Service provision system and service provision method

Abstract

One aspect of the present invention is a service provision system comprising: a communication unit that communicates with a monitoring control function unit of an optical transmission system owned by a user; and a service provision device for providing a service for executing management of the optical transmission system on behalf of the user by communicating control information with the monitoring control function unit.

Description

Service delivery system and service delivery method

[0001] The present invention relates to a service provision system and a service provision method.

[0002] Traditionally, when users leased dark fiber from a carrier for communication, they were responsible for managing the optical transmission system themselves, including their own optical transmission equipment (such as transponders) and the dark fiber leased from the carrier (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 1). The management of the optical transmission system referred to here includes various matters realized by so-called OAM (Operations, Administration, Maintenance) functions, and encompasses concepts such as initial setup, monitoring, control, operation, management, maintenance, and contracts for the optical transmission system. On the other hand, instead of leasing dark fiber from a carrier, users may lay their own dark fiber. For example, a user may sell their own dark fiber to other users, or connect their own optical transmission equipment and monitoring network to their own dark fiber to configure an optical transmission system, and then provide optical line services to other users using that system. Even in such cases, the need for users to manage their own optical transmission system remains unchanged. Hereafter, each user's optical transmission system will be referred to as a "user system." The optical transmission system referred to herein includes a transponder function unit, a wavelength division multiplexing / decompression unit, an optical switch function unit, an optical amplifier function unit, a transmission fiber, a maintenance network, and L2 and / or L3 switch function units.

[0003] NTT East, “Explanation Materials for New Businesses Interested in Dark Fiber Utilization Ver. 4.1”, [online], [Accessed October 23, 2024], Internet <URL: https: / / www.ntt-east.co.jp / info-st / mutial / hikari / E_dark_fiber_setsumei_2024.pdf>

[0004] In that case, for users who do not manage their own user systems, it is necessary to secure resources for management (physical resources such as hardware and software, and human resources such as operators and engineers), and acquire management know-how (including system operation adjustment, etc.). Also, even if a service provider such as a carrier substitutes the management of the user system, as the user system expands with the growth of the user's business, etc., the content of management becomes complicated and sophisticated, and the management cost of the service provider increases. Then, it becomes difficult for the service provider to continue managing the user system, and ultimately the user has to manage the user system by themselves. Also, in the conventional monitoring method, since it is necessary to branch and observe signals from the transmission path, the signal power for that part is lost, which may lead to deterioration of signal quality. Therefore, there is a demand for the service provider to provide a service that can substitute the management of the user system (including optical lines and optical transmission devices (such as transponder devices, etc.)) with high quality and / or continuously.

[0005] In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a technology that enables a service to substitute the management of a user system with high quality and / or continuously on behalf of the user of an optical line.

[0006] One aspect of the present invention is a service providing system including a communication unit that communicates with a monitoring and control function unit of an optical transmission system owned by a user, and a service providing device that provides a service for implementing the management of the optical transmission system on behalf of the user by communicating control information with the monitoring and control function unit.

[0007] One aspect of the present invention is a service providing method in which a service providing device communicates with a monitoring and control function unit of an optical transmission system owned by a user, and provides a service for implementing the management of the optical transmission system on behalf of the user by communicating control information with the monitoring and control function unit.

[0008] The present invention makes it possible to provide a service that enables high-quality and / or continuous management of user systems on behalf of optical line users. More specifically, according to the present invention, the service provider manages user transponder devices, optical lines, or the entire optical transmission system including them by communicating with the user system via the central office, and there is no need to branch off the optical signal for monitoring from the transmission path for observation. Therefore, the user system can be managed without degrading the signal quality of the user system. Furthermore, according to the present invention, by using the management outsourcing service, even users who do not have the resources or know-how for management can perform high-quality and / or continuous management of their user systems.

[0009] This is a diagram showing an example configuration of the optical communication system 1 of the first embodiment. This is a flowchart outlining the flow of the management agency service in the first embodiment. This is a diagram showing the first embodiment of the optical communication system 1 of the first embodiment. This is a diagram showing the second embodiment of the optical communication system 1 of the first embodiment. This is a diagram showing the third embodiment of the optical communication system 1 of the first embodiment. This is a diagram showing the fourth embodiment of the optical communication system 1 of the first embodiment. This is a flowchart showing an example of the processing flow when changing the service provision contract for the management agency service with the user in the optical communication system 1 of the fourth embodiment. This is a diagram showing an example configuration of the optical communication system 1 of the second embodiment.

