This document discusses the benefits of applying self-organizing network (SON) concepts to backhaul networks. SON techniques, which have been successfully used in radio access networks, can address the increasing complexity of backhaul networks as mobile broadband services expand. The document outlines several use cases where SON could automate processes in building, assuring, optimizing and maintaining backhaul networks, such as auto-integrating new nodes, auto-provisioning connections between base stations, and applying self-healing functions across network layers. Applying SON concepts to backhaul could reduce operational costs through faster deployment and lower maintenance needs.

1. The communications technology journal since 1924 2013 • 10
The benefits of self-organizing
backhaul networks
September 27, 2013

2. The benefits of self-organizing
backhaul networks
The rise in the number and variety of universally available mobile-broadband (MBB) services
is great for users and vital for operator revenue. For backhaul, however, the opportunities
presented by MBB are offset by the challenge of an ever-increasing number of nodes and the
need to support more and more services – both of which lead to a more complex backhaul and an
increased risk of rising operational costs.
controlling costs. Computerization
helps to reduce the risk of manual
error, facilitates optimization of net-
work utilization, supports overall per-
formance optimization, and lowers
operationalcosts.
Automation is nothing new when it
comes to simplifying network opera-
tions; it is, for example, a key part of
IPandEthernetnetworktechnologies.
However, the rapid expansion of LTE
networks on a global scale has placed
greater emphasis on automation as an
essential tool for all operational areas
ofradio-accessnetworks.
Studies carried out by Ericsson indi-
cate that introducing SON features
results in 40 percent faster rollouts,
and the daily maintenance of new LTE
networks can be reduced by up to 90
percent2
.
During the definition of LTE, SON
conceptswereidentifiedasessentialfor
ensuringoptimaluserexperience,and
asaresult,3GPPhasdevelopedrelated
standardsforradio-accessequipment3
.
Thesestandardsincludeacombination
of self-configuration, self-healing and
self-optimization functions for use
in nodes and network-management-
system layers. The importance of SON
techniques has also been highlighted
bytheNGMNAlliance4
.
SON techniques have been includ-
ed successfully in 2G/3G radio stan-
dards2
and are now mature enough to
be applied to other network domains,
such as backhaul. Although backhaul
and radio access are quite different
technologies,theoperationalchalleng-
es they present are similar, and many
aredirectlyrelated.Bothtechnologies
heterogeneous radio networks
become more widespread.
These mixed architectures
include vast numbers of small
cells that complement improved
and densified macro layers, and
require highly scalable and flexible
backhaul solutions to ensure a
superior user experience1
.
Thechallenge
The improve-densify-add strategy for
building heterogeneous radio net-
works facilitates the rapid delivery
of extra coverage, capacity and ser-
vices. However, this strategy makes
it challenging to deploy and operate
vastnumbersofbackhaulnodeswhile
keeping operational costs to a mini-
mum–asillustratedinFigure 1.
Introducing a higher degree of
inbuilt automation to the network is
crucialtospeedingupdeploymentand
SHAHRYAR KHAN, JONAS EDSTAM, BALÁZS VARGA, JONAS ROSENBERG, JOHN VOLKERING AND MARTIN STÜMPERT
BOX A Terms and abbreviations
ANR Automatic Neighbor Relations
BR border router
BSC base station controller
CSR cell site router
DHCP Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol
DoD Downstream-on-Demand
E2E end-to-end
eNB eNodeB
IPsec Internet Protocol Security
LDP Label Distribution Protocol
LLDP Link Level Discovery Protocol
MBB mobile broadband
MME Mobility Management Entity
MPLS multi-protocol label switching
NGMN Next Generation Mobile Networks
NMS network management system
NNI Network-to-Network Interface
NOC network operations center
PM performance management
RAN radio-access network
RCA root cause analysis
RNC radio network controller
SGW service gateway
SON self-organizing networks
TCO total cost of ownership
UNI User to Network Interface
VLAN virtual local area network
To address the increasing
complexity of the backhaul
network, innovation is essential.
New technologies and methods
are needed that automate or
simplify the time-consuming
and complex tasks carried out in
node management and network
management systems (NMSs).
Self-organizing networks (SON)
methods and technologies
have proved to be successful in
addressing complexity issues
and preventing rising operational
costs, when applied to radio-
access networks. But these
techniques have yet to be applied
extensively to backhaul.
