Network Lifecycle Management (NLM) is the systematic process of overseeing a network, and all of the components that it’s comprised of, evolve from its initial design and deployment through to its retirement or replacement. It encompasses a series of phases, including planning, designing, implementing, operating, optimising, and eventually decommissioning network components. Each phase plays a critical role in maintaining network performance, security and reliability. With margins seemingly diminishing within the telco sector year over year, optimal management of the network lifecycle is increasingly important.
The best practices of Network Lifecycle Management
Planning and Design
The initial stages of NLM involve meticulous planning and design. This phase is critical as it lays the foundation for the entire network. It includes assessing current and future needs, understanding technological advancements, and aligning network capabilities with business objectives. A well-designed network not only meets present requirements but also anticipates future growth and scalability.
Key activities in this phase include:
- Needs Assessment: Identifying the requirements of various stakeholders
- Capacity Planning: Ensuring the network can handle current and anticipated loads
- Technology Evaluation: Selecting appropriate technologies and vendors
- Risk Management: Identifying potential risks and developing mitigation strategies
Planning and design isn’t just a once-off activity at the start of a network build though. It’s an ongoing activity required to manage the ongoing evolution of the network, from network augmentation / right-sizing to continually evaluating new products / technologies that come to market.
Implementation
Once the design is finalised, the implementation phase begins. Depending on how these implementation projects are composed, this step could involve many different activities, including the actual deployment of network hardware and software, configuring devices and establishing connectivity (including management connectivity that allows devices and services to be managed remotely). A well-executed implementation phase ensures minimal disruption to business operations and lays the groundwork for an evolving, yet stable and reliable network.
During this phase, it is crucial to:
- Coordinate Resources: Effectively the task of project management, to ensure that all necessary resources, including personnel and equipment, are coordinated effectively
- Adhere to Timelines: Manage project timeline to avoid delays
- Test Thoroughly: Conduct comprehensive testing to identify and rectify issues before going live and to gain handover readiness acceptance
Operation and Maintenance
After the network (or network asset) is up and running and handed over, the focus (and responsibility) shifts to its operation and maintenance phase by operations teams. This phase is ongoing and involves managing network performance / health, addressing issues and performing regular maintenance to ensure optimal performance. Effective operation and maintenance are vital for preventing downtime, ensuring security, and maintaining user satisfaction.
Network assets have their own useful life and warranty periods of course. However, this phase extends this network “assurance” further by actively ensuring the asset, network and customer services all remain available and performing efficiently for lengthy periods.
The key activities of this phase include:
- Monitoring: Continuously track network performance and health
- Troubleshooting: Quickly identify and resolve issues
- Security Management: Implement and update security measures to protect against threats
- Performance Tuning: Make adjustments to optimise network performance
- Warranty, Vendor and Asset Management: This is a comprehensive suite of activities required to monitor the performance of vendors, makes & models across their singular and collective asset lifecycles. This also includes tracking the current status of each asset / component within the network
Optimisation
The optimisation phase really just extends on the O&M phase. It involves making improvements to enhance network performance, efficiency, reliability and cost effectiveness. This could include upgrading hardware (e.g. hardware that isn’t meeting expectations, or has passed End of Life (EoL) or End of Support (EoS)), implementing new technologies, or reconfiguring network settings to deliver the best possible outcomes from the infrastructure investment. Optimisation ensures the network evolves with the organisation's needs and technological advancements. This phase is not just about technical optimisation, but also optimisation of the financial performance of the network and the customer services it carries.
Important aspects of this phase include:
- Regular Audits: Conduct periodic audits (of vendors, equipment, connectivity, services, systems and more) to identify areas for improvement
- Upgrade Planning: Plan and execute upgrades to keep the network up-to-date
- User / Stakeholder Feedback: Gather feedback from users and key stakeholders in the NLM pathway to identify pain points and areas for enhancement
Decommissioning
Eventually, network components will reach the end of their lifecycle and need to be decommissioned. This phase involves retiring outdated equipment (either on a single device or device class basis), migrating data and services to new systems, and ensuring safe disposal of hardware. Proper decommissioning is crucial for adhering to security, environmental and compliance obligations.
Steps in this phase include:
- Asset Inventory: Keep an accurate inventory of network assets, their operational and financial (e.g. depreciation schedules) status
- Data Integrity: Ensure accurate record keeping of the status of components of the network that are now unavailable for allocation
- Secure Disposal: Dispose of retired hardware securely and safely
Benefits of Network Lifecycle Management
Effective NLM offers numerous benefits to network operators, including:
- Enhanced Performance: Regular monitoring and optimisation ensure the network operates at peak performance (technically and financially)
- Improved Security: Proactive maintenance and timely upgrades / patches help protect the network from evolving threats
- Cost Efficiency: Efficient resource management and timely upgrades optimise operational costs / benefits / risks
- Scalability: A well-managed network can up or down-scale to accommodate growth or regression within the network
- Compliance: Adhering to necessary targets and practices in NLM helps organisations meet regulatory and other obligations
Challenges in Network Lifecycle Management
Despite its benefits, NLM also presents several challenges, such as:
- Complexity: Managing all the moving parts of a highly sophisticated and distributed machine, both singularly and collectively, means that network lifecycle management is inherently complex and multi-dimensional
- Rapid Technological Changes: Keeping up with the fast pace of technological advancements, within the network and supporting systems, can be extremely challenging
- Resource Allocation and Coordination: Ensuring adequate resources are assigned in a timely manner across each phase of the network lifecycle requires careful planning, sequencing and management
These challenges mean that it’s almost impossible to manually perform all of the tasks and phases described in this article. State-of-the-art NLM and network inventory solutions are all but mandatory for any organisation that operates a network today.
Conclusion
Network Lifecycle Management is a critical aspect of maintaining a robust, efficient, secure and profitable network infrastructure. By systematically managing each phase of the network's lifecycle, organisations can ensure their networks meet current demands and are also prepared for future challenges and opportunities. Embracing NLM solutions and practices not only enhances network performance but also drives cost efficiency and scalability.