[0010] One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0011] <First Embodiment> Figure 1 shows an example of the configuration of an optical communication system 1 according to the first embodiment. The optical communication system 1 includes, for example, a central office 100, a user system 200, a peer system 300, and a management proxy system 400. The central office 100, the peer system 300, and the management proxy system 400 are connected to a maintenance network such as a DCN (Data Communication Network). The DCN is an IP network for monitoring and control that connects transmission devices and network control servers. In the optical communication system 1, the central office 100, the user system 200, and the peer system 300 correspond to transmission devices, and the management proxy system 400 corresponds to a network control server. Figure 1 shows an example in which the central office 100, the peer system 300, and the management proxy system 400 are connected to a DCN. In this example, the central office 100 and the peer system 300 can communicate with the management proxy system 400 via the DCN.

[0012] The central office 100 is a facility that accommodates optical transmission systems 200 (hereinafter referred to as "user systems") of one or more users. For example, the central office 100 is a facility of a carrier that provides optical lines to users, and is a facility for the carrier to accommodate user systems via optical lines. In this case, the user may be, for example, a business operator that provides communication services to end users using optical lines leased from the carrier. The optical transmission system referred to here is composed of a transponder function unit, a wavelength division multiplexing / decoupling unit, an optical switch function unit, an optical amplifier function unit, transmission line fibers, a maintenance network, an L2 and / or L3 switch function unit, etc. The user system 200 is composed of these components owned by the user. In the first embodiment, the components of the optical transmission system are located in the user system 200 or the central office 100, and components not specifically shown in the following figures may be located in either the user system 200 or the central office 100.

[0013] Furthermore, for example, the central office 100 may be a user management facility rather than a carrier management facility. In this case, the user may be, for example, a business operator that connects its own central office 100 and its own user system 200 with an optical fiber line and provides communication services using them to end users. Also, in this case, the optical fiber line itself may not be leased from the carrier but laid by the user themselves.

[0014] The following description will primarily focus on the case where the carrier is the managing entity for the central office 100 and the optical line. However, the optical communication system 1 of this embodiment is also applicable when the user themselves is the managing entity for the central office 100 and / or the optical line.

[0015] The user system 200 is a user-owned optical transmission system that the user must provide themselves in order to use the carrier's optical line. The user system 200 includes, for example, a transponder device for relaying optical signals and a connection interface to the optical line. In cases where the optical line is laid by the user themselves, the user system 200 in a broader sense may be considered to include the optical line.

[0016] The user system 200 is connected to the carrier's central office 100 via an optical fiber line provided by the carrier. The user system 200 transmits and receives main signals and control information with the central office 100 via the optical fiber line. The control information is information exchanged between the user system 200 and the management proxy system 400 for the management of the user system 200. The opposing system 300 is the system that the user system 200 communicates with, and transmits and receives main signals with the central office 100. The opposing system 300 can be any system as long as it can communicate with the central office 100 via an electrical line.

[0017] The management proxy system 400 is a system that performs processing to provide a service (management proxy service) in which the carrier manages the user system 200 on behalf of the user. Here, "management" of the user system 200 is a concept that encompasses activities realized by so-called OAM functions (initial setup, monitoring, control, operation, management, maintenance, contracts, etc.), and refers to all management tasks aimed at the stable operation of the system through these activities. The management proxy system 400 can communicate with both the central office 100 and the opposing system 300 via electrical lines, and realizes the management of the user system 200 by exchanging control information with the user system 200 via the central office 100 and / or the opposing system 300.

[0018] Figure 2 is a flowchart illustrating the general flow of the management agency service in the embodiment. First, the carrier receives a request from a user for the provision of a management agency service for the user system 200 and concludes a service provision contract with the user (step S11). Meanwhile, the user prepares the user system 200 which is connected to the central office 100. The user system 200 includes at least a transponder device for connecting to the carrier's optical line, which is a transponder device equipped with a monitoring transceiver and a transceiver for communication using the main signal (hereinafter referred to as the "user transponder device"). A commercially available user transponder device may be used.

[0019] Next, the carrier registers the transponder device prepared by the target user with the management proxy system 400 (step S12). After the registration in step S12 is completed, the carrier checks for communication connectivity for management purposes between the user transponder device and the management proxy system 400 (step S13). After the communication check in step S13 is successful, the carrier starts monitoring the user system 200 with the management proxy system 400 (step S14).

[0020] In step S14, after monitoring of the user system 200 is started, the carrier generates a report (hereinafter referred to as the "monitoring report") for the user regarding the monitoring of the user system 200 during the reporting period (hereinafter referred to as the "target period") using the management agency system 400 at a predetermined timing (step S15). The carrier provides the user with the monitoring report generated in step S15 and also bills the user for the management agency service usage fee for the target period (step S16). For example, the management agency system 400 is configured to store in advance the service provision contract information (hereinafter referred to as the "contract information") concluded in step S11 and to calculate the usage fee for the management agency service during the target period based on the contract information. The service usage fee may be determined, for example, according to the number of managed devices. In this case, the contract information may include information such as the number of managed devices, the unit price of the usage fee, and the calculation formula.