Backhaul is a key factor in
the overall performance of
MBB networks, and one that
is increasing in importance as
2
ERICSSON REVIEW • SEPTEMBER 27, 2013
Automation in the backhaul

3. share the goal of maximizing overall
networkperformance.
Byapplyingsimilarandcomplemen-
tary SON concepts to all parts of the
network, synergies between the radio
and backhaul networks can be creat-
ed, providing benefits to operators in
termsofreducedoperationalcosts,and
to users in terms of an optimized indi-
vidualexperience.
Managingmorewithless
As illustrated in Figure 2, SON con-
cepts could be applied to many of the
key operational areas for backhaul:
build,assure,optimizeandmaintain.
ThereareanumberofSONenablers
that play an important role as the trig-
gers for SON functions. Performance
monitoring,forexample,isanenabler
for the self-healing and optimization
usecases.
Build
Backhaul networks are built in three
phases:plan,deployandprovision.The
planning phase can be simplified by
applying SON techniques. For exam-
ple, planning data can be used to auto-
maticallygenerateconfigurationfiles.
During deployment, SON techniques
can be used to integrate backhaul
nodes in a fully automated way. And
duringprovisioning,SONconceptscan
be applied to automatically provision
network services, such as an E-Line or
anL3VPNservice.
As the number of backhaul nodes
increases, adopting a minimal-touch
approachwillbecomeasignificantway
to reduce operational costs. Use cases
1 and 2, described later in this arti-
cle, illustrate how the minimal-touch
­conceptapplies.
Assure
The concept of self-healing is not new
to the area of IP protocols. However,
applying self-healing functions to sev-
erallayersofanetworkcancreatesome
coordination issues. For example, the
detection of a failure, or degradation
in performance in the transport layer,
could result in traffic being rerouted
in the service layer – to maintain the
requiredservice-qualitytarget.
Usecase3below,describeshowself-
healingisimplemented.
FIGURE 1 The backhaul challenge
Heterogeneous networks
Smart Scalable Simple
Superior
performance
Convergence
Improve
Densify
Add
TCO
MME
SGW/
PGW
RNC/
BSC
FIGURE 2 Key operational areas for SON concepts
Provision
Deploy
Plan
Build Optimize
Assure
Self-healing
Maintain
Backhaul
3
ERICSSON REVIEW • SEPTEMBER 27, 2013

4. Usecase1:auto-integration
Using a zero-touch approach to install
and configure nodes reduces the need
for skilled technicians onsite. For any
kind of network, the potentially large
number of nodes to install and config-
uresignificantlyimpactsthetimeand
costtakentocompleterollout.
Given the scale of today’s networks
with several thousands of nodes and
the savings potential in terms of opex
and deployment time, the use case
for auto-integration of not only base
stations but also of backhaul nodes is
compelling.
The benefits of auto-integration
diminishsignificantly,however,when
it comes to backhaul nodes further up
in the network hierarchy – such as in
theaggregationandcoredomains.The
reason is simple: the number of nodes
to be installed and integrated at this
level is relatively low, and so the bene-
fitsofautomationarefew.
Care needs to be taken in how SON
techniques are applied, as automating
one area may create new problems,
such as security issues or additional
complexity, elsewhere in the network
– and so SON techniques need to be
applied in a holistic way. The benefits
and applicability of SON need to be
balanced carefully, but the gains to be
made from applying these techniques
couldbeconsiderable.
From a node perspective, auto-
integration appears to be relatively
simple. The concept has existed for
some time for residential gateways,
and3GPPhasbeenworkinginthisarea
to define the auto-integration process
foreNBs,forexample.
The relationship of an eNB to the
existing transport and IP network is
that of a client, which primarily uses
Ethernet or VLAN to connect with the
User to Network Interface (UNI). It is
assumed that the management con-
nectivity is present in the existing
transportandIPnetwork,andjustthe
discovery of a management VLAN to
the existing network is sufficient to
initiatetheauto-integrationprocess.
A cell site router (CSR), on the other
hand, is likely to become part of the
existing backhaul network, and can
use any transport technology such as
Ethernet, native IP or MPLS. The chal-
lengeforthiscaseisthediscoverypro-
cess of the management network, as
it is also dependent on the existing
transporttechnology–whichmayvary
fromnetworktonetwork.AsFigure 3
illustrates, the CSR needs to become
part of the existing IP/MPLS network.
