The prime purpose of the Planning area is to act as a dimensioning tool. The object has a special text functionality that automatically counts the number of customer nodes within its polygon and summarizes the number of end points for the nodes in the polygon. The number of end points for the nodes can be specified in the attribute form for example a prospect node. If the number of end points is not specified, the text functionality will use 1, that is, one end point.

To update the text in the map if a change has been made for one of the distribution nodes, the text itself for example, needs to be slightly moved in order for the change to take effect.  

 

The Planning area can be used in a number of ways:

•For a multiduct design, the planning area can be used to determine a suitable group of customer nodes to be served by for example a multiduct24.

•For an active Ethernet design the planning area can be used to determine a suitable group of customer nodes to be served by the local switch.

 

The polygon of a planning area can be placed so that it covers several existing planning area polygons, thus forming a hierarchy of areas.

The ID and the free text attributes of the object can be placed as text symbols in the map which is a convenient way to add information regarding the network design.

The tools in dpCom that semi-automatically creates a network will ask for a polygon to be placed as a means to select the scope in terms of customer nodes. For this, an existing planning area can be used.