Integrated diagnostic and debugging of regional content distribution systems

• US 9,571,826 B1
• Filed: 11/05/2014
• Issued: 02/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CSC Holdings LLC (Altice USA, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CSC Holdings LLC (Altice USA, Inc.)
• Inventors: Azralon, Alan, Almeida, Heitor, Silver, Ken
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn, Nathan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Somera, Caroline
• Application Number:
  US14/533,382
• Time in Patent Office: 832 Days
• Field of Search: 725/107
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/004 for digital television systems
• 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 21/442 Monitoring of processes or resources, e.g. detecting the failure of a recording device, monitoring the downstream bandwidth, the number of times a movie has been viewed, the storage space available from the internal hard disk arrangements for monitoring broadcast services or broadcast-related services H04H60/29; arrangements for identifying or recognising characteristics with a direct linkage to broadcast information H04H60/35; monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; monitoring in wireless networks H04W24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6118 involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6338 directed to network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6473 Monitoring network processes errors for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity H04L69/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38

Abstract

System, method, and computer program product embodiments are disclosed for integrated diagnosis and debugging of content distribution systems. A system includes a networking module that receives, from a central server system, instructions for running network diagnostics on a cable headend. A diagnostics environment module is configured to perform diagnostic operations based on the received instructions. The networking module transmits results of the diagnostic operations to the central server system.

Claims

1. A cable headend, comprising:

a memory;

a processor coupled to the memory; and

a kiosker module configured to operate using the processor and the memory of the cable headend, and comprising;

a networking module configured to receive, from a central server, a monitoring script to monitor operations of the cable headend,

a diagnostics environment module configured to monitor the operations of the cable headend, and

a development environment module configured to install a software code relating to an update of a previously installed software code or to new software code that has not been previously installed,

wherein the networking module is further configured to;

transmit results of the monitoring to the central server, and

receive, from the central server, a diagnostics script upon the central server detecting an outage based upon the results of the monitoring, the diagnostics script being configured to resolve the outage,

wherein the diagnostics environment module is further configured to perform diagnostic operations on the cable headend in accordance with the diagnostics script to resolve the outage,

wherein the networking module is further configured to;

transmit results of the diagnostic operations to the central server, and

receive, from the central server, the software code, and

wherein the development environment module is further configured to

transmit information related to the installed software code to the central server.

2. The cable headend of claim 1, wherein the diagnostic operations comprise tuning a channel, and

wherein the networking module is configured to transmit reporting logs of the tuning as the results of the monitoring to the central server.

3. The cable headend of claim 1, wherein the diagnostic operations comprise:

actions to acquire video or informational content at a specified time interval.

4. The cable headend of claim 1, wherein the networking module is further configured to receive, from the central server, instructions for performing debugging operations on the software code.

13. The cable headend of claim 2, wherein the diagnostic operations comprise tuning the channel at predefined time intervals.

14. The cable headend of claim 1, wherein the diagnostics script comprises:

instructions specific to a type of the outage as determined by the central server.

15. The cable headend of claim 1, wherein the kiosker module is further configured to integrate into the cable headend without manual configuration.

16. The cable headend of claim 15, wherein the kiosker module is further configured to initiate communication with the central server, wherein the communication results in receipt of the diagnostic operations.

18. The cable headend of claim 4, wherein the diagnostics environment module is further configured to perform the debugging operations on the software code in accordance with the instructions for performing debugging operations on the software code.

5. A computer implemented method for network monitoring, the method comprising:

receiving, at a cable headend and from a central server, a monitoring script to monitor operations of the cable headend and a software code relating to an update of a previously installed software code or to new software code that has not been previously installed;

installing the software code;

transmitting, at the cable headend, information related to the installed software code to the central server;

monitoring, at the cable headend, the operations of the cable headend in accordance with the monitoring script;

transmitting, at the cable headend, results of the monitoring to the central server;

receiving, at the cable headend, a diagnostics script from the central server upon the central server detecting an outage based upon the results of the monitoring, the diagnostics script being configured to resolve the outage;

performing diagnostic operations on the cable headend in accordance with the diagnostics script to resolve the outage; and

transmitting results of the diagnostic operations to the central server.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the performing comprises:

tuning a channel, and

wherein the transmitting the results comprises;

reporting logs of the tuning to the central server.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the diagnostic operations comprise:

actions to acquire video or informational content at a specified time interval.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving, from the central server, instructions for performing debugging operations on the software code.

17. The method of claim 5, wherein the central server determines a type of the outage, and

wherein the receiving the diagnostics script comprises:

receiving the diagnostics script, the diagnostics script being specific to resolve the type of the outage.

19. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

performing the debugging operations on the software code in accordance with the instructions for performing debugging operations on the software code.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by at least one computing device, causes the at least one computing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving, at a cable headend and from a central server, a monitoring script to monitor operations of the cable headend and a software code relating to an update of a previously installed software code or to new software code that has not been previously installed;

installing the software code;

transmitting, at the cable headend, information related to the installed software code to the central server;

monitoring, at the cable headend, the operations of the cable headend in accordance with the monitoring script;

transmitting, at the cable headend, results of the monitoring to the central server;

receiving, at the cable headend, a diagnostics script from the central server upon the central server detecting an outage based upon the results of the monitoring, the diagnostics script being configured to resolve the outage;

performing diagnostic operations on the cable headend in accordance with the diagnostics script to resolve the outage; and

transmitting results of the diagnostic operations to the central server.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the performing comprises:

tuning a channel, and

wherein the transmitting the results comprises;

reporting logs of the tuning to the central server.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the diagnostic operations comprise:

actions to acquire video or informational content at a specified time interval.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, the operations further comprising:

receiving, from the central server, instructions for performing debugging operations on the software code.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, further comprising:

performing the debugging operations on the software code in accordance with the instructions for performing debugging operations on the software code.