Management of Distributed Services Networks: Shared Tele-Publishing Via ISDN — IBC in Europe

Abstract

The work reported in this paper is part of RACE II Project 2037 (Distributed Documenting Services - DIDOS), partially funded by the Commission of the European Union (CEU) The project objectives are to demonstrate the feasibility of distributed service management, enhance the use of Pan-European ISDN and motivate the deployment of Integrated Broadband Communications (IBC or B-ISDN) in Europe. The concepts are being tested in three multinational “Application Pilots” within the business sector of electronic Technical Documentation (TD). All users that participate in the project (TD producers and service providers) are interconnected via ISDN in a “Distributed Service Centre.” Participants are equipped with a Service Management kernel that performs basic “agent” functions and a user access shell, including directory and administration services. In the paper we outline a Reference Platform that evolved within the project, formalise user and functional requirements, and provide a vision for future use of public communications networks (ISDN and IBC) by other business communities in Europe. Our models provide an open, structured standard schema to all players (Clients, Service Providers and Public Network Operators - PNO’s) to create, share and manage services taking advantage of the evolving Pan-European ISDN - IBC infrastructure.