Cable modem analysis system and method therefor for an HFC cable network

• US 20070047449A1
• Filed: 08/31/2005
• Published: 03/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Inc. (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Berger, William, Bowen, Todd
• Granted Patent: US 7,599,300 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/241
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0253 using browsers or web-pages for accessing management information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/06 Management of faults, events, alarms or notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play

Abstract

A modem checker diagnostic toolkit comprises a modem checker client and a modem analysis server. The modem checker client comprises a modem query interface to communicate with the modem analysis server to acquire information indicative of the operational status of a modem and to display the information graphically. A user requests data relating to a particular modem by entering the MAC address of the modem into a query field. The modem checker client interacts with the modem analysis server to acquire information relating to the subscriber associated with the modem MAC address, the services authorized for the modem, and data indicative of the status and performance of the modem. In addition, the modem analysis server interacts with the modem operating system to retrieve modem performance data from modem logs. The modem checker client further provides a link that directs the modem analysis server for remotely resetting the modem regardless of its current status.

Claims

1. A cable modem (CM) analysis server for a hybrid-fiber-coax (HFC) cable network comprising:

a query library comprising instructions for acquiring CM state data elements indicative of the state of an CM, wherein the CM is associated with a CM MAC address;

a query checker processor, wherein the query checker processor is adapted to;

generate an interactive graphical display that accepts a query from a modem checker client, wherein the query comprises the CM MAC address and identifies the queried CM state data elements to be obtained for the CM; and

execute query instructions from the query library responsive to the queried CM state data elements to obtain the queried CM state data elements; and

a display server, wherein the display server is adapted to;

receive CM state data elements;

create a CM analytical record; and

send the CM analytical record to a modem checker client for display.

2. The CM analysis server of claim 1, wherein the modem checker client comprises a Web browser and wherein the CM analytical record comprises a Web page.

3. The CM analysis server of claim 1, wherein CM state data elements are selected from the group consisting of subscriber data, CM operational data, network component data, and CM diagnostic data.

4. The CM analysis server of claim 3, wherein the subscriber data comprises a subscriber name, a subscriber address, an account number associated with the subscriber name, the MAC address of the CM, and the subscriber account status.

5. The CM analysis server of claim 3, wherein the CM operational data comprises a CM current status, a private network address assigned to the CM, a modem type, available IP addresses, active IP addresses, a public IP address, a type, a NIC MAC, a status in LDAP, a provisioned BIN FILE, and a hosting ISP.

6. The CM analysis server of claim 5, wherein the CM comprises a wireless router and wherein the CM operational data further comprises network address translation (NAT) client data, NAT status, Ethernet connection status, router firmware identifier, wireless system identifier, transmission channel, wired equivalency privacy status, and access limits.

7. The CM analysis server of claim 3, wherein the network component data comprises a network router identifier, a network port identifier, the firmware of the router, a port summary, a port percentage online, a port SNR

8. The CM analysis server of claim 3, wherein the CM diagnostic data comprises an uptime measure, a transmit signal level, a receive signal level, and a modem SNR.

9. The CM analysis server of claim 8, wherein the instructions for acquiring CM diagnostic data from the CM are delivered to the CM as SNMP messages.

10. The CM analysis server of claim 1 further comprising a result analyzer, wherein the result analyzer is adapted to:

receive CM state data elements;

determine whether a CM state data element is within a predetermined range;

assign a first graphical attribute to the CM state data element if the CM state data element is within a predetermined range;

assign a second graphical attribute to the CM state data element if the CM state data element is outside a predetermined range; and

provide the CM state data element and an assigned graphical attribute to the display server; and

wherein the display server is further adapted to use the CM state data element and the assigned graphical attribute to create the analytical record.

11. The CM analysis server of claim 10, wherein the first and second graphical attributes are display colors.

12. The CM analysis server of claim 1 further comprising a result analyzer, wherein the result analyzer is adapted to:

receive the CM state data elements;

determine whether a CM state data element is within a predetermined range;

select CM state elements determined to be outside a predetermined range;

determine if the selected CM state elements are indicative of a common fault;

and if the selected CM state elements are indicative of a common fault, identify the common fault in the analytical record.

