The present invention includes embodiments of systems and methods for addressing the interdependencies that result from integrating the computing resources of multiple hardware and software providers. The integrated, multi-provider cloud-based platform of the present invention employs abstraction layers for communicating with and integrating the resources of multiple back-end hardware providers, multiple software providers and multiple license servers. These abstraction layers and associated functionality free users not only from having to implement and configure provider-specific protocols, but also from having to address interdependencies among selected hardware, software and license servers on a job-level basis or at other levels of granularity.

An approach is provided for establishing a vendor portal configured to provide remote control and management of one or more devices of a customer by a plurality of vendors. The device can then be remotely controlled, accessed, or operated upon via the vendor portal.

The present application discloses a method and an apparatus for implementing an OAM function. In this solution, a unified OAM management center processes, based on a unified OAM management data model, network OAM status information, but the unified OAM management data model is unrelated to a network technology used by a network entity.

Systems and methods that receive at information technology (IT) management system data from at least two IT management systems, wherein the data identifies resource coverage known to each respective IT management system are discussed. The system or method may generate an IT management system coverage map as a function of the IT management system data using the coverage map generator, wherein the coverage map indicates if there is a gap in IT resource coverage of the at least two IT management systems and whether the IT resource gap creates a possible compliance issue with a policy to be followed by one of the at least two IT management systems, and wherein the IT resource gap is discovered by comparing the IT management system data of the at least two IT management systems.

In one embodiment, the present invention is a network infrastructure management system that allows monitoring and controlling network devices while dynamically discovering them on demand during the process. New management protocols can be dynamically added to the system or built on demand without refactoring the existing algorithms.

A system, method, and computer program product are provided for performing preventative maintenance in a Network Function Virtualization based (NFV-based) communication network. In use, a first potential fault is identified in a first resource in an NFV-based communication network. Additionally, a first time for maintaining the first resource is identified to prevent an occurrence of the first potential fault. Further, a second resource is identified for replacing the first resource during the first time.

Example data processing methods and apparatus are described. One example data processing method includes receiving data description information and reported data, where the data description information includes at least one of a vendor name, network element version information, a data type supported by a network management system, or a coding mode supported by the network management system. The reported data is converted based on the data description information, where reported data obtained through conversion meets a virtual network function event streaming (VES) specification. A VES event is sent, where the VES event includes the reported data obtained through conversion.

A network management entity for a communication network includes: a processor configured to operate a logic subnetwork in the communication network, wherein the logic subnetwork is configured to enable a first communication device to communicate via the logic subnetwork and to provide the first communication device with further resources of the logic subnetwork; and a communication interface configured to receive a position signal indicating a position of a second mobile communication device. The processor is further configured to incorporate the second mobile communication device in the logic subnetwork to provide the logic subnetwork with at least one resource of the second mobile communication device if the position of the second mobile communication device is within a defined position range.

Compatibility and consolidation analyses can be performed on a collection of systems to evaluate the 1-to-1 compatibility of every source-target pair, evaluate the multi-dimensional compatibility of specific transfer sets, and to determine the best consolidation solution based on various constraints including the compatibility scores of the transfer sets. The analyses can be done together or be performed independently. These analyses are based on collected system data related to their technical configuration, business factors and workloads. Differential rule sets and workload compatibility algorithms are used to evaluate the compatibility of systems. The technical configuration, business and workload related compatibility results are combined to create an overall compatibility assessment. These results are visually represented using color coded scorecard maps

Techniques described herein register an endpoint device, such as a utility meter, with multiple headend systems. A system described herein includes a utility meter, which measures consumption of a resource, and a Network Management System (NMS) headend system, which manages a network. The utility meter joins the network and obtains an Internet Protocol (IP) address of the NMS headend system. The utility meter transmits a network registration request to the NMS headend system using the IP address of the NMS headend system and receives, from the NMS headend system, network-related settings of the network. The utility meter obtains an IP address of a second headend system configured to provide a service over the network. Further, the utility meter receives, from the second headend system, configuration settings for using the service of the second headend system and, as such, configures the radio with the network-related settings and the configuration settings.