[0021] As described above, the optical communication system 1 of this embodiment connects a user transponder device to the central office 100 and includes a management agency system 400 that monitors the user transponder device via an optical line. This enables the carrier to provide a management agency service that manages the user system without degrading the signal quality of the user system.

[0022] More specifically, the management proxy system 400 can manage the user system 200 without degrading the signal quality of the user system 200 by monitoring the user system 200 via a monitoring transceiver. Furthermore, the management proxy system 400 can monitor both the user system 200 and the central office 100 by monitoring the control information exchanged between the user system 200 and the central office 100. In addition, the management proxy system 400 can monitor both the opposing system 300 and its communication partner, the user system 200, by exchanging control information with the opposing system 300.

[0023] This enables the optical line carrier to manage the user system 200 on behalf of the user with high quality and / or on a continuous basis. More specifically, according to the optical communication system 1 of the embodiment, the management agency system 400 (an example of a service provision device) manages the user transponder device 220 or the optical line by communicating with the user transponder device 220 via the central office 100, and there is no need to branch off the optical signal for monitoring from the transmission line for observation. Therefore, the carrier can manage the user system 200 without degrading the signal quality of the user system 200. Furthermore, according to the present invention, by utilizing the management agency service provided by the carrier, even users who do not have the resources (physical resources, human resources, etc.) or know-how for management can manage the user system 200 with high quality and / or on a continuous basis.

[0024] In the following, the configuration of the optical communication system 1 of the embodiment will be described in more detail by illustrating the first to fourth embodiments. Note that, due to space limitations, the DCN is not shown in the following figures.

[0025] <First Embodiment> Figure 3 shows a first embodiment of the optical communication system 1 of the embodiment. In the first embodiment, the central office 100 and the opposing system 300 are connected via a network device 500 managed by the carrier. This configuration is the same in the second to fourth embodiments which will be described later in Figures 4 to 6.

[0026] [Configuration of the Central Station] The central station 100 includes, for example, an optical signal transmitting / receiving unit 110, a monitoring transceiver 120, and a DCN connection unit 130. The optical signal transmitting / receiving unit 110 transmits and receives optical signals with the user system 200. The optical signal transmitting / receiving unit 110 includes, for example, an optical receiving unit 111 and an optical transmitting unit 112. The optical receiving unit 111 is connected to the optical transmitting unit 212 of the user system 200 by an optical fiber and receives optical signals from the user system 200. The optical transmitting unit 112 is connected to the optical receiving unit 211 of the user system 200 by an optical fiber and transmits optical signals to the user system 200.

[0027] The monitoring transceiver 120 receives optical signals branched from the optical receiving unit 111 and the optical transmitting unit 112, and generates monitoring information regarding the status of the central office 100 or the user system 200 based on the received optical signals. The monitoring transceiver 120 transmits the monitoring information to the management agency system 400 via the DCN connection unit 130.

[0028] The DCN connection unit 130 is a communication interface for connecting the central office 100 to the DCN. The DCN connection unit 130 can communicate with the management proxy system 400 via the DCN (not shown).

[0029] [User System Configuration] The user system 200 includes, for example, an optical signal transmitting / receiving unit 210 and a user transponder device 220. The optical signal transmitting / receiving unit 210 transmits and receives optical signals with the central office 100. The optical signal transmitting / receiving unit 210 includes, for example, an optical receiving unit 211 and an optical transmitting unit 212. The optical receiving unit 211 is connected to the optical transmitting unit 112 of the central office 100 by an optical fiber and receives optical signals from the central office 100. The optical transmitting unit 212 is connected to the optical receiving unit 111 of the central office 100 by an optical fiber and transmits optical signals to the central office 100.

[0030] The user transponder device 220 includes, for example, a first transceiver 221, a second transceiver 222, a transceiver monitoring and control unit 223, and a transponder device monitoring and control unit 224. The first transceiver 221 is a transceiver used for communication of the main signal. The second transceiver 222 is a transceiver for transmitting and receiving control information for the management of the user system 200 to and from the central office 100 via the optical signal transmitting and receiving unit 210.

