Managing Cable TV Migration to IP – Part 1

Advanced Digital Cable Leadership Series

Series Introduction: Market Drivers
IP Migration and Tech
Strategies Challenges
for Cable Video
Part 5: IP Cable TV Service Assurance
Contents

Introduction .............................................................................................................................................................................. 3

The Importance of Building a Better Monitoring System ........................................................................................ 7

Monitoring the New Technologies .................................................................................................................................. 9

Adaptive streaming ....................................................................................................................................................... 9

Multicasting .................................................................................................................................................................... 10

Speed of content acquisition ................................................................................................................................... 11

Whole-home DVR, network DVR and place-shifting applications ............................................................. 11

Interactive television (ITV), navigation systems, companion device apps and advertising ........... 11

CDN operations ............................................................................................................................................................. 12

New devices and new services ................................................................................................................................ 12

Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................................................... 14

References ................................................................................................................................................................................ 16

List of Acronyms ..................................................................................................................................................................... 17

2 © ARRIS 2011. All rights reserved. June 29, 2012

Introduction
As the pace of cable’s migration to IP accelerates, operators face a laundry list of
challenges when it comes to providing customers an optimal experience. Simply
put, the legacy networks built for traditional cable delivery must quickly be
leveraged, adapted, or replaced to meet seemingly ever-changing needs. Whether
it’s a sports fan watching highlights on an iPad, a teen video chatting by
smartphone, or a family “time shifting” on a home gateway, the writing is clearly on
the wall. The rapid proliferation of IP delivery on a multitude of devices—especially
IP Video—has left operators scrambling for new and effective ways to deliver the
kind of seamless user experience customers demand.

For subscribers, this “brave new world” offers myriad opportunities to view content
in new and exciting ways. But for MSOs, it presents the never-ending challenge of
surviving in a continually changing, crushingly competitive landscape. To compete
successfully, operators have two choices:

1. Quickly determine how to best assure a high quality experience whenever,

wherever and on whichever device subscribers want.

2. Do nothing and risk the chance that valued subscribers go elsewhere for the
kind of experience they desire.

For most operators, the choice is simple. They must figure out how to provide the
best subscriber experience available, or lose their ability to compete effectively,
watching as their customer base withers away.

3 © ARRIS 2011. All rights reserved. June 29, 2012

When it comes to providing the optimal subscriber experience, perhaps no aspect
of IP delivery is more important than service assurance. Without the proper
monitoring tools and systems in place, there is simply no way operators can
guarantee the best user experience possible. Or even that the proper services are
reaching the right subscribers with the kind of high-quality offering that will keep
them satisfied and loyal for years to come.

The move to IP service assurance makes sense not only from a business
perspective, but also from a marketing perspective. On the business side, carriers
can’t simply afford to continue creating networks that aren’t built adequately, with
the hope of going back and fixing the problem later. While there is some perceived
value in being the first to market, any advantage this may confer is quickly
eradicated if customers experience poor service quality because a carrier can’t
deliver the services it promised over a network that doesn’t work. Additionally, as
margins continue to narrow, carriers must consider getting their networks built
correctly the first time, with the thought of minimizing truck rolls and other
expensive customer interactions.

Monitoring the network to assure an optimal subscriber experience sounds simple

enough. After all, operators have diligently built and maintained networks that
analyze, aggregate and act on service issues for traditional TV, telephone and data
services for generations. While existing services and previous experience are of
great value, the over-riding problem remains that effectively monitoring and
assuring the user’s video experience across so many different platforms, and an
ever-changing lineup of devices, is by no means a singular problem.

Today, operators must determine how to address services with various origination
and termination points, such as:

1. Managed and unmanaged services originating and terminating within the

operator network.

2. Managed and unmanaged services originating inside the operator network

and terminating outside of the operator network.

3. Managed and unmanaged services originating outside of the operator

network and terminating within the operator network.

4 © ARRIS 2011. All rights reserved. June 29, 2012

Figure 1: Video Services classified to be monitored by source and destination and management

In addition, operators must develop strategies that not only address today’s newer
technologies such as CDNs, home gateways, and multicast delivery; they must also
deploy solutions with the flexibility to adapt as more new technologies arrive and
must be deployed to existing networks.

