ENX Escalation Management
This document is published by ENX Association. It describes the escalation
management.
The document refers to the “Request For Certification – ENX Specifications
and Requirements”.
Version
1.0
Date
August 13th, 2003
Responsible
ENX Association
Contact
Lennart Oly
ENX Specification: Escalation management
2
Content
1
GENERAL .................................................................................................................................................... 3
2
CONTRACTUAL BACKGROUND ........................................................................................................... 4
3
CURRENT PROCEDURE AND FUTURE DEVELOPMENT ............................................................... 5
3.1
3.2
3.3
4
PROBLEM CLASSES ................................................................................................................................. 6
4.1
4.2
4.3
5
PROBLEM ANALYSIS .............................................................................................................................. 5
IMMEDIATE IMPLEMENTATION OF A PROBLEM RESOLUTION CO-ORDINATION ....................................... 5
NEXT STEPS ........................................................................................................................................... 5
DEFINITION OF USER IMPACT ................................................................................................................. 6
DEFINITION OF SEVERITY CLASSES ........................................................................................................ 6
ENXA PROBLEM CLASSES RESULTING FROM SEVERITY CLASS PLUS USER IMPACT .............................. 7
TIMEFRAME AND DELAYS .................................................................................................................... 8
5.1
ENX ESCALATION DELAY ..................................................................................................................... 8
5.2
ENX SERVICE COMMITMENT ................................................................................................................ 8
5.2.1
Reaction Time................................................................................................................................... 8
5.2.2
Availability ....................................................................................................................................... 8
5.2.3
Jour Fix ............................................................................................................................................ 8
6
ESCALATION COORDINATION ........................................................................................................... 10
6.1
6.2
6.2.1
6.2.2
6.2.3
6.3
6.3.1
6.3.2
6.3.3
6.3.4
6.4
7
STEP 1 – ESCALATION REQUEST ......................................................................................................... 10
STEP 2 – RECEPTION AND CLASSIFICATION......................................................................................... 10
Acceptance and Rejection .............................................................................................................. 10
Trouble Ticket ................................................................................................................................ 10
Management Escalation Level 1 .................................................................................................... 11
STEP 3 - ESCALATION COORDINATION ................................................................................................ 11
Basics for Class RED Escalations.................................................................................................. 11
Basics for Class ORANGE + YELLOW Escalations ...................................................................... 11
Protocol .......................................................................................................................................... 11
Management Escalation Level 2 and Audit .................................................................................... 11
STEP 4 – DOCUMENTATION ................................................................................................................ 11
EXCEPTIONAL HANDLING OF MIGRATION FROM V1 TO V2ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED.
ENX Specification: Escalation management
3
1 GENERAL
The ENX Escalation Co-ordination is a two-pronged approach to ensure the ENX Service quality.
1. ENX proactively helps the Certified Service Providers to resolve a problem
2. ENX escalates the problem according to a stringent process
The ENX Escalation Co-ordination is an exceptional trouble handling process. It can be initiated by
ENX Association or a CSP. If the CSP fails to start the ENX Escalation Co-ordination in due time also
users are entitled to start the ENX Escalation Co-ordination.
The Escalation Co-ordination follows an unsuccessful standard trouble-shooting process between a TP
an the connecting CSP or two CSPs.


Standard TroubleShooting / Escalation
Exceptional Escalation
Responsibilities
well-known
accepted
mostly unknown
or unaccepted
Involved
Entities
CSP(s) concerned
TP(s) concerned
CSPs, Users, CA,
IPSec Lab, ENXA
Users and CSPs
ENXA
on qualified requests
Triggers
ENX Specification: Escalation management
4
2 CONTRACTUAL BACKGROUND FOR CSPS CERTIFIED BEFORE 2003
The Exceptional Escalation Process is settled in Chapter VII of the ENX CSP Contract.
The details of the escalation process including the amount of penalties to be paid, the timeframes for
each escalation level and a detailed description of the problem levels which could lead to each escalation step were not agreed when the contract was signed by several reasons.
Therefore, as of today the Escalation rules of the RFC (Chapter Problem Management) apply according to the CSP Contracts.
In difference to the contractual provision of the CSP Contract and the RFC, ENX Association bears the
costs of the Trouble-Shooting and Escalation in a first trial period. ENX Association reserves the right
to move back to the contractual provisions at any time.
One reason for this is the not yet completed Migration from ENX Version 1 to Version 2 (see Chapter
VII for more detailed information).
ENX Specification: Escalation management
5
3 CURRENT PROCEDURE AND FUTURE DEVELOPMENT
3.1 Problem Analysis
The analysis of the occurred problems has shown that problem resolution is mostly not a technical but
a an organisational issue. It has also shown that an automatic process among CSPs will not be possible today. Such a process would cause too much effort for too few cases.
3.2 Immediate Implementation of a Problem Resolution Co-ordination
Therefore, ENX Association decided to implement the escalation management described in this paper
immediately.
The ENX Escalation is performed by the ENX Management together with external support.
Currently, two entities provide Neutral Third Parties to ENX Association within Escalation Processes.