[0031] For example, the control information may include information related to device settings and alarms, such as the installation status of the user-side optical module, alarms for uninstalled user-side optical modules, the installation status of the carrier-side optical module, alarms for uninstalled carrier-side optical modules, fan speed settings, abnormal fan speed alarms, device temperature, and package failures. The control information may also include information related to optical line settings and alarms, such as transmission mode settings (modes consisting of bit rate, FEC (forward error correction), modulation scheme, etc.), abnormal alarm settings related to transmission mode, optical output wavelength settings and abnormal wavelength settings, output optical power settings and alarms related to abnormal output power, received optical power abnormalities, BER (bit error rate) information, and monitoring information using the overhead of Ethernet frames and OTN (optical network) frames.

[0032] In addition to the above, the control information may also include, for example, setting information for the input / output ports of the optical signal transmitting / receiving unit 210, output power abnormalities for each wavelength, package failures, optical power monitoring information, optical amplifier gain settings, optical amplifier output power information, LOS (loss of signal) and LOF (loss of frame) of the control channel, and communication failure alarms for the maintenance network (DCN). Furthermore, the control information may also include information on the fiber optical power loss characteristics and information on the configuration of the optical line, such as the fiber type.

[0033] The transceiver monitoring and control unit 223 is a functional unit that manages the optical line by exchanging control information related to the optical line with the management proxy system 400. For example, the transceiver monitoring and control unit 223 may control the operation of the first transceiver 221, the second transceiver 222, and the optical signal transmitting and receiving unit 210 based on control information received from the management proxy system 400, or it may notify the management proxy system 400 of information such as abnormalities detected regarding the first transceiver 221, the second transceiver 222, and the optical signal transmitting and receiving unit 210 using control information. In addition, the first transceiver 221 and the second transceiver 222 may be configured to store the corresponding optical line control information in their respective internal memories and provide control information in response to requests from the transceiver monitoring and control unit 223.

[0034] The transponder device monitoring and control unit 224 is a functional unit that manages the user transponder device 220 by exchanging control information regarding the user transponder device 220 with the management proxy system 400 via the central office 100. For example, the transponder device monitoring and control unit 224 may control the operation of the user transponder device 220 based on the control information received from the management proxy system 400, or it may notify the management proxy system 400 of any abnormalities detected regarding the user transponder device 220 using the control information. The transponder device monitoring and control unit 224 may also be configured to notify the management proxy system 400 of the content of the control performed and the control results by transmitting the control information.

[0035] [Configuration of the Opposite System] The Opposite System 300 comprises, for example, a DCN connection unit 310 and an Opposite Transponder Device 320. The DCN connection unit 310 is a communication interface for connecting the Opposite System 300 to the DCN. The DCN connection unit 310 can communicate with the management proxy system 400 via the DCN (not shown). The Opposite Transponder Device 320 is a device that transmits and receives main signals to and from the user transponder device 220 via the network device 500 and the central office 100.

[0036] The opposing transponder device 320 comprises a transceiver 321 and a monitoring and control unit 322. The transceiver 321 is a transceiver used for communication of the main signal. The transceiver 321 is connected to the optical signal transmitting and receiving unit 110 of the central office 100 via the network device 500.

[0037] The monitoring control unit 322 is a functional unit located inside the opposing transponder device 320 that performs processing related to the monitoring or control of the opposing transponder device 320. For example, the monitoring control unit 322 generates monitoring information to notify of events detected during monitoring of the opposing transponder device 320, and transmits this monitoring information to the management proxy system 400 via the DCN connection unit 310. Also, for example, if the monitoring control unit 322 receives control information related to the control of the opposing transponder device 320 from the management proxy system 400, it controls the operation of the opposing transponder device 320 based on this control information.

[0038] [Configuration of the Management Delegation System] The management delegation system 400 is composed of one or more computers. The management delegation system 400 may be configured, for example, as a standalone server device, or as a group of server devices with the necessary functions distributed among them. The management delegation system 400 may also be composed of physical servers or virtual servers. The virtual servers may be configured as so-called cloud servers. The management delegation system 400 can communicate with the central office 100, the opposing system 300, and the network device 500 via a DCN (not shown).

[0039] The management agency system 400 includes, for example, an information management unit 401, a maintenance unit 402, a monitoring report generation unit 403, a fee calculation unit 404, a user reporting unit 405, and a monitoring control unit 406. The information management unit 401 is a functional unit that manages information about the user transponder device 220 under management. For example, the information management unit 401 manages transponder information and contract information for the user transponder device 220 under management. The transponder information includes identification information of the user transponder device 220 under management (such as MAC address and serial number) and connection destination information of the user transponder device 220. The connection destination information is represented, for example, by a combination of identification information of the destination exchange 100 and identification information of the port to which the user transponder device 220 under management is connected at the exchange 100. The information management unit 401 provides the maintenance unit 402 with the transponder information of the user transponder device 220 that has been registered as a managed device, as needed.

