From Insight to Innovation: Can Observability Guarantee Continuous Network Advancement?

Observability frameworks (AI) ready data

Communications service providers (CSPs) need to continuously evaluate network performance 24/7 to assure service and end users’ quality of experience.

This blog reports details from a Fierce Network interview with Bruce Kelley, senior vice president and chief technology officer at NETSCOUT, about the importance of implementing observability frameworks at the onset of any technology phase to harvest outcomes from high-quality artificial intelligence (AI)-ready data for continuous insights and innovation.

The impacts of 5G, with its low-latency and high-throughput requirements for reliability, combined with cloud technologies and edge computing, have compelled the transformation of networks from centralized processing of network traffic (north/south) to a decentralized method (east/west) within the cloud.

NETSCOUT Leads the Industry in Visibility

The transition to cloud technologies heightened the need for encryption required to protect traffic in the cloud, such as for enterprise workloads and services for banks, healthcare, and manufacturing, and created visibility challenges for observing traffic in the cloud. To overcome these challenges, NETSCOUT, in conjunction with global tier-1 equipment vendors, initiated and designed high-quality virtual taps to assure visibility of east/west encrypted traffic.

By considering the following essential elements and their applications, CSPs can rely on NETSCOUT vendor-agnostic observability software tools for continuous assurance for networks, services, and security:

  • Data Quality: NETSCOUT observability tools have end-through-end capabilities to monitor reliable packet data from the network. This data is generated and transformed into high-quality AI-ready metadata to help CSPs assure their networks and customer experiences.
  • Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML):  AI/ML plays a pivotal role in the overall success of assuring and securing the networks. For example, CSPs can obtain insights using data from handsets, cell towers, vendor tools, and service-level agreements (SLAs) that can ultimately improve customer experience. In a dynamic 5G network, CSPs can expect to manage millions of things, and a successful outcome will be highly desirable, therefore input data for AI/ML must be of high quality to prevent AI-generated hallucinations and unsuccessful outcomes with garbage data in, and garbage data out.
  • Automation: Automation is the driving force that changes the way problems are solved in these next-generation networks. Automation will provide efficiencies, scalability, and increased productivity for any network embracing the application of AI/ML. The AI technology stack supports four main layers that support automation: servers, virtualization, generative AI, and agents. Agents are expected to grow dynamically because they will establish countless use cases for multiple business-to-business (B2B) requirements across verticals.

Securing Cloudified Networks

As CSPs commence their 5G journey, they must also include a mobile network security solution to protect the expanded attack surface of a cloudified network. This means real-time, scalable visibility that provides early warning of anomalous behavior, distinguishes between human error and human malintent and offers threat mitigation that constantly guards against persistent threats. Here as well, NETSCOUT Smart Data to feed smart analytics will be key to threat management for security teams.

End-Through-End Observability with Confidence

Without visibility to their 5G standalone (SA) network and the applications, services, and devices operating on that network, along with the interconnected 4G network, CSP network operations, engineering, and security teams will have a very difficult time monitoring, managing, and securing their network. CSPs that include visibility for service assurance, analytics, and security as part of their continued investment in 5G and the evolution of their networks to the cloud will be able to roll out and support digitalization, edge computing, network slicing, and virtualization with confidence.

NETSCOUT Solutions

With more than four decades of network monitoring experience, NETSCOUT supports tier-1 service providers across the globe. Our world-class Visibility Without Borders observability solutions provide end-through-end visibility for any technology, any network, any service, and any application and can be included at the onset of a technology lifecycle for continuous insights, network optimization, security, and service assurance.

Watch the NETSCOUT/Fierce Network video.