An important ONA consideration is
the impact on Operations, Administration, Maintenance and Provisioning
(OAM&) systems and procedures.
OAM& includes functions
required to provision, maintain and
administer the telecommunications network, including both the local
exchange networks and the interconnected networks of end-users and
ESPs.
ESPs have requested access to BOC
OAM& functions. While many OAM& functions
are not part of the basic network, many are
important to an enhanced service offering. Several of the FCC's
ONA Orders have addressed access to Operations Support
Systems (OSS) systems (see appendix 
). An OSS is a
system (hardware and software)
that performs OAM& functions in concert with telecommunications
personnel.
Information available to the ESP must be comprehensive and identical to information available to the carrier's personnel. ESPs have requested comprehensive real-time control over all facets of services purchased from a carrier. An ESP must be able to use the carrier's network elements while appearing to its own customer as though it owns these network elements. In providing ESP access to OAM& systems, safeguards must be maintained by the carriers to prevent inadvertent errors, or harm to the network and OAM& databases by the accessing party [12]. Strong security mechanisms are needed to restrict access to OAM& systems. Security restrictions for system functions and partitioning of systems and data bases are needed to provide for security and privacy of the network and ESP and end-user information.
An additional security consideration regarding the protection of OAM& resources is securing the interface between the ESP and the OSS. As long as the carrier's enhanced services operations take the same access to OSS services as the access provided by the carrier to ESPs, the OSS services may be accessed either directly or indirectly. If an ESP is allowed direct access to the same data communications network that the carrier's telecommunications use, then additional potential vulnerabilities exist. Security concerns include securing access to the data communications network and the associated attached systems.
Implementation of new network functionalities will impact OAM& systems and processes in a number of ways. The most evident is the aggregate impact on capacity, due to the increasing number of users and items to process through the system. As a result the threat of denial of service exists. Less evident is the impact on OAM& systems and processes due to the increasing scope and complexity of requests. Billing of end-user services to ESPs, bulk resale, agency agreements, automated ordering by the ESP and the unbundling and repackaging of new and existing technologies and services are opportunities for improved end-user telecommunications value through ``customization'' of services [13].