Operations tools for managing cellular networks

Summary form only given, as follows. First-generation operation support tools for cellular networks were developed quickly by many different organizations to fill a void. While they fulfilled a need they were usually stand-alone tools, cumbersome, expensive to install and maintain, and had crude user interfaces. They required a skilled operator and produced results that were difficult to interpret. The search for second-generation tools that provide increased flexibility, easier data interpretation, reduced operations cost, and a simple, consistent, well-defined user interface is reported. These new tools must be modular enough to operate in a stand-alone mode and flexible enough to combine synergetically to meet the needs of an ever-increasing range of operations and system configurations. These tools share a common user interface and system description files.<>