Expanded functionality within the home is becoming ever more important as

operators work to build their businesses through new service offerings such as
whole-home DVR, home media management and home monitoring. These new
services must also be accounted for in the new IP video service assurance domain.
These points of responsibility for maintaining consumer experience must be
incorporated into the operator’s customer service response and trouble-shooting
procedures.

5 © ARRIS 2011. All rights reserved. June 29, 2012

Figure 2: End-to-End Video Services to Multiple Devices in Multiple Locations

In order for operators to develop a robust network, it is imperative to devise service

management strategies that coordinate the use of existing tools, including the
ubiquitously employed Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) and Internet
Protocol Data Record (IPDR), with new types of management tools that are
available for maintaining strong quality control over multiple devices beyond the
media gateway. These new tools include the Broadband Forum’s CPE Wide Area
Network Management Protocol (CWMP), also known as TR-069, and its various
extensions for managing devices connected on the home network, and the Open
Mobile Alliance Device Management Protocol for mobile devices.

While these management protocols are new to many operators, they are widely
deployed in devices worldwide and can be readily tapped as a client-side
foundation for IP-based cable TV service monitoring. They can provide another set
of telemetry feeds into the service assurance management database of a
sophisticated cable operation. Thus, operators can put them to use without having
to start from scratch to create a solid service assurance infrastructure for the rapidly
proliferating IP video era.

6 © ARRIS 2011. All rights reserved. June 29, 2012

Fortunately for most operators, because of the robust network operations
management capabilities of the DOCSIS OSSI (Operations Support System
Interface), the service assurance requirements for IP cable TV are already accounted
for at the PHY and MAC layers of the HFC access network.

But now, even for operators with a successful OSSI firmly in place, there’s another
external network component that must be accounted for, namely, the emerging
content delivery network architecture. Because this will directly impact the quality
of experience, operators’ service assurance systems must be augmented to account
for video delivery, video caching and other functions performed exclusively by
CDNs.

The good news is that, if past performance is any indication, the cable industry has
the technology, tools and talent to succeed in this all-important IP video transition.
In fact, the industry has already made the transition to IP technologies for the
delivery, monitoring and management of data and voice services. This historical
transition has provided operators with both a technical and operational foundation
upon which to build as they offer new services—including video—over their IP
infrastructure.

The following discussion reviews both existing and new tools that can be
employed for IP cable TV service assurance, raises some issues to be addressed and
offers suggestions as to how operators can leverage their existing service assurance
infrastructure to minimize the costs and hassles of addressing the new
requirements. A well-planned service assurance architecture will provide operators
the confidence they need to take on the responsibilities of delivering a managed
multi-device service to users wherever they are, whenever they want it.

The Importance of Building a Better Monitoring System

With all of the variables involved with cable’s IP migration and the proliferation of
video anywhere, the question then becomes:

“What steps must an operator take to extend rigorous service assurance—and in

turn a superior subscriber experience—to every device accessing managed IP video
services? And, considering the staged goals of launch readiness, in-service
performance and revenue realization, how might an operator determine the
optimal means of prioritizing the development of those assurance platforms?”

7 © ARRIS 2011. All rights reserved. June 29, 2012

 Figure 3: Process Capability Analysis Studies are critical during the service launch phase

While it was more than adequate for early service assurance to focus on providing
data and statistics, and later assurance technology to focus on results and
conclusions, these capabilities must continue to be expanded. In order for service
assurance to deliver the optimum results, it will have to become more sophisticated
and capable of automatic actions saving the operator money, time and manpower
during this complex transition.

Figure 4: Process Control

Systems are critical during
steady state operation

8 © ARRIS 2011. All rights reserved. June 29, 2012

As it stands, operators are facing an explosion of consumer demand for IP video on
a multitude of devices. However, current monitoring and provisioning systems only
address operator-owned network elements. In this environment, the Quality of
Experience (QoE) is hard to control due to several factors including:

1. A fundamental lack of standards among the consumer-owned devices.

2. Networks experiencing congestion pushed by rapid growth.

3. Interactions between active sessions.

This leaves current networks vulnerable to disruptions by what amounts to a

relatively small number of streams.

