Unleashing agility with North-Star architecture

The contents of this whitepaper are solely based on the experience of the author and are not to be considered as an official Verizon authored article.

The telecommunications industry has experienced significant advancements and disruptions over the past 10 to 15 years, driven by technological and domain-level changes. The widespread deployment of 4G/LTE networks and the subsequent introduction of 5G technology have revolutionized mobile communications, enabling faster data speeds, lower latency and greater network capacity. Simultaneously, the exponential growth of Internet of Things (IoT) devices has transformed the telco industry, opening doors for innovative services and solutions in areas such as smart homes, wearables and industrial applications. Moreover, the adoption of cloud computing has brought about a paradigm shift in the way telco service providers deliver and manage services, providing scalability, flexibility and cost efficiencies.

However, amidst these advancements lie challenges that telco service providers must address to maintain a competitive edge. The industry demands quick adaptability and efficient roll-out of changes to meet evolving customer expectations and market dynamics. In this context, this whitepaper explores the transformative potential of the North Star Architecture Platform powered through Rapid Development accelerators – the Low Code No Code (LCNC) platform, that has emerged as vital solution, empowering project teams to rapidly develop, modify and deploy applications with reduced spend on adapting to these disruptions.

This platform offers increased productivity, reduced reliance on IT, cost-effectiveness, agility and flexibility, enhanced collaboration, scalability, accessibility & usability, faster time to market and continuous innovations.

This agility allows a swift response to constantly evolving customer needs and market trends, bringing new services and features to market in reduced timeframes. Furthermore, the paper emphasizes the seamless integration capabilities of this platform with existing systems, ensuring a smooth transition to new services while leveraging legacy infrastructure. By bridging the gap between legacy systems and modern applications, this platform minimizes disruptions to ongoing operations and facilitate a seamless digital transformation journey and empowers navigate the dynamic landscape, seize emerging opportunities and remain competitive.

Overview of LCNC platforms

Low-Code No-Code (LCNC) platforms are a category of software development tools designed to simplify and expedite the creation of applications.

They empower individuals with varying levels of technical expertise, including business users, to build applications with minimal or no traditional coding experiences. The LCNC platforms offer a visual, user-friendly environment where users can design, develop and deploy applications by leveraging pre-built components and intuitive interfaces. These platforms have gained widespread popularity due to their ability to streamline the software development process and make it more accessible to non-technical users.

Benefits of LCNC platforms

The significance of LCNC platforms in the current business landscape is multifaceted and has a profound impact on telcos and is applicable and being widely adopted across industries.

Orders received gets orchestrated through Orchestrator, which invokes Data Delivery System for product specific order validation, followed by Layer3 Service manager for activation and provisioning and finally invokes Network Manager to talk to the devices for pre-activation and activation. These systems are legacy serving orders across multiple products for more than 20 years and naturally feature additions over a period that has made these applications bulkier and hard to manage and maintain.

These systems had quick fixes and enhancements carried out over a period to immediately address the concerns. These fixes didn’t have any clear line of separation and overlapped and fulfilled the functionalities and features expected to be part of other systems. Similarly, databases grew both properties and in terms of volume. Though there were many quick Tech depts that were carried out, they hardly had any larger disruptions with applicability aimed at cross application design thought process.

Quick landscape of complexity of the average telco systems:

Modernizing Logical Provisioning System – Design Thinking

Transforming existing legacy applications into Low-Code No-Code platforms is always a complex process, but it offers numerous benefits, including improved agility and easier maintenance. Here is the step-by-step approach that was followed to transform:

Hypothetical Use Case: Modernizing Logical Provisioning systems was taken as an initiative to address the pain points experienced by Business and IT in Logical Provisioning space by transforming the experience of Business users to do the logical provisioning. The initiative focused on the following:

• Address User Experience & Application Performance/Stability
• Orient the Systems towards new state of the art North Star Architecture
• Enable the IT/Operations efficiency via consolidations
• Improve Data Integrity with the network - Single source for Logical Provisioning

The impacted applications, Controller, Data Delivery System, Layer3 Service Manager and Network Manager were carefully analyzed from multiple angles such as business and user needs, technical assessment, data analysis, compliance and security, cost-benefit, integration and interoperability, user experience and existing design, risks involved, application dependency, custom code analysis, performance and scalability. These analyzed reports were translated into phased approach of decommissioning and migrating the applications using LCNC platform.

