AI-Based NetCloud Assistant (ANA) is a large language model (LLM)-based microservice in Ericsson NetCloud that assists users in locating the correct technical documentation for their situation, helps monitor Secure Connect networks using AI insights, and further simplifies 5G network administration. Unlike traditional chatbots, which leverage search to provide links to existing resources, ANA uses a conversational user interface (UI) to read, understand, and infer to generate new text and graphical content. NetCloud users can interact with ANA using natural language expression to guide them to the most accurate technical documentation for the task at hand and monitor Secure Connect network performance based on information gathered from multiple sources. ANA derives intelligence based on data gathered from NetCloud as well as the Ericsson technical documentation library to generate contextual responses to queries.
ANA is the first generative AI virtual expert designed for enterprise Wireless WAN (WWAN) networks, utilizing LLMs, with all its AI components hosted entirely within Ericsson's environment. This design ensures user and data privacy by avoiding API calls to third-party consumer generative AI applications. AI-driven insights uncover hidden patterns and anomalies, and displays results in interactive visualizations, such as charts and graphs.
ANA reports available data from within the past 30 days. Queries can optionally include a time range. The default time range for a query is seven days. The lowest supported time range is an hour. The time zone default is UTC and is the only currently supported time zone.
Key functionalities of ANA:
Knowledge Summarization – Correlates information from Ericsson’s library of technical documentation into concise summaries personalized to the customer’s network.
Configuration Assistance – Accelerates Day 1 deployments with step-by-step guidance for WAN edge device configuration based on technical documentation.
Enhanced Troubleshooting – Based on technical documentation, automates common diagnostic tasks to find the root cause of issues with recommendations for troubleshooting and resolving connectivity issues, reducing mean time to repair.
Custom Graph Generation – Creates detailed graphs for reporting more complex information not typically available in standard NetCloud dashboards or pre-canned reports.
ANA complements Ericsson’s NetCloud Network Faults dashboard. Through an intelligent fault management system, it detects performance-driven anomalies, such as latency, specific to each customer's unique environment. By providing real-time insights into network performance, AIOps empowers IT teams to proactively address issues, leveraging ANA as needed, to ensure optimal network operations and enhance the overall digital experience. See Viewing the Network Status Dashboard to view the AI Insights, including the network faults.