Skylight Orchestrator

What is Skylight Orchestrator?

As the demand for connectivity and mobile communications continues to grow, network operators increase their presence to reach new customers, open new markets, and increase their revenue stream.

Network management has become increasingly complex; Reducing operating expenses and increasing productivity become key strategies for maximizing shareholder value.

Skylight Orchestrator is a centralized management platform for Accedian network performance elements and modules. Multiple concurrent users can view and manage these Accedian devices, greatly simplifying the tasks of network operators. From initial installation to drive lifecycle administration and maintenance, the Skylight orchestrator simplifies, secures, and accelerates service validation, fault management, and performance.

Skylight Orchestrator combines proven open source platforms with a browser-based user interface to provide a powerful performance management tool. Built around a robust task automation engine, it can perform network-wide operations for device backups, device commissioning, firmware updates, and even run multiple concurrent service validation tests.

By extending the Accedian instant provisioning system, the Skylight orchestrator reduces operational effort to an absolute minimum. New units go from cash to management in just a few minutes.

Benefits of Skylight Orchestrator

Web browser-based user interface, point-and-click

Centralized fault management

Northbound SNMP API for Network Management System (NMS) alarm integration

Commissioning workflows for efficient node activation

Task planning for automation

Plug & Go inventory discovery

Remote device inventory and management

Network-wide configuration backup and restore functions

Network-wide firmware updates

Network-wide inventory

One-second stream-based performance data collection

Centralized service activation validation

Commissioning models

RADIUS-based authentication

Device-based deployment

Skylight Orchestrator Features

Fault management

The Skylight Orchestrator orchestrator provides centralized fault management for a quick view of network health. An alarm banner is always visible, providing a quick record of all active alarms as well as any loss of connectivity to the underlying elements.

Operators can drill down into the list of active alarm events, which displays the latest system events. This list provides alarm conditions, source entities, and probable cause details.

The Skylight Orchestrator orchestrator provides real-time events by listening for activities from the underlying network. The alarm list is updated periodically on each device to maintain accurate alarm counts and ensure operators receive an accurate view of active alarms.

Alarm query

Active alarm classification and filtering is possible through an active alarm query tool. The various query options available can be combined to provide a view based on specific network elements, severity, or time range.

Configuration Management

Skylight Orchestrator automates configuration management across the network through its inventory collections, drive backup archiving and export functions, and firmware management capabilities. Its task automation engine can process thousands of Accedian devices at the same time. Configuration files can be stored on the server or on an external server, depending on your specific requirements.

Device commissioning

Skylight Orchestrator offers an optional value-added application. Model-based commissioning tools standardize and streamline the device activation process. Commissioning operations can be started automatically at device installation or scheduled for a single device or multiple devices simultaneously.

Skylight session management

Create, Verify, Validate

Comprehensive solution for creating test sessions to verify Network Service Level Agreement (SLA) compliance in a granular and continuous manner. Skylight enables one-way monitoring of network performance with high accuracy, without the need for external synchronization.

Performance Management

Data is the great equalizer. Providing service providers with insightful data on the performance of their network is critical to ensuring that SLAs are met and that the required quality of service is delivered to end customers. The Skylight orchestrator includes a performance data collection and distribution engine that provides near real-time statistics with one-second granularity. To optimize network bandwidth while minimizing CPU and data caching requirements, a permanent data flow is established between the devices and the Skylight orchestrator platform.

Skylight can act as the ITU-T Y.1564 and RFC-2544 coordinator to enable centralized configuration and control of service validation tests. On a central screen, network operators can set up tests that include loopbacks for bidirectional flows and reverse tests for one-way flows. After the tests are set up, the Skylight orchestrator launches them from a central location. Test progress can be monitored and test results retrieved in real time as the test runs.

Test Y.1564 and RFC-2544 with support for layers 2 and 3

One-way and two-way settings

VLAN, DSCP, and PCP flow validation

Characterization of CIR eEIR throughput

Centralized configuration of up to eight streams per suite

Configuring multiple validation sets

Generic sets can be used as models for consistent validation across a network

Site-to-site or site-to-multisite configuration

Concurrent flow execution for true service validation

Automatic configuration of reverse flows for one-way testing

Automatic creation and control of layer 3 loopbacks

Centralized validation of circuit configuration and performance

Skylight Orchestrator Web Interface Validation Releases and Status Updates

Retrieval and archiving of validation results that can be used as "birth certificates"

System Requirements:

CPU: 1.8 GHz dual core processor

RAM: 2 GB

HDD/SSD: 50 GB of free space on main drive

Operating system: Microsoft Windows 8 32-bit, Microsoft Windows 7 32-bit, and Microsoft Windows Vista 32-bit

Resolution: 1024×768