allows direct communication with the network element(s). AdventNet is enhancing the configuration management toolkit to support CORBA and XML communication with a broader range of EMS. For example, the configuration server will be able to Tools Provisioning Applications Optical Cable Northbound Application Provisioning Provisioning Provisioning Interfaces Wizards Provisioning Framework Policies Customer Mgmt OSS Interfaces Prov. Templates Bus. Rules Service Mgmt Inventory API Wizards Trigger/Periodic Layouts Scripting Scheduling Net Inventory Management Services FCAPS Tools Fault Configuration Performance Security Framework Services Active Topology Protocol Framework Wizards Discovery Module Services Services RDBMS Data Mgmt Inventory Audit Fault Services Tools Orders Security Topology Customers Figure 6.4 Provisioning framework architecture. OSS for Telecom Networks support the TMF's CORBA interfaces for provisioning by sending XML configura- tion commands to EMS systems. The provisioning framework layer is built on top of the configuration manage- ment toolkit and supports the server provisioning functions. Important compo- nents of the provisioning framework architecture include: APIs for building applications and interacting with the module XML-based template scripting and rendering business rules for customising provisioning capabilities customer management information and order processing information service management for modelling and managing services network inventory database OSS interfaces to allow service activation and workflow automation OSS tools to interface with the provisioning framework and provide flow-through provisioning. Multiple provisioning applications can be built using the framework and can co-exist within the framework. Examples are: domain-specific (such as optical) provisioning customer self-provisioning special purpose or application-specific northbound interfaces. The provisioning framework is illustrated in Figure 6.5. The framework integrates many functions into a common module