Irene Katzela, PhD - Consulting Principal

Skill Set

Irene has over 10 years experience in the research and development of large scale, high-speed telecommunication networks with emphasis in network management and control; emerging technologies and applications. She has a broad set of skills including:

	Network management and control for networks able to provide quality of service guarantees
	Enterprise Management architecture, process development and implementation
	Communication protocols for multimedia application support over low speed and broadband networks
	Cooperative control over interconnected networks
	Fault management (alarm correlation, fault identification, testing, and recovery)
	Wireless communications, focusing on mobility management; management and control aspects of wired/wireless LANs; and wireless network architectures

In addition, Irene has experience with a variety of networking technologies and protocols including:

	Network Management protocols, SS7, SNMP, SNMPv2, RMON1 and 2
	High-speed WAN networking such as ATM and SONET
	Remote access systems such as ISDN and FRAME RELAY
	Multimedia data protocols such as RTP, RSVP, MBONE, IP- multicast protocols (MOSPF, CBT, DVRMP)
	Routing Protocols such as TCP/IP, OSPF, and RIP.

Irene is a certified Vital Suite (Performance Management Tool) Professional engineer; Subject matter expert on Network Management (Fault Management, and OSS/BSS systems); ATM technologies, core switching, NavisCore and NavisXtent (Network Management for ATM Networks) systems. She has completed classes on the Metasolv TBS OSS software. She has also experience with most of the major Network Management tools such as HP Openview products; Remedy Action Request System; IBM’s Tivoli and Netview. Moreover, Irene has excellent problem assessment, problem solving and communications skills.

Selected Projects and Activities

In the scope of this project Irene worked with the client to isolate specific agents responsible for system performance degradation as well as provide suggestions for the overall system performance improvement. She also worked with the client’s staff to increase awareness and knowledge of performance assessment techniques and methods.

The project resulted in a more predictable and stable environment as well as increased end-user satisfaction and reduction in the client’s IT staff frustration.

Professional Development Center, University of Toronto

From 1996-2000 Irene was a full-time faculty member at the ECE department at the University of Toronto. She still holds an adjunct professor position. In addition, she is a frequent lecturer at the Professional Development Center seminar programs. Subjects that Irene teaches includes: Fundamentals of Computer Communications; Broadband Networks; Multimedia; and Network Management.

Application Migration Assessment for a Telecommunications Carrier.

In the scope of this project, Irene performed an Application Migration Assessment to provide the client’s environment with a robust and scalable high-level architecture for the client’s planned consolidated production environment. As part of the effort she provided to the client a high level architecture and workflow analysis of the systems applications environment, in order to generate related documentations for a preventive performance optimization. Other deliverables included: server analysis and assessment; Detailed overall assessment of the client’s server population dedicated to the migration; Complete IT inventory (hardware, O/S, application dependencies); Performance analysis and capacity study of existing serve and application environment; Server migration readiness review, focusing on the current operational infrastructure dedicated to migration.

Performance Management Engagement for a Wireless Network Provider

Provided System Performance Assessment for a billing system responsible for pre-paid mobile services. The deliverables included: Overall system performance assessment; Improvement of the platform’s performance, with the end goal of improving application response time.

NavisCore Familiarization for a Telecommunications Carrier

In the scope of this project Irene developed and delivered presentations on ATM technology fundamentals; familiarization with NavisCore; provisioning using NavisCore; troubleshooting using NavisCore to to a group of the client’s IT personnel. The client is a telecommunications carrier. The familiarization process included presentations and hands-on step-by-step instructions.

Provisioning System Requirements for a Web-Hosting Provider

In the scope of this project Irene provided requirements collection, and analysis of a provisioning system for a Web-hosting provider. The project included: Interviews with key individuals in the client’s organization; requirements collection; requirements analysis; gap analysis; results presentation.

Test NOC Implementation for a CLEC

In the scope of this project Irene provided planning, design and implementation support for the creation of a test NOC for a CLEC client. The project included: the design of a test-bed ATM network based on CBX500 to test connectivity over optical fiber and wireless links; implementation of the NavisCore NMS system; development of test scenarios to verify the operation of the test network.

Vital Suite Engagement for a Financial Institution

In the scope of this project Irene provided analysis, planning and implementation services for a large investment company. The project included: Identification and Profiling of applications; Vital Suite (performance management) servers sizing, upgrade and implementation; Vital agent deployment strategy (1500 agents); network and application performance management process; and system architecture. The main goal of the project was to: help the client integrate the Vital Suite products performance management tools into the day-to-day performance management process; Create monitors for applications using the BTMS/TTK software, optimize the day to day information quality provided by the tools; Educate the IT personnel and the Help Desk personnel to achieve optimal use of the information provided by the Vital Suite consoles.

Network Management Requirements for a co-located XDSL provider

In the scope of this project, Irene identified the network management requirements for a start-up XDSL that uses co-location for provision of its services.

Formal Education