These factors make it increasingly apparent that the most important aspect of
utilizing service assurance to provide an optimal subscriber experience is having a
clear understanding of the kind of system operators must build in order to monitor
the most vital points within their networks. And while that’s hardly a change from
the way legacy networks have traditionally been assured, today’s operators are
facing the kind of technological challenges they could never have imagined in the
past – and that make it hard to plan for the future. In cable’s rapidly changing IP
landscape, the ability to effectively manage these monitoring points is constantly
challenged by an increasingly diverse customer base demanding a wide range of
content on a dizzying array of new devices.

Monitoring the New Technologies

Current research shows the need for rigorous service assurance is even more
urgent in a world where even a small number of streams can cause major network
disruptions. (2) Complicating matters is the fact that the range of functions that
must be tracked to monitor and manage services is much greater in the managed
IP service domain than in legacy distribution technologies. While operators
continue to scramble to find the best solutions, they must now monitor a growing
host of disparate technological contributions to their networks, including:

Adaptive streaming
Operators must be sure the adaptive streaming systems used for delivering unicast
content are conforming to the bit-rate profiles set for each type of device. But
there is more to it than that. Adaptive streaming automatically reduces bit rates
from the prescribed optimums when network congestion or device-related
processing conditions would cause the flow to be interrupted at the higher rates.

9 © ARRIS 2011. All rights reserved. June 29, 2012

However, the operator does not want those abnormal conditions to persist to the
point that a user experiences an abundance of lower resolution viewing instances.
This performance can be visualized by considering when a program streaming in
HD drops from an 11Mbps rate to a 7Mbps rate; that shift in bit rate gives the same
visual impact as if the TV resolution was adjusted from 1080p to 780p—an
unacceptable experience. To prevent similar inferior customer experiences, there
must be a mechanism for tracking the patterns of bit rate adjustments over time to
ensure that the overall QoE is meeting operator and customer expectations, both
on an individual and a network basis.

Multicasting
As discussed in Part 3 of this series, Systems, Processes and Components
Essential to Meeting New Service Goals, implementation of linear
programming in full emulation of traditional cable TV will very likely bring
multicasting, especially the dynamic version, into play. The approach to service
assurance on multicast streams will depend on how operators structure the
multicast architecture. Some operators are inclined toward the “pull” or device-
driven mode employed with Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP)
multicasting. Others have a preference for a “push” or server-driven model based
on the PacketCable Multimedia (PCMM) gate-set functions, where a centralized
control plane exploits the full range of resources available through PCMM and the
other sub-systems to maximize bandwidth efficiencies and to optimize Quality of
Service (QoS).

By either “push” or “pull,” a means must be found to provide assurance that end
devices are joining multicast streams as dictated by subscribers’ program
selections—accurately and within prescribed timing parameters. To the extent that
operators employ proprietary solutions similar to the standards-based PCMM
approach, the performance verification process may also be proprietary, which
could complicate the aggregation of performance metrics for use by an advanced
service assurance system. In contrast, the open APIs of the standardized IGMP and
PCMM multicasting approaches provide straight-forward means of aggregating
multicast service assurance data into the master system.

The centralized PCMM approach reduces the burden on service assurance by

minimizing congestion that can result when devices trigger more multicast streams
than the available network bandwidth can support. By having a comprehensive
view of the network, the PCMM server-driven multicasting system can dynamically
manage device RF channel assignments to ensure that devices make use of existing
multicast streams on alternate channels rather than triggering new streams.

10 © ARRIS 2011. All rights reserved. June 29, 2012

Linear programming delivered over dynamic multicast, which may be the
dominant mode of multicast implementation for cable IP video, adds another layer
of complexity to service assurance. Like switched digital video functions in today’s
network operations, dynamic multicast only delivers programs into the stream
when one or more viewers in a service group tunes into them. The operator must
be able to verify that the system is delivering the selected channels into the stream
as ordered by subscribers and that all subscribers seeking to join a program in the
switched multicast stream can do so. Tools must allow access to this information on
an individual subscriber basis for troubleshooting and on a system aggregate level
for performance monitoring.

