network. Once an order is completed, continuous monitoring is required to ensure that the SLA agreed upon with the customer is being satisfied, the service quality is optimal with the usage of hardware within permissible limits and the network performance guarantees maintaining the service as per SLA without any outages. Associated with monitoring is the identification Customer Customer Customer Customer problem QoS/SLA retention handling management and loyalty Service Service Service Service problem mediation quality management and planning management Network Network data Network Network Network trouble collection and performance maintenance handling distribution management and restoration Figure 20.7 Assurance process. OSS/BSS Functions of bugs and corrective actions to fix fault scenarios. The bugs can be identified and reported by the customer, or it could be identified as a service or network log as part of monitoring. Managing the lifecycle of the bugs identified is an essential part of assurance. Network and service management is mostly covered under assurance. The collection of management records, distribution of records to other management applications, performing maintenance operations like installing patch and chang- ing configuration, restoring an element or connectivity that failed, and monitoring performance records are all covered as components in the network management part of assurance. Service assurance is more on monitoring the service KPIs (key performance indicators) to ensure that the intended service quality is achieved. The numbers of outages, the maximum transfer rate, the number of fault scenarios are all indicators of the quality of service. At the customer level, the assurance process is more targeted to meeting an SLA. The parameters specified in SLA are moni- tored and any slippage in the SLA needs to be communicated to the customer and compensation. Customer retention and loyalty are also a part of assurance process. Sending reports, mail alerts on schedule maintenance, providing in