Though there are multiple LCNC platforms available with their merits and shortfalls, instead of importing a new platform, decision was taken to go with an existing Mediator / Data harmonizer LCNC based platform that was already existing in landscape. Multiple POCs were carried out to evaluate this platform such as:

Type of applications that can be built

• Can multiple users have concurrent access to build apps with the platform without affecting performance and user experience? Yes
• Can I extend front-end and out-of-the-box components to develop apps compliant with my brand guidelines?Yes, as it is integrated with Canvas

Security and quality of service

• Does the platform provide app monitoring and analytics capabilities to detect, identify and troubleshoot issues in real time? Yes, the orchestration done through Orchestrator clearly identifies which mediator or data harmonizer proxy is under trouble.
• Can I do application security hardening with the platform? Yes, the mediator and data harmonizer proxies are well within the secured access governed through access policies.
• Can I scan the code of the apps built with the platform? No, feature not available
• Can I measure, identify and fix technical debt? No, feature not available
• Is the vendor compliant with my industry standards? Yes, Orchestrator, Mediator and DH proxy platforms are inhouse applications well aligned to North star architecture.
• Does the platform ensure that the code written is bug free and scalable? Partial - The proxies can be bucketed into domain centric groups that can be scaled individually and grouped to scale for multiple purposes.

Governance

• Does the platform allow defining granular security and governance controls easily? No, feature not available
• Can developers make many change requests and deploy per day? Yes

DevOps practices

• Does the platform provide CI/CD capabilities to manage pipelines? Yes, the proxies developed are fully governed by VZ OnePipeline
• What percentage of the dev lifecycle is augmented with AI? None
• Can I integrate the platform with any SDLC tool of my choice, or am I limited to a set of tools? No, feature not available
• Does the platform support open standards and deep integration to application lifecycle management (ALM), release and testing platforms? Yes

Developer productivity and platform engineering

• What is the percentage of reused components in the platform’s portfolio? None
• If my dev team changes or fixes a component, is that change reflected in all solutions consuming from that component?Yes, the proxies (once approved and published) are accessible and immediately available across all the workflows that consume.
• Can my team extend the components available by default by the platform? No, feature not available
• Is there a developer community that my developers can join? No, feature not available
• How does the platform ensure that all components of an application are deployed correctly and together? Partial - Once pushed through OnePipeline, the proxies are available across all environments.

Integration and APIs

• Does the platform allow my team to build APIs to connect my applications with other apps or services? Yes
• Is it easy for the team to integrate with APIs exposed by other systems and DB? Yes
• Can the platform be extended to integrate with any legacy system? Yes, through invoking the rest and SOAP APIs exposed by legacy applications

Extensibility

• Can my dev team extend what they develop in low-code with their preferred tools?: No, feature not available
• Does the platform provide options for more than one operating system or multi-cloud, or am I limited to the provider's choice?: No, feature not available

Licensing clarity and predictability

• What is included in the pricing? Since this is inhouse developed LCNC platform, there is no additional license fee.
• Are all the capabilities I need part of the standard licensing or does the vendor provide a module by module licensing instead? Not applicable
• Do developers also need a license in the platform? Not required

This LCNC platform has two major service invocation capability – one for invoking micro services exposed by applications, called Service invocation and the second is for invoking data as a service, called Data Harmonizer. These invocations can be stitched together with workflow & response specific branching, exception handlers and most important, asynchronous event correlation. Individual invocations can be updated, without much hassle and disruption to overall workflow.

Value objects transacted in between the invocation had temporary storage & light weight programming interfaces for quick manipulation of data best suited for the service. These services logically grouped into domains or categories, had their own deployment environment clearly separating and knocking off inter deployment dependency hassles.

One of the business significant products was chosen to be piloted for rebuilding as path towards LCNC migration. Logically distinguishable services were re-written adhering to Mediator and Data harmonizer standards.

Migrating and unifying the database schema from different legacy applications into a domain-driven schema as part of a Low-Code No-Code platform transformation was a complex but highly beneficial endeavor. Following steps and considerations were taken into account during this process:

• Data Inventory: An inventory of data objects, tables and entities used in the legacy applications were created along with clear modelling of schema structures, relationships and data attributes.
• Identify Commonalities and Differences: Analyze the existing schemas to identify common data elements and entities across the applications and data structures overlap was determined.
• Define Domain Model: Designed a domain-driven schema that represented a unified model best suited for logical provisioning that could be carried out with the new product identified as pilot.
• Data Mapping: Created a data mapping plan that outlined how data from the legacy schemas will be transformed and migrated into the domain-driven schema. Legacy entities were mapped from legacy to domain-driven schema.
• Data Transformation and Cleansing: Developed data transformation scripts and procedures using existing tool, Talend to convert data, which included data cleansing, format conversions and data enrichment.
• Data Migration Strategy: Data migration process was defined considering factors such as data volume, migration windows and data consistency. Batch processing, real-time synchronization and a combination of both were planned.
• Data Validation and Testing: Implemented data validation and testing processes to ensure data accuracy and integrity. Data validation checks were also conducted to identify any discrepancies or errors.
• Backup and Rollback Plan: Created a comprehensive backup and rollback plan to safeguard data during the migration process. This was essential in case any issues or errors arise.

