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In January 2022, MEF released the latest LSO API framework, Celine. This release provides significant additional value over previous releases, including increased backward compatibility with former LSO APIs. MEF has invested considerable effort into delivering a broad list of supporting materials and services to the industry to make LSO API implementation faster and easier. Let’s take an in-depth look at the Celine release.
The LSO API Release
Celine emphasizes both maturity and stability of the LSO APIs:
- Five out of seven LSO Cantata and LSO Sonata APIs (Geographic Address Management, Geographic Site Management, Product Offering Qualification Management, Quote Management, and Product Inventory Management) are now in the letter ballot phase—the last step before formalization as a MEF-published standard. These are backward compatible.
- The remaining two LSO APIs in the release—Product Ordering Management and Trouble Ticket Management—include updates and new use cases derived from the latest versions of the respective underlying MEF business requirements and use case standards (MEF 57.2 Draft Release 3 Product Order Management Requirements and Use Cases and MEF 113 Draft Release 2 Trouble Ticketing Requirements and Use Cases).
A new LSO API, a product specification, and security profile documentation have also been introduced in Celine:
- MEF W99 LSO Legato Service Order Management API – Developer Guide
- A new product specification for Basic Internet Access (initial version)
- LSO API security is addressed by the introduction of the MEF W128 LSO API Security Profile (Draft Standard), which defines the MEF LSO Security Architecture.
Supporting Artifacts
Apart from the core LSO API release deliverables described above, several additional resources have been introduced, including:
LSO Marketplace: a new MEF microsite optimized for accessibility to all LSO API-related information and resources for both technical and business audiences.
LSO API Onboarding & Interop Test (OIT) service: offers service providers and solution providers the ability to test their LSO Cantata and LSO Sonata implementations and perform interoperability testing at any time, based on cloud-based emulators.
LSO Payload Handbook: governance and technical tutorial on how to build your own MEF LSO-compatible product or service specification for use with LSO APIs.
Example Dynamic Binding Implementation: an example POQ API implementation demonstrating how to perform dynamic product specification support.
What’s next? LSO API Release, Dolly
The next LSO API framework release, Dolly, is planned for May 2022. It is expected to include:
- Business requirements and use cases, API, and the API developer guides in the letter ballot phase for Product Ordering Management and Trouble Ticket Management APIs.
- A new LSO API for Appointment Management.
- Further developments for Basic Internet Access and the addition of Advanced Internet Access product specifications.
- Further work on LSO API security adaption.
In the future, the LSO Marketplace is also expected to offer a self-blending service that will enable easy, on-demand blending of product and service specifications with LSO API envelopes.
Alignment with TM Forum
Celine initially included the next step towards TM Forum Open API compliance. The new version 5 of TM Forum APIs will extract the “Generic Context” from their model, a core subset of classes and attributes that must be followed and extended by the implementing party to claim compliance. TM Forum’s v5 release has not yet been published, so MEF will take this step in the future to progress with this work. Fortunately this step will not affect any business features available in MEF LSO APIs; the changes will only affect the technical shape of the API specification, including types and/or attributes renaming, or the introduction of new TMF-modeling patterns.
Learn More by Visiting the LSO Marketplace
Explore the Celine release and other resources, tools, and programs designed to guide you through the LSO adoption and implementation process at the LSO Marketplace.
Michal Laczynski
Solution Architect | Amartus