nk group monitoring. Data Network Services management tools simplify management of frame relay network ports and Permanent Virtual Circuits (PVCs). Customers can view graphi- cal and tabular reports with their browser or download directly into a spreadsheet application where data can be stored and manipulated. Interactive Advantage can also be used to improve the timeliness of tracking and managing trouble tickets in addition to placing service order requests. 14.4.2 Roaming Ulysses The Ulysses platform is an example of a platform that accommodates a web-based management approach. Because the information is available through a Java-based platform, the information can be distributed through the web as for network man- agement staff located at geographically disparate locations. In short, Ulysses operates on the basis that switch-based systems cannot deliver features needed to support new requirements in planning and designing wireless networks, and migration to new technologies, such as 3G, is particularly difficult. Further, Intelligent Network (IN) platforms are limited by the need for proprietary modifications. Logica therefore developed its Ulysses platform to provide a general architecture and common set of facilities for developing and deploying various 14 Web-based Telecommunications Systems Management advanced wireless mobility services. The architecture accommodates mobility applications including home location registers, authentication centres and roaming platforms. Ulysses can host multiple co-located applications, allowing new services to be rapidly deployed on existing hardware platforms, and all of its advanced features can be managed from a central point. This ensures easy integration with the rest of an operator's network management infrastructure. Ulysses has a distributed archi- tecture, allowing components to be geographically remote. The database and operations and management processor (OMP) (which is imple- mented using SQL Server) layers are logically separate systems. Indeed, they can be dep