Speed of content acquisition

Concerns over how long it takes for a subscriber’s program selection to render on-
screen in IP mode may be mitigated by the use of unicast-delivered I-frames to
initiate device access on multicast as well as unicast streams. While this typically
reduces “channel-change” time to less than a second, it is nonetheless essential
that the service assurance system monitor the channel change metric to catch—
and fix any problems as they occur.

Whole-home DVR, network DVR and place-shifting applications

The ability to access recorded programming from any device in the home and
transfer viewing of programming from one device to another without losing
continuity adds greater complexity to the many functionalities already accounted
for in whole-home DVR service assurance. Extending this service outside of the
home and across the operator’s network and potentially over interconnected
networks multiplies the challenge. The operator must be able to confirm the
network is able to support such capabilities for any given account and then
monitor performance at all end points on an ongoing basis to maintain control over
the user’s experience. When the user’s choice of access device also shifts, the
network must be able to recognize that a lower-bit rate version may be required,
and that it is not a network problem, but a user choice.

Interactive television (ITV), navigation systems, companion device apps

and advertising
As with everything else accompanying operations in the multi-device IP space, new
functionalities together with the expanded array of devices to be monitored
require substantial enhancements to the service assurance system. Critically,
operators will need to systematize data aggregation in order to reduce the
complexities of keeping track of the user’s experience across so many parameters
tied to specific device usage. Monitoring, reporting and troubleshooting must now
be possible on both a “per subscriber” and “per access device” scope.

11 © ARRIS 2011. All rights reserved. June 29, 2012

CDN operations
As discussed in Part 3 of this series, the cable-optimized distributed caching
architecture that is fundamental to efficient delivery of IP content to end users
introduces a wide range of functionalities into the network, all of which must be
accounted for in the service assurance process. These include not only the proper
functioning of the caching processes themselves, such as the adding and dropping
of content as required at each cache point and the sharing of cache resources
across the network, but a host of other factors.

In addition, many video CDN architectures will provide support for content
packaging and some may perform transrating or transcoding of each file for
streaming out of cache in multiple device formats so as to avoid the massive
bandwidth consumption that would occur if each format is streamed separately
from central storage to the edge caches. The video quality must be monitored for
each of these points performing processing.

One other consideration is the combination of ABR and CDN technologies. Service
delivery to end devices in this environment has traditionally been stateless. As
operators look to scale the use of these technologies and deliver the highest quality
of service to subscribers accustomed to managed services, they may consider the
addition of a controller to monitor the state of the clients and ensure all subscribers
do not suffer with the addition of the next service request under congested
conditions.

New devices and new services

The extension of service to devices in the subscriber’s network and the addition of
services such as home security, power, and environmental monitoring require the
addition of yet another layer to the assurance and monitoring systems. The
Broadband Forum has issued Technical Report 069 (TR-069) which describes the
CPE WAN Management Protocol (CWMP) intended for communication between a
CPE and Auto-Configuration Server (ACS). CWMP established a common
framework that is intended to support a variety of functionalities, including status
and performance monitoring and diagnostics. While this technology has been in
use in the telecommunications industry for some time, it is new to the cable
industry. CWMP is used in conjunction with a number of data models to meet a
variety of device management needs. One of these data models is “TR-135 Data
Model for a TR-069 Enabled STB”. Operators must determine how to merge TR-069
functionality with their existing PacketCable, DOCSIS, SNMP and IPDR tools.

12 © ARRIS 2011. All rights reserved. June 29, 2012

Figure 5: End-to-End IP Video System with Key Monitoring Points

13 © ARRIS 2011. All rights reserved. June 29, 2012

Adding to these complicating factors is that while current content licensing
agreements limit the ability to connect outside of the home, these restrictions may
soon be removed to allow subscribers roaming access in the future, making it
prudent to consider this important possibility during the monitoring system design
process.

Despite the many challenges faced in migrating legacy networks to IP service

delivery, operators should feel confident in the role a rigorous service assurance
process design and implementation has traditionally played in providing an
optimal subscriber experience.