Groupe Solucom, Montigny-le-Bretonneux, France (Co-ordination and Auditing)

ENX IPSec Lab, Media Transfer GmbH, Darmstadt, Germany (IPSec Interoperability)
The ENX Association Escalation Co-ordination is Third Party according to the RFC (Chapter Problem
Management). ENX Association will inform the involved parties about changes regarding the Neutral
Third Parties in charge.
3.3 Next Steps
The goal is to use this trial phase to agree upon and establish Best Practise regarding Problem Resolution and Escalation in order to implement the final escalation process contractually January 2nd 2004.
ENX Specification: Escalation management
4 PROBLEM CLASSES
ENX runs the Escalation Process according to the Problem Class defined by
1. the user impact and
2.
the problem severity.
4.1 Definition of User Impact
1. Global Problem within one CSP Network
A global problem within one CSP Network concerns
at least 25% of the users within one CSP Network
2. Global Interconnection Problem
A global problem between two CSP Network concerns
at least 25% of the users within one CSP Network
concerning at least 25% of the tunnels between two CSPs
3. Individual Interconnection Problem
An individual interconnection problem concerns the individual tunnels between indiusers connected to different CSP Networks
4. Individual CSP Problem
This problems concerns one or more of the tunnels or connections of one CSP
4.2 Definition of Severity Classes
1. High: No Service
a. connection is down
b. some or all IPSec Tunnels are down
2. Medium: Performance Problem
a. SLA not met
b. Delay in establishing the physical connection
c.
Delay in establishing an individual tunnel
3. Low: Change Requests
6
ENX Specification: Escalation management
7
4.3 ENXA Problem Classes resulting from Severity Class plus User Impact
1. RED (maximum)
2. ORANGE (high)
3. YELLOW (medium)
The following Matrix illustrates the Classification
GLOBAL
PROBLEM AT
ONE CSP
GLOBAL
INTERCONNECTION
PROBLEM
INDIVDUAL
INTERCONNECTION
PROBLEM
INDIVDUAL
PROBLEM AT
ONE CSP
NO SERVICE
NO SERVICE
NO SERVICE
NO SERVICE
PERFORMANCE
PROBLEM
PERFORMANCE
PROBLEM
PERFORMANCE
PROBLEM /
TUNNEL EST.
PERFORMANCE
PROBLEM /
TUNNEL EST.
SERVICE
REQUEST
SERVICE
REQUEST
SERVICE
REQUEST
SERVICE
REQUEST
ENX Specification: Escalation management
8
5 TIMEFRAME AND DELAYS
5.1 ENX Escalation Delay
The Escalation Delay is the time, CSPs have to solve a problem on their own before ENX Escalation
starts. CSPs and Users are allowed to ask for ENXA Escalation after the minimum delay as specified.
At the same time they are obliged to start ENXA Escalation after the maximum delay as specified.
RED
min. 24 hours
max. 36 hours
ORANGE
min. 48 hours
max. 96 hours
YELLOW
min. 96 hours
max 1 week
5.2 ENX Service Commitment
5.2.1 Reaction Time
ENX Escalation Co-ordination commits itself to a maximum delay in reacting on the escalation requests submitted.
RED
max. 24 hours
ORANGE
max. 48 hours
YELLOW
max. 96 hours
5.2.2 Availability
ENX Escalation Co-ordination commits itself to the following availability:

Monday to Friday from 8.00 to 18.00 hours.