13. The CM analysis server of claim 1 further comprising a client network interface adapted to communicate with the CM checker client via a client network.

14. The CM analysis server of claim 13, wherein the client network is selected from the group consisting of a wired network, a wireless network, a local area network, and the Internet.

15. The CM analysis server of claim 1 further comprising a cable network interface adapted to communicate with the CM via a cable network path.

16. The CM analysis server of claim 15, wherein the path in the cable network path is a DOCSIS-compliant channel.

17. A method for evaluating the operational status of a cable modem (CM) in a hybrid-fiber-coax (HFC) cable network comprising:

receiving a query from a modem checker client, wherein the query comprises a CM MAC address and identifies queried CM state data elements to be obtained for the CM;

accessing query instructions from a query library responsive to the queried CM state data elements identified in the query;

executing the query instructions to obtain the queried CM state data elements;

receiving the CM state data elements at a display server;

creating a CM analytical record; and

sending the CM analytical record to a modem checker client for display.

18. The method for evaluating the operational status of a CM of claim 17, wherein the modem checker client comprises a Web browser and wherein CM analytical record comprises a Web page.

19. The method for evaluating the operational status of a CM of claim 17, wherein CM state data elements are selected from the group consisting of subscriber data, CM operational data, network component data, and CM diagnostic data.

20. The method for evaluating the operational status of a CM of claim 19, wherein the subscriber data comprises a subscriber name, a subscriber address, an account number associated with the subscriber name, a MAC address of the CM, and a subscriber account status.

21. The method for evaluating the operational status of a CM of claim 19, wherein the CM operational data comprises a CM current status, a private network address assigned to the CM, a modem type, available IP addresses, active IP addresses, a public IP address, a type, a NIC MAC, a status in LDAP, a provisioned BIN file, and a hosting ISP.

22. The method for evaluating the operational status of a CM of claim 21, wherein the CM comprises a wireless router and wherein the CM operational data further comprises network address translation (NAT) client data, NAT status, Ethernet connection status, router firmware identifier, wireless system identifier, transmission channel, wired equivalency privacy status, and access limits.

23. The method for evaluating the operational status of a CM of claim 19, wherein the network component data comprises a network router identifier, a network port identifier, the firmware of the router, a port summary, a port percentage online, a port SNR.

wherein the CM diagnostic data comprises an uptime measure, a transmit signal level, a receive signal level, a modem SNR.

24. The method for evaluating the operational status of a CM of claim 19, wherein the CM diagnostic data comprises an uptime measure, a transmit signal level, a receive signal level, and a modem SNR.

25. The method for evaluating the operational status of a CM of claim 23, wherein the instructions for acquiring CM diagnostic data from the CM are delivered to the CM as SNMP messages.

26. The method for evaluating the operational status of a CM of claim 17 further comprising:

providing the queried CM state data elements to a result analyzer;

determining whether a CM state data element is within a predetermined range;

assigning a first graphical attribute to the CM state data element if the CM state data element is within a predetermined range;

assigning a second graphical attribute to the CM state data element if the CM state data element is outside a predetermined range; and

providing the CM state data element and an assigned graphical attribute to the display server; and

creating the analytical record using the CM state data element and the assigned graphical attribute.

27. The method for evaluating the operational status of a CM of claim 26, wherein the first and second graphical attributes are display colors.

28. The method for evaluating the operational status of a CM of claim 17 further comprising:

providing the queried CM state data elements to a result analyzer;

determining whether a CM state data element is within a predetermined range;

selecting CM state elements determined to be outside a predetermined range;

determining if the selected CM state elements are indicative of a common fault; and

identifying the common fault in the CM analytical record if the selected CM state elements are indicative of a common fault.

29. The method for evaluating the operational status of a CM of claim 17, wherein executing the query instructions to obtain the queried CM state data elements comprises communicating with the CM via a cable network path.

30. The method for evaluating the operational status of a CM of claim 29, wherein the cable network path is a DOCSIS-compliant channel.

31. The method for evaluating the operational status of a CM of claim 17, wherein receiving a query from a modem checker client comprises receiving the query from the CM checker client via a client network.

32. The method for evaluating the operational status of a CM of claim 31, wherein the client network is selected from the group consisting of a wired network, a wireless network, a local area network, and the Internet.