposes the SDP business model en- tity into additional components, that support the business relationships. These components include:
• Service Retailer: represents a component of the SDP business entity. This component provides services to service consumers’ applications. Thus, it provides functionality similar to the Parlay framework SCF. In the SDP reference model we show service consumers as application or content providers.
• SDP Services: represent a diverse range of services that are created and managed by service providers. Some SDP services may provide service consumers with simple access to network capabilities, while others provide services to customers. Thus, SDP services represent abstractions of Parlay SCFs and Parlay X web services.
• Customer Service Retailer: enables customers to locate and use customer services, via the service retailer. These customers are not enterprise operators or their client application, but are similar to end-users of applications or TINA consumers.
• Retailer administrator: provides administrative functionality to manage the SDP re- tailers. This entity is similar to the Parlay reference model’s framework administrator.
In the reference model, relationships between SDP business entity components are stan- dardised as reference points before they are implemented using standard-based APIs. For
example, the RRS reference point promotes standardised interactions between the service
retailer and SDP services. These interactions enable the service retailer to locate SDP ser- vices for service consumers. This reference point relates to the R3 interface of the Parlay
reference model. The RRCreference point standardises communication between the service
retailer and customer service retailer. This communication enables the customer service re- tailer to locate customer services. There are no interfaces in the Parlay reference model
that corresponds to this reference point. The RAdminenables the SDP to manage its retail-
ers. This reference point relates to the nonstandardised interface between the framework administrator and framework SCF in the Parlay reference model.
Business relationships between SDP business entity components and external business en- tities are also formalised as reference points. These reference points share names with the
business relationships, that is, RSC, RSP, RN S and RCS. These reference points promote
standard-based communication between the SDP and external entities, including the con-
verged networks and IT-using enterprises. However, the RSC and RSP reference points are
decomposed into more specific reference points, since they interact with the SDP compo-
nents. The RSC business relationship is divided into the RP R and RP S reference points.
The RP R reference point standardises interactions between service consumers and the ser-
vice retailer. These interactions enable consumers to locate and register to use SDP services. Also, consumers may register their applications for use by customers. This reference point
corresponds to the Parlay reference model’s R1 and R4 interfaces. The RP Sreference point
standardises interactions between service consumers, their applications and SDP services. Hence, this reference point standardises usage of SDP services and therefore, the underly- ing network capabilities. This reference point relates to the Parlay reference model’s R2 and R6 interfaces.
The RSP reference point is divided into the RRP and RSAdminreference points. The RRP
standardises communication between the service retailer an service provider. As a result, diverse service providers can register their services with the service retailer, in a consis- tent manner. This reference point is similar to the R5 interface of the Parlay reference
model. The RSAdmin standardises interactions between the service supplier and their ser-
vices. Hence, service providers manage their services, while they are deployed in the SDP. This reference point relates to the nonstandardised interface between the service supplier
and SCFs in the Parlay reference model. The RCS standardises interactions between cus- tomers and the customer service retailer. These interactions enable customers to locate and register to use applications that provide specific customer services. This reference point has no corresponding interface in the Parlay reference model.
Like Parlay, the SDP reference points in Figure 5.5 are implemented as generic interfaces. Interfaces express functionality offered by the business entity components. For example, SDP services offer external IT-using enterprises interfaces, that expose the service-oriented capabilities of the underlying network. Also, these SDP service interfaces express function- ality independent of telco details, such as protocols. Other interfaces describe functionality to support communication between business entity components. All interfaces are defined in an implementation neutral manner, such that they are implementable using a variety of technologies.
All interfaces are implemented and exposed using services. As a result, each business entity component contains services that implement and expose their appropriate interfaces. For example, the service retailer contains retailer services that enable application developers to locate SDP services. Also, the customer service retailer contains its own retailer services that enable it to locate, subscribe and access applications, on behalf of customers. The SDP service entity contains a diverse collection of services. These services are of the following types:
• Application services: expose simple interfaces to service consumers to access net- work capabilities. However, some application services may not expose interfaces but provide services to customers.
• Generic services: provide interfaces for application services to invoke the service- oriented capabilities of the underlying network resources.
• Network services: provide interfaces for generic services to invoke network functions independent of their technologies.
Some of the above SDP services may be created and managed by external service providers. For example, Figure 5.5 shows a service provider interacting with the SDP to deploy and manage its own services.
Services and their interfaces implementing the SDP reference model are managed in a SDP architecture illustrated in Figure 5.6. The SDP architecture is derived from the Parlay and Parlay X architectures shown in Figure 5.2 and Figure 5.3. The architecture represents the SDP within an environment of entities that invoke SDP service interfaces.
Figure 5.6: SDP and its Environment derived from Parlay and Parlay X Architectures
The SDP architecture separates services into horizontal layers that are hierarchically organ- ised based on their level of abstraction. The application layer contains applications that consume application services. These applications may belong to application or content providers The application service layer houses the various types of application services. These services may be implemented as Parlay SCFs or Parlay X web services. The generic service layer contains generic services. These services may be implemented as Parlay SCFs. The network service layer groups network services. The network services may be imple- mented as part of the Parlay SCS logic. The network resource layer houses the converged network resources and capabilities, such as transport networks, OSS/BSS and data stores. These resources are invoked by the network services. All service layers expose their service interfaces to layers higher in the SDP architecture.
If Parlay X web services are used to implement the application service layer, we may re- move the generic service and network service layers. As a result, the web services can communicate directly with the appropriate network resources. Thus, the SDP architecture can be reduced to accommodate the Parlay X architecture shown in Figure 5.3.
In addition to layers, the SDP architecture defines domains. Domains represent functional divisions across the SDP architecture. The SDP architecture defines domains that corre- spond to the business entities that interact with the SDP business entity and components. Hence, services derived from the business entities operate within their associated domains. However, SDP services are accessed and used across multiple domains. SDP services pro- vide their functionality across various domains by using their interfaces. For example,
Figure 5.6 shows application services are accessible via their interfaces, by applications
access generic service, via their interfaces, from within their domain when creating and testing their own application services.
Like Parlay and Parlay X, middleware is essential to the SDP architecture. The SDP uses middleware mechanisms to abstract the distribution of applications and services across vari- ous domains. The middleware mechanisms also contain functionality to support implemen- tation and distribution independence of service interfaces. The SDP middleware abstracts underlying technology details, such as computing platforms that host applications and ser- vices. Also, the middleware abstracts transport networks used to deliver application and service communications. In the SDP architecture middleware mechanisms are abstracted as a middleware plane. In Figure 5.6, the middleware plane encapsulates all layers and domains, such that implementation, distribution and technology details are abstracted.