May 6, 1999

Subject:	Item for discussion at the LNPA-WG meeting  (Service Provider Maintenance Windows)

Tom,

Recently, some issues concerning Maintenance Windows have arisen between our company and other companies that we deal with.  I believe that NPAC Maintenance Windows are being adequately discussed and handled through the Project Executive channels.  BellSouth is concerned that the Service Provider Maintenance Window processes have not been defined.
There is an item in the minutes of the April 7, 1999, Cross Regional Meeting entitled “Maintenance Window Update.”  NPAC Maintenance Windows and Service Provider Maintenance Windows are both discussed.  BellSouth would like to follow up on that discussion at the LNPA-Working Group Meeting.
The April 7 Cross Regional Meeting Minutes state: “Discussion followed as to various options for the Service Providers’ maintenance window.  These options should be discussed with the LNP Working Group.”  They also record the following:  “The agreements specified in Toronto remain intact.  If Service Providers are doing maintenance outside the standard maintenance window, give at least seven days advanced notification.”
We, in BellSouth, believe that guidelines are needed to document the necessary steps for a Service Provider to request time to perform maintenance on their SOA/LSMS systems.  We believe that such guidelines should address both “normal” and “extended” maintenance windows and clearly define them.  
We are particularly interested in clarifying the lead-times required for notification to other Service Providers.  BellSouth has been operating under the assumption that seven-day notification is correct based on the Cross Regional Meeting discussion.  We have been challenged by other Service Providers for not giving a thirty-day notification prior to performance of maintenance.
We request that this subject be discussed in the LNPA-Working Group per the recommendation of those attending the April Cross Regional Meeting.  We further request that any agreement be documented as a guideline for Service Providers to follow when scheduling SOA/LSMS maintenance time.
Ron