scope:

Field of application

The man-machine language (CCITT MML) can be used to facilitate operation and maintenance functions of Stored Program Control SPC systems of different types. Depending upon national requirements, CCITT MML can also be used to facilitate installation and acceptance testing of such systems.

In many cases, SPC systems will be supported by auxiliary systems, e.g., in operation and maintenance centres and/or centres for other purposes such as sales, subscribers' complaints, etc., to carry out functions in cooperation with the SPC system. Different types of communication may be required for this cooperation. To clarify where the CCITT MML is intended to be used, a configuration is shown in Figure 1/Z.301 which illustrates the case of three separate systems. Local and remote man-machine terminals may be used. The configuration of systems in a network may vary, but this does not alter the principles governing the field of application of the MML.

The CCITT MML is intended to handle the functions required at the interface marked 1 while other methods may be required for the interface marked 2. Interface 2 is not considered. Since interface 1 is the interface of interest, it should be stressed that no assumptions are made concerning the physical location of any supporting software or whether, indeed, that software is entirely resident in any one place rather than distributed.

Although telephone signalling and switching has been considered the primary application area for the MML, these Recommendations accommodate the extension of the MML into other areas such as data switching, ISDN operations and maintenance, and software development environments.

In the Recommendations of this Part, the term man is used in the sense of user, and the terms machine and system are used interchangeably.