Saturday and Sunday and Public Holidays:
If necessary for resolution of class RED problems
5.2.3 Jour Fix
A weekly conference call is scheduled for status reports, follow-up and technical discussions.
ENX Specification: Escalation management
9
Problem occurs
ENX ESCALATION MANAGEMENT
Process Overview
immediatelly
according to SLA
CSP1 starts
trouble shooting
min 24 hours
STANDARD
TROUBLE
SHOOTING
NO
Interconnection
affected
YES
Problem solved
withon 24 hours
TROUBLE
SHOOTING
TOGEHTER WITH
SECOND CSP
TROUBLE
SHOOTING BY
CSP2
Problem solved
withon 24 hours
ENX Esclation Request Form
www.enxo.com/escalation
[email protected]
T +49 69 71676706
F +49 69 71676702
NO
NO
CSP initiates
ENXA Escalation
Co-ordination
ENX receives
Escalation Request
Form and informs
involved parties
Official
Escalation
Information
CSP(s) Management
Level 1
ENX processes
escalation and
investigates
24 - 48 hours
OFFICIAL AUDIO CONFERENCE
IN ORDER TO SOLVE PROBLEM
ENX ESCALATION CO-ORDINATION ASSIGNS TASKS AND DECICEDS ON DEADLINES
TASKS
performed by
CSP 1
Official
Escalation
Information
ONGOING
ENX
COORDINATION
(or even audit)
Problem solved
within Deadline
TOGETHER WITH
CSP2 IF
INTERCONNECT
AFFECTED
TASKS
performed by
CSP2
YES
NO
CSP(s) Management
Level 2
EXPLANATION
direct
involvement
if problem
not fixed
FINAL
TASKS
performed by
CSP 1
CSP1
Process
CSP2
Process
ENX Association
Process
COMMON
ENX/CSP(s)
PROCESS
TOGETHER WITH
CSP2 IF
INTERCONNECT
AFFECTED
HIGH LEVEL ESCLATION AUDIO
IN ORDER TO FIND IMMEDIATE REMEDY
ENX
COORDINATION
(or even audit)
Problem solved
Documentation and
Problem History made
available on
DOCUMENTATION
www.enxo.com/escalation
END
FINAL
TASKS
performed by
CSP2
ENX Specification: Escalation management
10
6 ESCALATION COORDINATION
ENX Escalation Co-ordination consists of the following steps.
Step 1 – Escalation Request
Step 2 – Reception and Classification
Step 3 – Escalation Coordination
Step 4 – Documentation
6.1 STEP 1 – Escalation Request
CSPs, entitled Users or ENX Association itself start the Escalation by completing and submitting the
request to the ENX Escalation Co-ordination. The Request form is provided by ENXA and is available
online as well as pdf-file.
6.2 STEP 2 – Reception and Classification
6.2.1 Acceptance and Rejection
The Escalation Coordination estimates submitted requests.

If rejected, ENXA informs request submitter

If accepted, ENXA estimates the request problem class
ENX will reject requests if

minimum datelines for standard trouble-shooting are not yet met.

CSP missed to take any actions to resolve a Interconnection problem bilaterally

request is giving insufficient information regarding the problem (esp. if contact person is not
named, problem is not described)
If rejected, ENXA will inform the request submitter immediately.
6.2.2 Trouble Ticket
If accepted, ENX Escalation Coordination opens the Trouble-Ticket and transmits it to the parties involved. The ENX Trouble-Ticket is based on the request form and contains (besides the trouble ticket
number and the problem classification) a conference call schedule and other immediate actions required such as

bilateral co-ordination tasks

immediate emergency actions

experts to be involved.
ENX Specification: Escalation management
11
ENX Escalation Coordination will ask the involved parties for a problem description and a clear
timeframe for the problem resolution.
6.2.3 Management Escalation Level 1
ENX Association will start the Management Information by informing the management of the involved
parties as soon as STEP 2 of an Escalation is reached.
6.3 STEP 3 - Escalation Coordination
6.3.1 Basics for Class RED Escalations
A first conference call will be held latest the day after step 2 is done.
Related conference calls are organized on a daily basis.
Immediate actions as defined by ENXA have to be performed within 24 hours if not decided differently
by ENX Escalation Co-ordination.
6.3.2 Basics for Class ORANGE + YELLOW Escalations

The next weekly audio is used to work on this issue.

The problem resolution is part of the weekly jour fix.
6.3.3 Protocol
Regarding all Escalation Processes, the ENX Escalation Coordination transmits a protocol to the parties involved including

tasks to perform

tasks leaders

associated delays.
6.3.4 Management Escalation Level 2 and Audit
ENX Association will inform and contact the next Escalation Level if problem resolution in given
timeframe fails. Having reached ENX Escalation Level 2, CSP acknowledges, accepts and supports an
audit on the problem by a Third Party which is independent from any CSP.
6.4 STEP 4 – Documentation
Having solved the problem, ENX Escalation Co-ordination will publish a description of the problem in
the escalation area of the enxo.org website (Trouble-Ticket History).