API Conveys Circuit Problems to Automate Response

In today's fast-paced digital world, enterprises demand robust connectivity, transparency, and prompt updates on their network services. Any disruption or degradation in network service can lead to significant operational challenges and financial losses. However, changes in the availability and performance of network circuits are inevitable. Shockingly, an automated system is not used to communicate such vital information to the enterprises. Instead, email communication is the most prevalent method of communicating such critical information, and it often either does not go to the IT/network team or gets drowned in the deluge of other emails and is not actioned in time, causing business-impacting disruption.

Circuits, Circuits, Circuits

The number of network circuits that enterprises deal with has grown substantially. There are network connectivity circuits for Internet access. Many enterprises have one or, in many cases, two circuits for each of their branch locations. Often, these circuits are from multiple providers based on the location, especially if the enterprises have international locations. If the enterprise has an MPLS VPN and SD-WAN, there are circuits at each branch location for the VPNs. Additionally, enterprises may get an express circuit from Internet Exchange Provider for connectivity to major cloud services such as AWS, Azure, or GCP. For redundancy and faster connectivity, these circuits may be in several locations. Essentially, IT and networking staff are dealing with many circuits simultaneously from many different service providers, and the larger the footprint of the enterprise, the more circuits they have to deal with. It is easy to see how the archaic email communication method conveying vital information of any circuit is insufficient and inadequate for a digital enterprise.

Revolutionizing Connectivity

The newly formed MEF Enterprise Leadership Council (ELC), comprised of senior executives representing major enterprise vertical markets, identified the ability to automate monitoring and management of circuits as one of the industry’s critical gaps that must be addressed. A Lifecycle Service Orchestration (LSO) Circuit Impairment & Maintenance (CIM) Service API was developed in collaboration with MEF’s ELC to enable service providers to automate and standardize how network circuit impairments and scheduled maintenance are communicated to enterprises. This transformative service addresses enterprise connectivity management by delivering real-time, automated notifications about service disruptions and maintenance activities across complex, multi-provider networks.

The Need for an Automated System

System-wide automated monitoring based on standard APIs streamlines how information is communicated between enterprises and circuit service providers. Additionally, utilizing standards-based APIs enables automated communication with the provider, facilitating end-to-end service management and orchestration across global networks.

The LSO CIM Service APIs can provide detailed information on incident severity and resolution timelines, which helps enterprises optimize operational agility. Real-time updates of the degree of impairment, priority, and circuit maintenance window, as well as when the incident has been mitigated, are delivered on a 'push' basis to enterprises. Enterprises consume the circuit API notification in an automated way, ensuring that they can proactively work around any degradation or disruption to any of their various circuits from any provider in any location worldwide. This proactive approach would ensure that enterprises are always in the loop and can make informed decisions promptly. 

Conclusion

The adoption of the LSO CIM Service APIs promises to enhance enterprises' operational agility by providing timely, automated updates on circuit impairments and scheduled maintenance, allowing businesses to stay ahead of disruptions and optimize their connectivity management. This real-time, proactive notification system ensures that critical updates reach the right teams quickly, minimizing downtime, improving service quality, and reducing the risk of business disruption. As enterprises continue to scale their digital infrastructure, the LSO CIM Service API is poised to become an essential tool for managing network connectivity, transforming the landscape of service management with its standardized approach and driving operational efficiency and continuity worldwide.

(Editor’s note: This article is part of our regular series of articles from the industry experts at MEF.)