Guidelines were created for transforming tightly coupled legacy application into Low-Code No-Code microservices to ensure scalability, agility and maintainability.

To ensure that the platform and the pilot is scalable across products, service descriptors were added in the database schema and ensured that all microservices had the service descriptors as tags to truly differentiate and complete the functionality. The domain specific configurations were designed as templates, that can be configured based on the order types. Product specific customizations if required, were designed to carry out at specific microservice level.

BAU System vs Modernized provisioning system – an illustration

Overcoming Challenges:

Transforming legacy applications into domain-driven Low-Code No-Code platforms can be a complex undertaking with various challenges. Here are some of the challenges and mitigation strategies that were followed:

The Vision: Digital Transformation using LCNC

In the rapidly evolving landscape of software development and business automation, Low-Code No-Code platforms have become invaluable tools. To further empower and reap the full benefits as part of digital transformation journey, this platform would incorporate advanced features driven by generative AI. These advanced capabilities provide a multitude of benefits that have a profound impact on the efficiency and agility of product rollouts.

Unlocking Operational Efficiency and Speed:

Journey towards digital transformation is bound to fast track with quick adoption of legacy applications incorporate this LCNC platform. This platform would empower rapid development and deployment of applications & features, reducing development cycles and expediting time-to-market for new services. The intuitive visual interfaces of platforms enable deeper understanding of where the issues are stuck with faster resolution and hence reduce fallouts.

Low Visibility BAU Order-flow worklist [vs] High visibility Modernized worklist – an illustration

Another advantage is the streamlined approach to application development, translating into substantial cost savings, as it reduces the demand for highly skilled developers for every small changes & enhancements thus, minimizes training requirements and optimizes development resources.

Tightly coupled EJB code base in BAU in LCNC orchestrated platform – an illustration

Cost Optimization and Strategic Resource Allocation:

Reducing operational costs is a priority for any telecom service provider and LCNC platforms play a pivotal role in this endeavor. By decreasing development costs, minimizing manual efforts and optimizing resource allocation, aids in strategic allocation of resources to drive growth and innovation. The democratization of application development within the organization empowers employees from various departments to contribute to digital transformation initiatives, promoting innovation and leveraging the diverse skill sets present in the organization.

Enhancing Network Operations and Customer Support:

Efficiency is at the core of network operations and LCNC platform help automate manual and repetitive tasks across various departments, from billing to customer support and network management. Applications developed on LCNC platforms would improve customer support through real-time chatbots, trouble ticket management and automated issue resolution, elevating the quality-of-service delivery.

Embracing Innovation and Agility:

Digital transformation initiatives benefit to swiftly adapt to dynamic market conditions, customer demands and emerging technologies. The rapid creation and modification of applications foster innovation and empower to stay at the forefront of industry trends and regulatory changes, ensuring a competitive edge.

Predictive maintenance, made possible through LCNC, minimizes network downtime and enhances service reliability, delivering a consistent user experience. Furthermore, the analysis of data and data monetization options allow leverage of data for valuable insights and new revenue streams, promising growth in a rapidly evolving telecom landscape.

An Elevated Futuristic State of this Platform

This Low-Code No-Code platform would be evolved to incorporate advanced features like generative AI, which can significantly enhance the platform's capabilities. These are some of the features that are part of the product backlog, to strengthen the applicability, efficiency and effectiveness:

Overall, these features accelerate digital transformation, respond to dynamic business needs and create applications that are more intelligent, user-centric and efficient. By implementing advanced AI capabilities, LCNC platforms harnesses the benefits of automation, AI-driven insights and agility, which are increasingly crucial in today's fast-paced business landscape.

Conclusion:

Commitment to staying at the forefront of this transformation has led to the integration of LCNC platforms, redefining the rules of the game. With LCNC, teams achieve rapid application development, responding swiftly to the changing tides of the industry. It introduces applications that enhance customer experiences, streamline operational efficiency and optimize network management. The cost savings, scalability and automated customer support provided by LCNC are vital in fostering an environment of innovation and competitive advantage.

As the telecom industry continues its evolution, the choice to embrace generative AI as futuristic amalgamation to LCNC platform is a testament to its commitment to innovation and its vision for a future defined by cutting-edge services, operational excellence and unparalleled customer experiences. The synergy of human creativity and technology, empowered by LCNC lays the foundation for a landscape that is robust, responsive and poised for continued growth.

The question is no longer "if" but "when" the telecom industry will fully embrace the transformative power of LCNC platforms. It is our hope that this white paper has shed light on the path forward, serving as an inspiration and guide for organizations as they embark on a digital transformation journey that will shape the future of telecommunications.