VitalSuite Integrated Service Assurance Software (ISA)

VitalSuite ISA combines information from network elements, security devices and applications to provide a centralized, integrated view of the status of networks and services. On a single display, a user can see all relevant security information and events for a particular element, group of elements, or the entire network. With a click of the mouse, the user can then view more details, create trouble tickets, acknowledge the event thereby removing it from consideration, or even “drill-down” to the applications that provided the information to investigate further. ISA is designed to provide government agencies with the ability to manage the security environment through the changes and evolution that will continue to occur across the network – providing users with consistent access to the information that is vital to maintain the highest levels of security.

Through monitoring the security “situational awareness” of the wireless and data networks, VitalSuite ISA combines and correlates data and events from disparate security devices and point applications such as firewalls, intrusion detection applications and authentication servers. From a centralized application, security personnel can rapidly spot and respond to security events and abnormalities, trace root causes, assess potential impacts, and prioritize responses needed to correct them.

VitalSuite ISA features a real-time, topology-driven correlation engine that helps you trace profile and identify the symptoms, causes and origins of security threats and attacks. The software simplifies security management, including management for newly deployed services or applications, by enabling users to rapidly implement new correlation rules and scenarios. The system’s high-performance correlation capabilities can be applied to support new data sources without delay, as network and service offerings expand. Offering predefined rule sets that can be used immediately upon deployment as well as tools for custom-configuring rules to suit an agency’s unique security requirements, VitalSuite ISA’s platform can be scaled or extended to monitor other systems with easy integration into existing operations centers.

VitalSuite ISA can collect security data and events from nearly any security device or application and includes off-the-shelf support for more than 300 devices, including switches, routers, EMSs, OSSs and related equipment from both Alcatel-Lucent and other major network vendors. This enables agencies to develop security strategies that include security events, as well as fault or performance events.

VitalSuite ISA is used in service provider, government, and enterprise networks all over the world and monitors some of the largest and most complex networks in the world: multi-domain networks comprised of optical, transport, IP, IP/MPLS, IMS, DSL, switching, ATM/FR, access, signaling, SoIP, and wireless. It can collect data from a variety of operation support systems. 

The key strengths of VitalSuite ISA include its open architecture, open interfaces and extensible, configurable features. It can collect data from most interfaces and protocols currently found in switching, data, voice, and signaling networks. Supported technologies include, but are not limited to, SYSLOG, XML, SNMP, CORBA, TL1, SOAP, ASCII, MTOSI, Logs, and ODBC, X.25. If off-the-shelf support is not available, flexible toolkits provide the adaptive environment to quickly establish data collection and event modeling for new or upgraded network equipment.

Many interfaces are available to send data such as raw or filtered security events, event transactions (escalations), correlation and root cause results to Operation Support Systems.  VitalSuite ISA can be configured to access (cut-through to) the management interface of devices or EMSs to support direct configuration, analysis or diagnostics. Triggered response can be used to automate reactions to security events.