[0040] The maintenance unit 402 is a functional unit that collects maintenance information for user transponder devices 220 registered as managed items at predetermined timings. Based on the transponder information provided by the information management unit 401, the maintenance unit 402 recognizes and connects to the target user transponder device 220 and transceiver monitoring control unit 223, and acquires maintenance information for the user transponder device 220 via the transceiver monitoring control unit 223. The acquired maintenance information is supplied to the information management unit 401 and managed therefor. The collection of monitoring and control information and maintenance information by the transceiver monitoring control unit 223 may be performed periodically at predetermined intervals, or at timings instructed by the maintenance unit 402. For example, the maintenance unit 402 may be configured to receive an operation from the administrator of the user system 200 to instruct the execution of information collection, and to connect to the transceiver monitoring control unit 223 and instruct the collection of monitoring and control information or maintenance information in response to the execution of such operation.

[0041] The monitoring report generation unit 403 is a functional unit that generates a monitoring report to be reported to the user of the proxy management service. For example, the monitoring report includes information on the monitored events that occurred during the reporting period. The monitoring report generation unit 403 supplies the information of the generated monitoring report to the user reporting unit 405.

[0042] The fee calculation unit 404 is a functional unit that calculates the service usage fee to be billed to the user of the proxy management service based on the user's contract information. The fee calculation unit 404 supplies the information of the calculated service usage fee to the user reporting unit 405.

[0043] The user reporting unit 405 is a functional unit that performs various reports on the use of the proxy management service to the user of the proxy management service. For example, the user reporting unit 405 presents the monitoring report generated by the monitoring report generation unit 403 to the user. Also, for example, the user reporting unit 405 presents (bills) the service usage fee calculated by the fee calculation unit 404 for the user to the user.

[0044] The monitoring control unit 406 is a functional unit that monitors and controls the user system 200 and the opposing system 300. The monitoring control unit 406 can communicate with the user system 200 via the network device 500 and the accommodation station 100. The monitoring control unit 406 can communicate with the transponder device monitoring control unit 224 via the second transceiver 222, and can monitor and control the user transponder device 220 by exchanging monitoring control information with the transponder device monitoring control unit 224.

[0045] <Second Embodiment>FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a second embodiment of the optical communication system 1 of the embodiment. In the first embodiment, the user transponder device 220 includes the transponder device monitoring and control unit 224, whereas in the second embodiment, the transponder device monitoring and control unit 224 is provided outside the user transponder device 220. The second embodiment is an example in the case where the transponder device monitoring and control unit 224 is provided in a user server 600 that can be connected via a maintenance network (not shown) of the user. The user server 600 is a server that is arranged at the user's base and is managed by the user. Therefore, in the second embodiment, the user system 200 further includes a connection unit 230, and the user transponder device 220 includes a control port 225 instead of the transponder device monitoring and control unit 224. The connection unit 230 is a communication interface that connects the user transponder device 220 to the user server 600 via the maintenance network. The control port 225 is connected to the connection unit 230 and can communicate with the user server 600 via the maintenance network. Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.

[0046] According to the configuration of the second embodiment, since the transponder device monitoring and control unit 224 is provided in the user server 600 managed by the user, the user can manage the user transponder device 220 by himself / herself and manage the optical line by using the carrier's proxy management service. In this case, since the user manages the user transponder device 220 by himself / herself, the transponder device monitoring and control unit 224 may be configured not to exchange monitoring and control information with the proxy management system 400.

[0047] <Third Embodiment>FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a third embodiment of the optical communication system 1 of the embodiment. In the first embodiment, the transceiver monitoring control unit 223 of the user transponder device 220 had the optical line management function, whereas in the third embodiment, an optical line monitoring control unit 610 having the optical line management function is provided outside the user transponder device 220. The third embodiment is an example in the case where the optical line monitoring control unit 610 is provided in a user server 600 that can be connected via a user's maintenance network. The user server 600 is a server owned by the user, arranged at the user's base, and managed by the user. Therefore, in the third embodiment, the user system 200 further includes a connection unit 230, and the user transponder device 220 includes a control port 225 and a transponder device connection unit 226 instead of the transceiver monitoring control unit 223. The control port 225 is connected to the connection unit 230. Other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment.

[0048] According to the configuration of the third embodiment, since the optical line monitoring control unit 610 is provided in the user server 600 managed by the user, the user can manage the optical line borrowed from the carrier by himself / herself and manage the user transponder device 220 by using the carrier's management agency service. In this case, since the user manages the optical line himself / herself, the transponder device connection unit 226 may be configured not to exchange maintenance information with the management agency system 400.