So, in contrast to the eNB case (which
uses UNI to connect), after integration
the CSR uses a Network-to-Network
Interface (NNI) to connect to the exist-
ingnetwork.
Consequently, a SON solution for
auto-integration needs to be technol-
ogy agnostic and sufficiently flexible
to address any type of network tech-
nology.Figure 4showshowauto-inte-
gration can be implemented, where
the network provides a temporary
UNI for the CSR, which is replaced by
Optimize
Operators can apply SON techniques
to, for example, use network band-
widthmoreefficientlyandensurethat
energy consumption is kept to a min-
imum. Optimization parameters can
be prioritized and automatically bal-
anced against each other – use case 4
describes how SON techniques can be
appliedtonetworkoptimization.
Maintain
Areassuchasinventorymanagement,
software and hardware upgrades and
network-wide troubleshooting could
potentially benefit from SON tech-
niques. Use case 5 describes the appli-
cation of SON to the maintenance of
networks.
FIGURE 3 Difference between CSR and eNB auto-integration
eNB
IP/MPLS
Management connectivity
CSR
CSR
NNI
UNI
ETH
FIGURE 4 Temporary UNI as an enabler for SON auto-integration
CSR
IP/MPLS
Management connectivity
Temporary
UNI
(Permanent)
NNI
4
ERICSSON REVIEW • SEPTEMBER 27, 2013
Automation in the backhaul

5. a permanent NNI at the completion of
theprocess.
The entire auto-integration process
forabackhaulnode–suchasaCSR–is
illustratedinFigure 5.
Auto-integrationofacellsiterouter
Initial connectivity to the NOC serv-
ers can be established using a tempo-
rary SON VLAN (UNI). The SON VLAN
providestemporarymanagementcon-
nectivity in a way that is agnostic in
relationtotheexistingtransporttech-
nology. Once the installation and ini-
tialconfigurationprocesseshavebeen
completed, the temporary connection
is replaced with the preferred perma-
nentone(NNI).
Assumingthatsomeformofin-band
managementconnectivityintheexist-
ing network to the NOC servers exists,
the auto-integration process runs as
follows:
Step 1
The auto-integration script enables
andconfiguresthenecessaryportsand
interfaces.
Step 2
Thediscoveryprocessofthetemporary
SON VLAN includes DHCP communi-
cation and the CSR authentication to
establishtheconnectionfromtheCSR
totheNOCservers.
The Link Level Discovery Protocol
(LLDP) or the native VLAN are possi-
ble methods that can be used to dis-
cover the SON VLAN. Once it has been
discovered,DHCPcommunicationcan
begin and authentication of the CSR is
possible.
ThehandlingoftheDHCPmessages
between the CSR and the NOC servers
is dependent on transport technology
and transport service. For example, in
thecaseofanL3VPN-basedconnection
to NOC servers, the aggregation node
upstreamfromtheCSRactsasaDHCP
proxy and relays a unicast message to
theDHCPserver.
In the case of L2-based connectivity,
the DHCP broadcast message can be
forwardedasis.
Step 3
The configuration file is then down-
loadedandappliedtotheCSR.
Step 4
PermanentconnectivitytotheNOC
servers also requires configuration
update on the existing upstream
backhaul node(s). Temporary SON
VLAN (UNI) needs to be replaced
withthepermanentNNI.Thiscould
bethefinalauto-integrationstep.
The availability of a transport
connectiontotheNOCformanage-
ment connectivity cannot always
beassumed.Consequently,aninno-
vative way to establish temporary
connectivity is needed. Figure 4
illustrates one possible way to cir-
cumvent the initial connectivity
issue by using a smartphone with a
mobile data connection and estab-
lishing a secure out-of-band com-
munication channel between the
backhaulnodeandtheNOCservers.
Theremainingpartoftheprocessis
thensimilartotheCSRcase.
The return on investment
that Ericsson estimates for auto-­
integration of backhaul nodes
includes 15 percent faster rollouts,
50 percent competence cost reduc-
tion, only one site visit and an over-
allimprovementinquality.
