Hi @Joshua Chen FX ,
Great question!
Understanding the dynamics between Customer Facing Services (CFS) and Resource Facing Services (RFS) in the context of TMF concepts is pivotal for grasping the balance between service abstraction and technical implementation.
CFS and RFS Relationship:
At its core, a CFS represents an abstraction at the service layer, agnostic of the underlying technology or vendor. Conversely, an RFS is specialized and technology-specific, offering a technical view of the service.
For instance, a 'Broadband Connection' CFS might be mapped to 'Fibre Access' or 'Wireless Access' RFS, reflecting the diverse technological implementations supporting the customer-facing broadband service.
Cases Where RFS May Not Be Needed:
There are scenarios where an RFS may not be necessary:
1. High-Level Business Service:
- In cases where the CFS represents a high-level business service without a direct need for technical implementation, an RFS may not be defined. For example, an insurance company offering a "Homeowners Insurance" CFS might handle risk assessment, policy management, and claims processing without a dedicated RFS model.
2. Services from External Parties:
- Services sourced from external parties may not have internal RFS models. Consider a travel agency providing a "Flight Booking" CFS, where the actual flight availability and booking process rely on external airline systems and resources.
3. Aggregated Services:
- Services combining multiple underlying services or resources might not have direct RFS representations but are virtual constructs aggregating various RFSs. Think of a telecom provider offering a "Home Entertainment Bundle" CFS, combining internet, TV, and streaming services.
RFS-Resource Construct:
Moving to the RFS-Resource construct, a Resource represents a physical or logical entity required to deliver the Resource Facing Service. For instance, a 'Fibre Access' RFS necessitates an 'ONT' (Optical Network Terminal) as a Resource.
Cases Where RFS Does Not Require a Resource:
There are instances when an RFS may not require a Resource:
1. Logical Grouping of Capabilities:
- An RFS might represent a logical grouping of capabilities without needing a direct mapping to Resources. For example, a "Security Monitoring" RFS could aggregate data from various security tools without owning the underlying infrastructure.
2. RFS Leveraging External Resources:
- An RFS might rely on Resources managed by external parties. Consider a "Data Analytics" RFS using cloud-based storage and compute resources without having direct control over them.
If you have more questions or wish to explore specific scenarios further, feel free to ask!
Regards
Shashank