[0049] <Fourth Embodiment> Figure 6 shows a fourth embodiment of the optical communication system 1 of the embodiment. The optical communication system 1 of the fourth embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the management agency system 400 further comprises a configuration management unit 407 and a contract change management unit 408. The other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment. The configuration management unit 407 is a functional unit that manages the configuration of the user system 200 housed in the central office 100. The configuration management unit 407 manages information such as the wavelength of the optical signal used in the user system 200, the fiber path used in the user system 200, the transponder device, the type of transceiver, redundancy configuration, usage period, and SLA (Service Level Agreement) (hereinafter referred to as "configuration information").

[0050] The contract change management unit 408 manages whether changes are necessary and what changes to be made to service provision contracts concluded with users, based on the configuration information of the user system 200 managed by the configuration management unit 407.

[0051] Figure 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing flow when changing the service provision contract for the management agency service with a user in the optical communication system 1 of the fourth embodiment. For example, if a user is considering making an additional investment in the optical communication system 1 due to business expansion, the carrier conducts an interview (information gathering) to gather information on the requirements for the additional investment (such as the number of end users expected to increase, the required bandwidth, communication volume, and number of monitoring items) (step S21), and inputs the results into the contract change management unit 408.

[0052] The contract change management unit 408 recognizes the current configuration of the user system 200 based on the configuration information managed by the configuration management unit 407, and determines the configuration of the user system 200 that should be expanded from the current configuration based on the additional investment requirements obtained through interviews. The contract change management unit 408 identifies whether there is a contract change and the content of the contract to be changed based on the configuration of the user system 200 to be expanded (step S22). Based on the content of the contract to be changed identified in step S22, the contract change management unit 408 identifies whether there is a change from the current resources and the content of the change regarding the provision of management outsourcing services under the changed contract (step S23).

[0053] Next, the contract change management unit 408 estimates the necessary preparation period and costs for providing the management outsourcing service under the revised contract terms and presents the results to the user (step S24). Based on the specified contract changes, the carrier seeks to reach an agreement with the user regarding the revised service provision contract. If an agreement is reached, the carrier carries out the necessary work to begin providing the management outsourcing service under the revised contract terms (step S25).

[0054] For example, in step S25, the carrier (1) prepares to provide the service under the new contract terms, such as adding necessary resources or changing settings, and (2) begins providing the service under the new contract terms. Furthermore, once the carrier begins providing the service under the new contract terms, (3) collects additional fees from the user at a predetermined time based on the new contract terms.

[0055] In the fourth embodiment, if the service fee paid by the user increases due to a change in the contract terms, the increased service fee may be billed according to the revenue the user has earned from the business expansion. For example, after the provision of the management outsourcing service begins under the revised contract terms, the operator of the management outsourcing system 400 is configured to input revenue information indicating the user's revenue status into the contract change management unit 408 at a predetermined time. In this case, the contract change management unit 408 may be configured to determine, based on the input revenue information, whether the user's revenue due to business expansion has increased by a predetermined value or more, and if the determination result is true, a portion of that revenue may be billed to the user as an additional service fee. The billing of the service fee may be done via the user reporting unit 405, as in the first embodiment.

[0056] According to the optical communication system 1 of the fourth embodiment configured in this way, changes to the service provision contract for the management agency service can be quickly grasped when the user's business expands, thereby supporting the user's business expansion. Furthermore, in the optical communication system 1 of the fourth embodiment, if the service provision contract is changed due to the user's business expansion, if the user is able to increase their revenue as a result of that business expansion, a portion of that revenue will be received as an increase in the service usage fee related to the change. In this way, by having the user bear the additional costs of management expenses that increase with the user's business expansion from a portion of the revenue earned from that business, the carrier can continue to provide the management agency service for the user's system.

[0057] <Second Embodiment> Figure 8 shows an example of the configuration of the optical communication system 1 of the second embodiment. The main differences between the optical communication system 1 of the second embodiment and the optical communication system 1 of the first embodiment are that there is no central office 100 and network equipment 500, the user system 200 is equipped with an optical transmission device 240 instead of a user transponder device 220, and the user system 200, the opposing system 300, and the management agency system 400 communicate for management purposes via the user's maintenance network NW. In other words, the optical communication system 1 of the second embodiment is a communication system in which the management agency system 400 can access the monitoring and control functions within the user system 200 directly from the maintenance network NW without going through the central office. The configuration of the optical communication system 1 of the second embodiment is assumed to be a configuration that can be adopted, for example, when a user owns an optical line (dark fiber) and there is no central office in the dark fiber section.