FIGURE 5 Use case 1: auto-integration in deployment
eNB CSR DHCP
server
Configuration and
software servers
NOC
eNB
eNB
CSR
auto-integration
DHCP
communication
NOC
connectivity
Configuration
download
SON VLAN
discovery
1
2
3
4
1,2,3,4
Usecase2:auto-provisioningof
LTEX2connectivity
The X2 interface in LTE is a direct log-
ical connection of neighboring base
stations that can be used for hando-
ver and for advanced interference
coordination – with the aim of ensur-
ing better user experience at the cell
edge. As network architectures prog-
ress toward more advanced real-time
radio coordination, more stringent
delay requirements are placed on
the interconnecting backhaul path –
creating the need to use the shortest
(optimal) path possible. Given that a
base station may have several tens of
radio neighbors and that the relation-
ships between a base station and its
neighbors cannot fully be predicted
(but must be based on radio network
measurements), automating neighbor
relations is a good candidate for SON.
Indeed the SON function – Automatic
Neighbor Relations (ANR) – has been
successfullyappliedinLTEtoautomate
thisprocess,andshowntoreduceover-
all network planning by 90 percent2
.
In addition, the setup of fully opti-
mized X2 connections in a backhaul
network can be a tedious, multi-touch
and fairly repetitive task. There
5
ERICSSON REVIEW • SEPTEMBER 27, 2013

6. SnoopingX2controlmessagesisone
waytoimplementamechanismtodis-
cover eNB neighbor relations (X2) on
theCSR.ForIPsec,however,tunneling
requirementsforX2connectivitymay
prohibit this method; control messag-
esfortunnelendpointsresidingonthe
eNBs are encrypted. The implementa-
tion of steps 3 and 4 depends on the
architectureofthebackhaulnetwork.
Consider, for example, the case of a
seamless MPLS architecture with LDP
Downstream-on-Demand(DoD)inthe
access part of the network, where IP
VPN services are used for LTE connec-
tivity. Such an architecture simplifies
the setup of inter-area access trans-
port paths, as the inherent behavior
of LDP DoD alleviates the need to dis-
tribute prefixes between access areas.
A default route to the BRs is sufficient
for X2 transport, and so maintaining
complex filters at the BRs is no longer
necessary.
Connectivity from the CSRs to the
core part of the network is initially
provisioned in a hub-and-spoke man-
ner, while service provisioning for the
shortest (optimal) X2 connectivity is
are a number of factors that con-
tribute to this. First, each base station
may have several tens of X2 interfaces
tooptimize.Second,maintainingacor-
rect list of neighbors requires consis-
tentandregularcoordinationbetween
theoperator’sradioandbackhaulorga-
nizations. Third, to setup X2 connec-
tionsbetweenaccessareas,therelated
transport prefixes must be visible to
allareas.
For scalability reasons, distribution
of transport prefixes between access
areas is not typically allowed and
enforced using filters on the border
routers (BRs). So, to automatically set
up X2 connections, a new approach is
required to reduce the need to contin-
ually update BR filters across multiple
areas.One possible way to implement
such a change is through a backhaul
SONsolutionthatautomatesthetrans-
port setup for the X2 communication.
To establish the shortest (optimum)
path for X2 in the transport network,
this solution starts with ANR-based
discoveryofnewneighboringbasesta-
tions,andallofthestepsinthisprocess
areshowninFigure 6.
carried out on demand, as part of the
backhaul SON solution. The service-
provisioning process uses the remote
eNBIPaddresses,learnedinthediscov-
ery phase, to dynamically create VPN
membership-relatedparameters.This
resultsintheautomaticpopulationofa
VPNroutingtablewithonlythedesired
eNBprefixes.
Triggering the LDP DoD procedure
creates the underlying label-switched
pathinadynamicfashionandensures
that only the relevant labels are
learned on demand for the respective
CSRs.
Ineffect,thebackhaulSONsolution
forLTEX2connectivityservicesresults
in minimal-touch provisioning. The
process can be automated, alleviat-
ingtheneedforcoordinationbetween
theoperator’sbackhaulandRANorga-
nizations, resulting in a much faster
servicerollout.
AsthebackhaulSONsolutionreduc-
es the number of states to be main-
tainedintheCSRtoaminimum,fewer
IP prefixes and MPLS labels are need-
ed.Thisinturnresultsinamuchhigh-
er degree of scalability achievable in
transport networks – a major benefit
foroperators.
Thisusecasehighlightsthebenefits
ofcomplementingSONestablishment
of X2 relations in RAN with an auto-
matedsetupofthebackhaul.
