Testing a Content-Delivery System

• US 20100313230A1
• Filed: 06/08/2009
• Published: 12/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Van Doorn, Jan, Pryszlak, Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 9,143,424 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/107
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/509 wherein the managed service relates to media content delivery, e.g. audio, video or TV
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/045 for graphical visualisation of monitoring data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06

Abstract

A content delivery networked is monitored to verify operation of control channels for the delivery of content to a customer. Monitoring includes joining a connection with at least one control channel in the network, decoding content of a signal in the control channel, determining whether the decoded content complies with a pre-determined rule corresponding to content transmitted in the control channel, and producing a report indicating whether the decoded content is compliant with the rule. In addition, a graphical user interface (GUI) displays the status and results of testing the control channel. The GUI is configured to perform generating a display representing testing status of a plurality of DSG tunnels in a first frame and test results of the DSG tunnels in a second frame and providing details of a DSG tunnel test when selected by a user.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring a control channel in a content-delivery network, said method comprising:

joining, by a processor, a connection with at least one control channel in said network through an input/output circuitry;

decoding, by the processor, content of a signal in the at least one control channel;

determining, by the processor, whether the decoded content complies with a pre-determined rule corresponding to content transmitted in the at least one control channel; and

producing, by the processor, a report on a computer display indicating whether said decoded content is compliant with said rule.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying at least one network element associated with said decoded content; and

conducting at least one test transaction with said network element to verify its integrity.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said content comprises at least one of program guide information, entitlement information, enhanced television signaling, switched digital information, and emergency alert system information.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one control channel comprises a DSG tunnel.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said DSG tunnel is at least one of OCAP XAIT Tunnel, DCII CA Tunnel, TVNav 6.01 Application Tunnel, ETV stream, SDV Mini carousel, Legacy Cisco (SA) XAIT Tunnel, SCTE-65 Broadcast Tunnel, Cisco (SA) CA Tunnel, SCTE-18 Broadcast Tunnel, DTA Network Tunnel, and DTA Data Carousel.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein said network element is at least one of VOD asset data server, VOD session resource manager, VOD Streaming frequencies, click-stream logging/usage servers, application server, EPG information servers, video provisioning server, code download server, and Switched Digital Video (SDV) session resource manager.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the joining comprises joining an IP multicast data stream that carries the at least one control channel.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein said rule specifies compliance of at least one of network element location, message frequency, bandwidth utilization, and message structure.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one test transaction includes at least one of determining whether said network element has a proper configuration files, periodically pulling full guide data sets for every ChannelMap from CDN, periodically checking availability of VOD Main Menu, periodically checking availability of application servers, checking syntax and trapping on an error, and periodically checking availability of TE Servers.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein said reports comprise at least one of a webpage, SNMP traps, or e-mail.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein said connection is made subsequent to said signal being converted to an RF signal by a cable modem termination system (CMTS).

12. The method of claim 2, wherein said report is in the form of a human-readable interactive web page.

27. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

when all of the control channels for a video channel have been tested, repeating the joining, the decoding, the determining, and the producing for another video controller.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one control channel includes a control channels associated for each of a plurality of video controllers; and

the joining, the decoding, the determining, and the producing are performed in parallel for each said video controller.

29. The method of claim 2, wherein said control channel comprises an in-band data channel.

13. A tester comprising:

a processor;

input/output (I/O) circuitry operatively connected to said processor and configured for transmitting and receiving signals over a network;

memory operatively connected to said processor and configured with a program for instructing said processor to execute the following functions;

joining a connection with at least one control channel in said network;

decoding content of a signal in the at least one control channel;

determining whether the decoded content complies with a pre-determined rule corresponding to content transmitted in the at least one control channel; and

generating a report indicating whether said decoded content is compliant with said rule.

14. The tester of claim 13, wherein said program further instructs said processor to execute the following functions:

identifying at least one network element associated with said decoded content; and

conducting at least one test transaction with said network element to verify its integrity.

15. The tester of claim 14, wherein said I/O circuitry and said processor are configured to connect with a DSG tunnel.

16. The tester of claim 14, wherein establishing a connection comprises connecting to at least one multicast address on the at least one control channel.

17. The tester of claim 14, wherein said rule specifies compliance of at least one of network element location, message frequency, bandwidth utilization, and message structure.

18. The tester of claim 14, wherein the at least one test transaction includes at least one of determining whether said network element has a proper configuration file, periodically pulling full guide data sets for every ChannelMap from CDN, periodically checking availability of VOD Main Menu, periodically checking availability of application servers, checking syntax and trapping on an error, and periodically checking availability of TE Servers.

19. The tester of claim 14, wherein said reports comprise at least one of a webpage, SNMP traps, or e-mail.

20. The tester of claim 14, further including a cable modem adapted to establish a connection with said signal after it is converted to an RF signal by a cable modem termination system (CMTS).

21. The tester of claim 14, wherein said report is in the form of a human-readable interactive web page.

22. The tester of claim 14, further comprising a portable housing containing said processor, said memory, and said I/O circuitry.

23. The tester of claim 22, wherein said tester is a laptop computer.

24. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions that when executed perform:

generating a display with a graphical user interface (GUI), the display representing testing status of a plurality of DSG tunnels in a first frame and test results of said DSG tunnels in a second frame, wherein said DSG channels are supported within a content-delivery network; and

providing details of a test of a DSG tunnel when a user selects a test result of said DSG tunnel.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 24, wherein said details of said test of said DSG tunnel replace said test results in said second frame.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 24, wherein said testing status is a graphical representation of a degree to which the test is complete.