[0058] More specifically, the user system 200 in the optical communication system 1 of the second embodiment includes an optical transmission device 240, a switch function unit 250, and a connection unit 260. The optical transmission device 240 is a device that combines transponder function and optical switch function, and is a communication device that can perform both transmission and reception of optical signals and switching of optical signal output ports according to wavelength. The switch function unit 250 is a function unit that switches communication packets for end users (clients) transmitted from the optical transmission device 240. For example, the switch function unit 250 is a Layer 2 switch or a Layer 3 switch. Basically, the switch function unit 250 is provided when the end user's communication device is connected to multiple networks, but it may be omitted when the end user's communication device is connected to the same network.

[0059] The connection unit 260 is a communication interface that connects the user system 200 to the maintenance network NW. The connection unit 260 is connected to the optical transmission device monitoring and control unit 640 and the switch function unit 250, which will be described later, and can communicate with the optical transmission device 240 via both.

[0060] The optical transmission device 240 comprises a transponder function unit 610, an optical signal transmission and reception unit 620, an optical amplifier / optical switch unit 630, and an optical transmission device monitoring and control unit 640. The transponder function unit 610 is a function unit that realizes the same functions as the user transponder device 220 in the first embodiment. The transponder function unit 610 comprises a first transceiver 611, a second transceiver 612, a transceiver monitoring and control unit 613, and a transponder device monitoring and control unit 614.

[0061] The first transceiver 611, like the first transceiver 221 in the first embodiment, is a transceiver for sending and receiving main signals to the opposing system 300. The first transceiver 611 sends and receives main signals to and from the transceiver 321 of the opposing transponder device 320 via the optical signal transmission / reception unit 620 and the optical amplifier / optical switch unit 630. The second transceiver 612 is a transceiver for sending and receiving main signals to the client. The transceiver monitoring and control unit 613 is a functional unit that monitors and controls the optical transceivers, like the transceiver monitoring and control unit 223 in the first embodiment. The transceiver monitoring and control unit 613 monitors and controls the first transceiver 611 and the second transceiver 612.

[0062] The transponder device monitoring and control unit 614 is a functional unit that monitors and controls the optical transponder device, similar to the transponder device monitoring and control unit 224 in the first embodiment. The transponder device monitoring and control unit 614 monitors and controls the transponder function unit 610 of the optical transmission device 240. The optical signal transmitting and receiving unit 620 is the same as the optical signal transmitting and receiving unit 210 in the first embodiment and is connected to the optical line via the optical amplifier / optical switch unit 630. The optical amplifier / optical switch unit 630 performs amplification and switching of optical signals. The optical transmission device monitoring and control unit 640 monitors and controls the optical transmission device 240.

[0063] The optical transmission device monitoring and control unit 640, the transponder device monitoring and control unit 614, and the transceiver monitoring and control unit 613 can communicate with the proxy management system 400 via the maintenance network NW. The optical transmission device monitoring and control unit 640, the transponder device monitoring and control unit 614, and the transceiver monitoring and control unit 613 notify the proxy management system 400 of information related to the monitoring or control of the monitored parts, and perform control of the monitored parts based on the control information received from the proxy management system 400.

[0064] According to the optical communication system 1 of the embodiment configured as described above, since there is no need to branch the transmission path for monitoring the signal quality, it is possible to provide a proxy management service for substituting the management of the user system 200 without degrading the signal quality of the user system 200. As a result, the user does not need to prepare resources for managing the user system 200 or acquire management know-how.

[0065] In particular, in the optical communication system 1 of the first embodiment, the carrier can quickly identify the cause of a failure and notify the user by monitoring both the user system 200 and the carrier's network devices. Also, regarding the management costs that increase as the user's business expands, by having the user bear a part of the additional costs from the profits obtained in the business, it becomes possible for the carrier to continuously provide the proxy management service for the user system 200.

[0066] Furthermore, in the optical communication system 1 of the second embodiment, when a user provides communication services to end users (clients) using dark fiber laid by the user themselves, rather than through a carrier, the management agency service allows the user to entrust the management of the user system 200 (including the management of the optical line) to a service provider (such as a carrier, which has the technology and know-how to manage optical transmission systems), and concentrate on providing communication services, which is their core business. Also, when a user owns dark fiber, there may be no carrier central office in the dark fiber section. Therefore, in the optical communication system 1 of the second embodiment, since the management agency system 400 accesses the monitoring and control functions of the user system 200 located at the user site directly via the maintenance network NW, the management agency service can be provided even for optical transmission systems using dark fiber owned by the user.