Usecase3:self-healing
The task of assuring performance in
mobilebackhaulnetworkshasbecome
more critical owing to the rising num-
ber of users, network complexity and
bandwidth-hungry services. And so,
thisusecaseaddressestheneedtopro-
videinteractionbetweenthebackhaul
and RAN domains for performance-
measurement and management
functions.
Theresultingnetworkinformation,
obtained by mapping and correlating
datafromdifferentnetworksegments
and domains, is a powerful asset; not
only does it serve as an important add-
ontothestandardnetworkKPIreport-
ing and troubleshooting, but also as
a vital indicator and trigger for SON
mechanisms.
At Mobile World Congress 2013,
Ericsson demonstrated how self-
healing applies to a mobile backhaul
FIGURE 6 Use case 2: auto-provisioning of LTE X2 connectivity
eNB
CSR
CSR
BR
eNBS+T
discover and create logical X2 interface between each other (ANR)
MME
SGW/
PGW
CSR
eNB
eNB
1
S
S
T
T
11
2
3
14
Access
Automated setup of transport path between CSRS+T
and BR
X2 default longer path
X2 direct path
S
T
Source eNB or CSR
Terminating eNB or CSR
CSRS+T
learn remote eNB IP address
CSRS+T
dynamically imports the VPN-related remote eNB prefix(es)
Access
Aggregation
RBS site Switch site
RNC/
BSC
6
ERICSSON REVIEW • SEPTEMBER 27, 2013
Automation in the backhaul

7. FIGURE 7 Use case 3: self-healing
Radio/core NMS
Switch siteRBS site
RAN KPIs
report
Transport KPIs
report
Correlation and RCA
Transport NMS
E2E PM
2
3
1
MME
SGW/
PGW
RNC/
BSC
SON healing
triggered
7
ERICSSON REVIEW • SEPTEMBER 27, 2013
network; the demo included how pro-
active rerouting decisions were made,
based on performance-measurement
data. By correlating performance data
collectedfromthebackhaulandradio
domains,itispossibletoassociateper-
formanceissuesinthemobilenetwork
with a particular segment of the back-
haulnetwork.Forexample,adata-rate
degradation experienced by a user on
anHSPAnetworkcanbetracedtoabot-
tleneckinthebackhaulnetwork.
Themainstepsintheprocesstocre-
ate cross-domain radio and backhaul
correlation for performance data are
illustratedinFigure 7andmaybeout-
linedasfollows:
1. Performancedatafromradioandcore
(WCDMAorLTE)networksarecollected
fromnetworkelementsviatheelement
ordomainmanager,andthenstoredin
thecommondatawarehouse,providing
thesourceinformationforperformance
reports.Intheexampleillustratedin
Figure7,cellperformanceintermsof
availableHSPAratesandnumbers
ofconnectedusersaremeasured
andreportedcontinuously,enabling
possiblecell-relatedperformance
degradationstobequantified.
2. Inthebackhaulpartofthenetwork,the
elementordomainmanagercollects
performancedatafromthenetwork
elements.Availablebandwidthinthe
networkismeasuredandreported
continuously–perinterfaceandper
service.Congestionmayoccurwhen
aninterfaceishighlyutilizedandmay
resultindelaysanddiscardedorlost
transporteddata,whichcandirectly
impactuser-perceivedservicequality.
3. Byusingtopologyandservice-mapping
data,theperformancedatacollected
fromtheradio,core,andbackhaul
networkscanbecorrelatedand
trackedovertimetoidentifypatterns.
Thisallowsoperatorstoidentify
thecausesofreducedperformance
inbandwidthforspecificbackhaul
services,correlatingthem,forexample,
toatemporaryreductionintheHSPA
rateforaspecificradiocell.Correlated
performancedatacanbefedback
totheNMSsystemasperformance-
managementalarms,whichwillinturn
triggeraSONmechanism.
The service and topology map-
ping and cross-domain correlation
of performance data mechanisms,
described in use case 3, provide a key
input to network optimization and
healing triggers, creating the desired
SON feedback loop. A feedback loop
is created by using the trigger infor-
mation to rehome affected subscrib-
ers to another RBS; or to dynamically
reprovision the transport path or ser-
vicefortheRBStoanother,unaffected,
transportpath.Thisusecasehighlights
the successful application of self-heal-
ingconceptstobackhaulnetworks.By
introducing cross-domain correlation
ofperformancedata,congestionpoints
inthenetworkcanbepinpointed,and
correctiveactiontaken.
