Diagnostics and network provisioning tool for bi-directional communication devices

• US 20030145075A1
• Filed: 01/07/2003
• Published: 07/31/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Thomson Licensing SA (Vantiva SA)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing SA (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Weaver, David John, Brown, Larry Cecil
• Application Number:
  US10/338,125
• Publication Number:
  US 20030145075A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/46 Monitoring; Testing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/10 of different types
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2404 Monitoring of server processing errors or hardware failure error or fault detection G06F11/07; monitoring in general G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25833 involving client hardware characteristics, e.g. manufacturer, processing or storage capabilities allocation of resources considering hardware capabilities in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/5044; allocation of resources considering software capabilities in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/5055
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42684 Client identification by a unique number or address, e.g. serial number, MAC address, socket ID network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4424 Monitoring of the internal components or processes of the client device, e.g. CPU or memory load, processing speed, timer, counter or percentage of the hard disk space used error monitoring in general G06F11/30; arrangements for monitoring conditions of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/32; diagnosis, testing or measuring for television receivers H04N17/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6402 Address allocation for clients address allocation in data networks H04L61/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 Transmission or handling of upstream communications

Abstract

Method and apparatus for performing remote bi-directional communication device diagnostics and network management. The method and apparatus includes retrieving IP addresses dynamically provided to each of a plurality of bi-directional communication devices respectively coupled to at least one termination system (TS). The retrieved IP addresses are associated with respective media access control (MAC) addresses, and an indicia of updated association of retrieved IP addresses and MAC addresses are stored in a local database. An IP address may be remotely accessed from the local database to perform diagnostics for a subscriber bi-directional communication device.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

retriving IP addresses provide to each of a plurality of bi-directional communication devices respectively coupled to at least one termination system (TS);

associating said retrieved IP addresses with respective media access control (MAC) addresses; and

storing indicia of updated association of retrieved IP addresses and MAC addresses in a local database.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

utilizing an IP address remotely accessed from said local database to perform diagnostics for a subscriber bi-directional communication device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said associating step further comprises:

initially storing said IP addresses and associated MAC addresses in a status table at said TS.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said associating step further comprises polling said status table at said TS.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said polling step further comprises:

polling said status table periodically.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said status table is periodically polled at about fifteen minute intervals.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein said polling step further comprises utilizing a simple network management protocol (SNMP) agent over an IP network.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein said remotely accessing step comprises enabling at least one customer service representative (CSR) to access said local database from remotely located web browsers installed on computer devices.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein:

said bi-directional communication device comprises a cable modem; and

said termination system comprises a cable modem termination system (CMTS).

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said polling step further comprises retrieving cable modem information of any data over cable service interface specification (DOCSIS) compliant cable modem.

11. The method of claim 4, wherein said polling step comprises:

enabling retrieval of information placed in Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) experimental branch management information base object identifiers (MIB OIDs); and

enabling retrieval of information placed in IETF permanent branch MIB OIDs.

12. A method for performing bi-directional communication device (BCD) remote diagnostics and network management,comprising:

retrieving, IP addresses dynamically provided to a plurality of subscriber BCDs respectively coupled to at least one termination system (TS) at a head end;

associating said IP addresses of said plurality of BCDs with respective media access control (MAC) addresses of said plurality of BCDs;

storing said IP addresses and associated MAC addresses in a status table at said TS;

polling said status table; and

storing said polled status table at a local database.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

remotely accessing said local database; and

utilizing a retrieved IP address to perform diagnostics for a subscriber BCD.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein said polling step further comprises:

polling said status table periodically.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein said status table is periodically polled at about fifteen minute intervals.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein said remotely accessing step comprises enabling at least one customer service representative (CSR) to access said local database from remotely located web browsers installed on computer devices.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein:

said BCD comprises a cable modem; and

said termination system is a cable modem termination system (CMTS).

18. The method of claim 12, wherein said polling step further comprises utilizing a simple network management protocol (SNMP) agent over an IP network.

19. Apparatus for performing remote bi-directional communication device diagnostics and network management, comprising:

means for retrieving IP addresses dynamically provided to each of a plurality of bi-directional communication devices respectively coupled to at least one termination system (TS);

means for associating said retrieved IP addresses with respective media access control (MAC) addresses; and

means for storing indicia of updated association of retrieved IP addresses and MAC addresses in a local database.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising:

means for utilizing an IP address remotely accessed from said local database to perform diagnostics for a subscriber bi-directional communication device.