Nowhere is this more evident than in the roll out of early DOCSIS-enabled EMTAs.
To insure the integrity—and ultimately the success—of each roll out, operators
used service assurance that proved the operability and viability of EMTAs being
utilized in specific test markets. By doing this, operators were able to smooth the
implementation of Voice-over-IP service, and ensure orderly and effective
proliferation across the broader marketplace, hastening adoption of the new
technology and improving the subscriber experience. While the challenges of mass
IP integration will remain constant, the reality is that past case histories such as this
should instill both the confidence—and sense of urgency—operators need to
implement strong service assurance protocols within both their existing, and
future, networks.

Conclusion
As the pace of cable’s IP migration quickens, it is becoming increasingly apparent
that operators can no longer wait to establish the kind of networks that can reliably
deliver a consistent, high-quality video experience wherever, and on whichever
device, subscribers demand. Many operators have made the wise choice to go “all
in” on IP video. However, the majority have been left scrambling to cobble together
networks continually strained with the increasing demands of ATSC/DVB video, IP
video, voice and data. In order to be successful, they must not only meet ravenous
subscriber demands for programming and raw bandwidth, but also move quickly
to leverage legacy networks to assure a consistent, high-quality experience that
meets subscriber expectations on each and every device every single time.

Operators willing to make both the investment—and the leap of faith – to craft a
robust assurance protocol have an immediate opportunity to forge a differentiated
advantage over the competition. However, operators must move quickly or risk the
chance they will become increasingly less viable as the clock ticks down.

14 © ARRIS 2011. All rights reserved. June 29, 2012

Perhaps most important to an operator’s long-term success is the fact that a
superior assurance program can create legions of loyal, engaged subscribers by
delivering the kind of superior service that they expect. However, the benefits of
building a robust assurance protocol hardly stop there.

Operators who institute meaningful assurance protocols will also benefit from
increased revenues and ARPU by quickly and reliably offering the compelling, high-
dollar services subscribers demand.

Operators who rely on assurance can also minimize operational expenses and
improve the customer experience by automating preventive maintenance and
streamlining troubleshooting systems. This leads to fewer truck rolls and less time
wasted on the phone by providing CSR’s with the information they need to solve
problems remotely and quickly, keeping subscribers engaged and happy.

In a world constantly defined by consumer choice, cable operators will continually

need to find new ways to give subscribers what they want or risk joining the list of
“also-rans” and obsolete technologies that fell by the wayside. By leveraging
existing networks and embracing the world of possibilities guaranteed by
assurance protocols, operators will be well on their way to competing—and
winning—in a fast-paced marketplace that will define how the world will consume
information and entertainment for the foreseeable future, and beyond.

15 © ARRIS 2011. All rights reserved. June 29, 2012

References
(1) Light Reading, IP Assurance: Quality Counts, Denise Culver, December 17,
2009.

(2) Competitive Analysis of Adaptive Streaming Implementations: Tom

Cloonan, Jim Allen; ARRIS SCTE Cable Tech Expo November 15-17, 2011.

16 © ARRIS 2011. All rights reserved. June 29, 2012

List of Acronyms
ACS Auto-Configuration Server

CDN Content Delivery Network

CWMP CPE WAN Management Protocol, also known as TR-069
CPE Consumer Premise Equipment
CWMP CWMP – CPE WAN Management Protocol, also known as TR-069

DOCSIS Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification-- an international

telecommunications standard that permits the transmission of
internet protocol communications transfer over an existing Cable TV
(CATV) system
DVR Digital Video Recorder

IGMP Internet Group Management Protocol

IP Internet Protocol
IPDR Internet Protocol Data Record
ITV Interactive Television

MSO Multiple Systems Operator

OSSI Operations Support System Interface

PCMM PacketCable Multimedia

QoE Quality of Experience

QoS Quality of Service

SNMP Simple Network Management Protocol

TR-069 Broadband Forum Technical Report # 069 on CWMP

TV Television

WAN Wide Area Network

17 © ARRIS 2011. All rights reserved. June 29, 2012

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