Usecase4:optimize
Theneedtocarryoutoptimizationpro-
cesses is not as pressing as it is in other
use cases. Optimization can be quite
complex, and the time frame for such
improvementscanbeweeksormonths
ratherthanafewminutesorhours.As
with most cases, SON automation is
best suited to optimizing events that
occurfrequently.
Bandwidthoptimizationisanexam-
ple in this use-case category. Over the
course of time, changes in traffic pat-
terns can give rise to the need for path
re-optimization for certain types of
traffic.Forexample,inabackhaulnet-
work some links can become overuti-
lized or underutilized. In such cases,
rerouting traffic is a simple solution
without having to wait for the next
planned capacity upgrade for achiev-
ing better optimization of network
utilization.
But before selection of the best traf-
fic optimization can take place, the
traffic trends must be identified, and
doing this manually can be time-con-
suming and may involve the analysis
of large amounts of data. SON tech-
niques can help to automate the over-
all bandwidth optimization process
and provide multiple near-real-time
traffic rerouting solutions, which
operators can choose from in the final
design decision. Similarly, SON meth-
ods could also be used to implement
energy-optimized traffic steering
across the network. The corrective
action in such a case would be to turn
offnodeswithlowutilization,and

8. 1. Ericsson, 2012, White Paper, It All Comes Back to Backhaul, available at: http://
www.ericsson.com/res/docs/whitepapers/WP-Heterogeneous-Networks-
Backhaul.pdf
2. Ericsson, 2012, White paper, Smarter Self-Organizing Networks, available
at: http://www.ericsson.com/res/docs/whitepapers/WP-Self-Organizing-
Networks.pdf
3. 3GPP, 2011, Technical Specification, 3GPP TS 32.500 Telecommunication
Management; Self-Organizing Networks (SON); Concepts and requirements
(Release 11), available at: http://www.3gpp.org/ftp/Specs/html-info/32500.
htm
4. NGMN Alliance, 2007, White paper, NGMN Use Cases related to Self Organising
Network, Overall Description, available at: http://www.ngmn.org/uploads/
media/NGMN_Use_Cases_related_to_Self_Organising_Network__Overall_
Description.pdf
References
finerdetailswhenrequired.Additional
views should provide the capabilities
to ease understanding of resource uti-
lization, identify inefficiencies and
evenprovidesuggestionsonhowtoget
moreoutofnetworkresources.
Theinventorycouldbeusedasatrig-
gerforautomatedserviceprovisioning
work flows, diagnosis and trouble-
shootingasasecondstep.
Conclusion
Operatorsareunderconstantpressure
tofindinnovativewaystoreduceopex,
yet improve service quality and avail-
ability of broadband networks. The
introduction of SON in the 3GPP radio
network is a good example of where
innovationhasbroughtbenefits.
TheusecasesforapplyingSONtech-
niquesduringthedeploymentphaseof
thebackhaulnetworkarecompelling,
substantial cost savings can be made
– and additional use cases of SON for
assurance, optimization and mainte-
nancealsohighlightareaswhereoper-
atorscancreateabalancebetweencost
andefficiency.
IntelligentSONsupportinnodesand
managementsystemspromisestobea
key tool in addressing the challenges
posedbyevolvingbroadbandnetworks
and helping networks to deliver addi-
tional coverage, capacity and services
inanagileandcost-effectivemanner.
8
ERICSSON REVIEW • SEPTEMBER 27, 2013
Automation in the backhaul
such a decision can be taken on a
single-nodeorcentralizedbasis.
Usecase5:maintain
Manual tasks that are tedious and
labor-intensive are prime candidates
for SON automation. Defining the
devices in an inventory system typi-
cally tends to be both. For a large
network, automating the inventory
process could provide some benefits,
as the current solution – which uses a
polling mechanism with scheduling
capabilities – offers inconsistent sup-
port to discover recently-added net-
workelements.
Inventory management relies heav-
ily on automation and simplification
to limit costs. At the same time, such
systems need to be more capable as
operators search for ways to create
efficiencies and generate new revenue
sources. To ensure that system users
remain in control, automation should
be applied carefully. Full automation
might be appropriate in some sce-
narios, but in others, a user-assisted
or system-guided approach may be
preferable.