[0067] In the optical communication system 1 of the above embodiment, the user may procure optical transmission equipment (such as a user transponder device 220 or an optical transmission device 240) from a carrier or system vendor, or procure it by purchasing commercially available equipment. Alternatively, the optical transmission equipment may be provided to the user by a service provider as part of a management agency service.

[0068] The optical communication system 1 described above may be implemented in whole or in part by a computer. In that case, the program for implementing this function may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, and the program recorded on this recording medium may be loaded into the computer system and executed. The term "computer system" here includes hardware such as the OS and peripheral devices. The term "computer-readable recording medium" refers to portable media such as flexible disks, magneto-optical disks, ROMs, CD-ROMs, and storage devices such as hard disks built into the computer system. Furthermore, the term "computer-readable recording medium" may also include those that dynamically hold programs for a short period of time, such as communication lines used when transmitting programs via networks such as the Internet or communication lines such as telephone lines, and those that hold programs for a certain period of time, such as volatile memory inside the computer system that acts as a server or client in such cases. The program described above may be for implementing a part of the function described above, or it may be a program that can implement the function described above in combination with a program already recorded in the computer system, or it may be implemented using a programmable logic device such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).

[0069] Although embodiments of this invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments and includes designs and the like that do not depart from the spirit of this invention.

[0070] The present invention is applicable to a system that provides an optical line to a user by integrating the user's optical transmission system into a central office.

[0071] 1...Optical communication system, 100...Central station, 110...Optical signal transmitting / receiving unit, 111...Optical receiving unit, 112...Optical transmitting unit, 120...Monitoring transceiver, 130...DCN connection unit, 200...User system (optical transmission system), 210...Optical signal transmitting / receiving unit, 211...Optical receiving unit, 212...Optical transmitting unit, 220...User transponder device, 221...First transceiver, 222...Second transceiver, 223...Transceiver monitoring and control unit, 224...Transponder device monitoring and control unit, 225...Control port, 226...Transponder device connection unit, 230...Connection unit, 240...Optical transmission device, 250...Switch function unit, 260...Connection unit, 300...Opposite system, 310...DCN connection 320... Opposite transponder device, 321... Transceiver, 322... Monitoring and control unit, 400... Management agency system, 401... Information management unit, 402... Maintenance unit, 403... Monitoring report generation unit, 404... Billing calculation unit, 405... User reporting unit, 406... Monitoring and control unit, 407... Configuration management unit, 408... Contract change management unit, 500... Network device, 600... User server, 610... Optical line monitoring and control unit, 610... Transponder function unit, 611... First transceiver, 612... Second transceiver, 613... Transceiver monitoring and control unit, 614... Transponder device monitoring and control unit, 620... Optical signal transmission and reception unit, 630... Optical switch unit, 640... Optical transmission device monitoring and control unit

Claims

1. A service provision system comprising: a communication unit that communicates with a monitoring and control function unit of an optical transmission system owned by a user; and a service provision device that provides a service for managing the optical transmission system on behalf of the user by communicating control information with the monitoring and control function unit.

2. The service provision system further comprises a user server owned by the user and capable of communicating with a user transponder device or functional unit included in the optical transmission system, wherein the user transponder device or functional unit is a device or functional unit that transmits and receives both a main signal and control information for management, and the service provision system provides the service to the user in a first or second manner, wherein in the first manner, the user server monitors or controls the user transponder device or functional unit by communicating with the user transponder device or functional unit, the service provision system obtains monitoring and control information regarding the optical line of the optical transmission system from the user transponder device or functional unit and monitors or controls the optical line based on the monitoring and control information, and in the second manner, the user server obtains monitoring and control information regarding the optical line from the user transponder device or functional unit and monitors or controls the optical line based on the monitoring and control information. The service provision system according to claim 1, wherein the service provision device communicates with the user transponder device or functional unit to monitor or control the user transponder device or functional unit.

3. The service provision device further comprises a configuration management unit that manages the configuration of an optical transmission system owned by the user, and a change management unit that manages changes to a contract concluded between the service provider of the service and the user regarding the provision of the service, wherein the change management unit receives input of revenue information indicating the user's revenue status when the service usage fee imposed on the user increases due to a change in the contract, and if it determines based on the revenue information that the user's revenue has increased by a predetermined value or more after the change in the contract, it bills the user for a portion of the revenue as an increase in the usage fee, the service provision system according to claim 1.

4. A service provision method in which a service provision device communicates with a monitoring and control function unit of an optical transmission system owned by a user, and communicates control information with the monitoring and control function unit, thereby providing a service that manages the optical transmission system on behalf of the user.

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