An inventory management system
should provide users with a number
of different views of their network
resources. High-level views support
simplification goals, but administra-
tors also need to be able to access the
Ericsson Review is a technology
journal designed to open and
encourage discussion. The aim of
the journal is to high ight current
research in information and
communications technology.
Address :
Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
SE-164 83 Stockholm, Sweden
Phone: +46 8 719 00 00
Fax: +46 8 522 915 99
Web:
www.ericsson.com/review
Ericsson Technology Insights
All Ericsson Review articles are
available on the Ericsson Technology
Insights app available for Android and
iOS devices.
Download from Google Play
Download from the App Store.
Publisher: Ulf Ewaldsson
Editorial board:
Håkan Andersson, Hans Antvik,
Ulrika Bergström, Joakim Cerwall,
Deirdre P. Doyle, Dan Fahrman,
Anita Frisell, Magnus Frodigh,
Jonas Högberg, Ulf Jönsson,
Magnus Karlson, Cenk Kirbas,
Sara Kullman, Kristin Lindqvist,
U f Olsson, Patrik Regårdh and
Patrik Roséen
Editor:
Deirdre P. Doyle
deirdre.doyle@jgcommunication.se
Chief subeditor:
Birgitte van den Muyzenberg
Subeditor:
Ian Nicholson
Art director:
Carola Pilarz
Illustrations:
Claes-Göran Andersson

9. Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
SE-164 83 Stockholm, Sweden
Phone: + 46 10 719 0000
Fax: +46 8 522 915 99
284 23-3214 | Uen
ISSN 0014-0171
© Ericsson AB 2013
Shahryar Khan
joined Ericsson in 2005
and is responsible for
managing technology
leadership activities
within Development Unit IP
Broadband. He is a senior specialist in
the area of IP and MPLS network
architectures and solutions. His other
areas of interest include IP optical
integration, cloud transport and SDN.
He also has a history of strategic
customer engagements and has
received an Outstanding Achievement
Award. He holds a B.Sc. (Hons) in
electrical engineering from the
University of Engineering and
Technology, Lahore, Pakistan.
Balázs Varga
joined Ericsson in 2010
and works as chief
architect in packet
evolution studies to
integrate IP, Ethernet and MPLS
technologies for converged mobile and
fixed network architectures. Prior to
joining Ericsson, he worked for Magyar
Telekom and Deutsche Telekom on the
enhancement of broadband service
portfolios and introduction of new
broadband technologies. He has many
years experience in fixed and mobile
telecommunication and also
represents Ericsson in the Broadband
Forum. He holds a Ph.D. in
telecommunication from the Technical
University of Budapest, Hungary.
Jonas Rosenberg
joined Ericsson in 2000
and is currently a systems
and solution manager at
Development Unit IP
Broadband. He is a senior specialist in
network architecture and solutions
with a focus on strategic technologies
for orchestration and assurance
solutions in mobile transport
networks. He holds an M.Sc. in
electrical engineering from the KTH
Royal Institute of Technology,
Stockholm, Sweden.
Jonas Edstam
joined Ericsson in 1995
and is head of portfolio
and strategy at Product
Line Microwave Networks.
He is also an expert in microwave radio
transmission networks. He has many
years of experience in this area and has
worked in various roles with a wide
range of topics, from detailed
microwave technology and system
design to his current focus on the
strategic evolution of packet-based
mobile backhaul networks and RANs.
He holds a Ph.D. in applied solid-state
physics from Chalmers University of
Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Martin Stümpert
joined Ericsson in 1993
and is currently working
on the network
architecture for
transmission networks with a focus on
SON, QoS, security and shared
networks at Development Unit IB
technology. In 2002, he received the
Inventor of the Year award from the
CEO of Ericsson. He holds an M.Sc. in
electrical engineering from the
University of Kaiserslautern, Germany.
John Volkering
joined Ericsson in 2007,
and is currently a principal
network architect within
Ericsson’s Product Area
IP and Broadband. He focuses on
providing technical sales consultancy
for end-to-end operator network
architectures and is a senior advisor on
network evolution strategies, such as
the introduction of SDN architectures.
Prior to Ericsson, he worked for several
telecom companies including Redback
Networks, and in various technical
presales positions. He holds a B.Sc.
in electrical engineering from the
Technical University of Rijswijk, in
the Netherlands.