Using Dr. DSL centralized test solution to reduce telco operational expenses Dr. DSL Line Diagnostics Platform Calix User Conference Peter LeBlanc Vice President 2008 Aware, Inc.
Agenda Network operational challenges in deploying DSL services New testing standards and options for telco Using Aware s Dr. DSL Line Diagnostics Platform Best Practices and Workflow Rules Support for Calix C7 and E5 Platforms
Network Operation Challenges Deploying DSL Service Reduce OPEX Increase $ per Sub Improve service quality Don t spend any $ ADSL2+/VDSL2 has pushed the loop plant to its data rate limit Higher rates create DSL problems that are more difficult to troubleshoot and resolve 20% of trouble tickets cause 80% resolution time Traditional POTS testing limited in ability to detect noise (crosstalk) or address line stability Remotes/small COs are not viable for test heads equipment Loop record pre-qual is not reliable - false positives (and false negatives)
Impact of Line Impairments on DSL Service Central Office Outside Plant Home MDF mis-wiring DSLAM port not provisioned Incorrect profile Bridged Taps Crosstalk Impulse noise Wideband noise AM noise Incorrect wiring Defective CPE Missing microfilter AM Noise Impulse Noise Higher IPTV rates are more susceptible to line impairments and wideband noise
Errors per day (1) Line Impairments Impact Stability 1,000 100 10 Internet errors hardly visible IPTV Errors Visible Line impairments can result in errors and resyncs - visible errors Telcos can address by 1) condition loop 2) change DSLAM profiles (SNR Margin, impulse noise protection, etc) 1 1. Broadband Forum Technical Report TR-127
New DSL Testing Options for Telco New ITU G.996.2 standard define line diagnostics testing Single-ended testing (SELT) Dual-ended testing (DELT) Metallic test equipment (MELT) Uses embedded DSL chipsets to provide diagnostics parameters No additional hardware or software probes required SELT and DELT provide raw data only advanced interpretation (like Dr. DSL) is required for actionable results SELT Test Calix C7/E5 DELT Test Calix C7/E5 ENB Vref GND CO ChipsetDSL Chipset Sign D4 DELT Data Vin D1 CPE, No CPE Powered Down A1, A2+, V2 CPE
Dr. DSL Line Diagnostics Platform Centralized server software solution uses installed DSLAMs / CPE to collect SELT and DELT data Supports Calix C7 MSAP and E5 ESP User Interface for data collection, management of subscriber line testing Aware s interpretation algorithms generates actionable results Stand-alone server or shared resources with Calix CMS
LDP Operational Solution Dr. DSL Line Diagnostics Platform Provision Diagnose Monitor Optimize Pre-Qualification determine line quality determine data rate Line Diagnostics expert troubleshooting diagnostics Network Scan validate network and line stability non-intrusive Line Stability dynamic line management (DLM) improves line quality and stability Service Validation validate line is stable at estimated data rate Fault Detection identify line faults and impact Workflows Rules error messages for level 1 / 2 customer service trouble ticket resolution
Loop Qualification & Provisioning Telco Use Case Improve Line Qualification DSL rate estimation Reduce false positives and false negatives Improve current technique e.g. line length, attenuation Dr. DSL LDP Accurate Line Qualification SELT data rate estimation based spectral and service profile with assumed or measured noise DELT determines data rate based on noise and field deployed DSLAMs and CPEs. Service Provisioning Validate line quality prior to provisioning Determine if line has been provisioned at MDF in CO Determine if port is active Monitor changes in loop plant Streamlined Provisioning Determine if line meets quality level based on SLA agreement Proactively determine if and when line has been provisioned at CO Benchmark performance in database for future reference
Line Diagnostics Troubleshooting Telco Use Case Reduce Call Center Cost Quickly and accurately verify customer problem Simplify trouble ticket escalation Dr. DSL LDP Workflow Rules one-click diagnostic tests Easy to understand error codes messages Reduce Technician OPEX Avoid LEC trouble ticket fees - Accurate escalation of OSP problems to LEC Streamline troubleshooting steps - What is the fault, where is it, what s impact on service, what are steps to solve Expert loop diagnostics Segment CO, outside plant, or home Identify wideband crosstalk, AM and its impact Locate OSP faults such as opens, shorts Identify home problems such as poor wiring Provide detailed summary report and recommend resolution
Error Codes by Segment CLEC Dispatch LEC Dispatch CLEC Dispatch Network Central Office / Services Outside Plant Home SYS2 LDP can t reach DSLAM CO1 Fault in CO / Bad MDF Connection OSP1 High wideband noise PREM1 Fault in-home SYS3 LDP can t connect to DSLAM SVC1 Can t support profile margin OSP2 High RFI noise PREM2 Missing microfilter SYS4 DSLAM port not found SVC2 Can t support profile rate OSP3 Wideband noise PREM3 Bad CPE power supply SYS7 SYS10 DSLAM port not enabled Port Untrained. SELT not available TOK Test OK OSP4 Bridged tap PREM4 Black CPE OSP5 Short circuit PREM5 Untwisted wire OSP6 Open circuit PREM6 CPE detected. Can t train OSP7 Degraded contact (1) PREM7 Bridged tap in/near home OSP8 Metallic fault (2)
Customer Care Workflow Rules Sample Flow My modem failed I ll run a Dr. DSL Test Start Get Connection Status Connection Status Line Up CPE Not Connected Line Up CPE Connected Yes Line Up CPE Connected Run SELT Test No Run DELT Test Detailed workflow rules Test OK SELT Analysis OSP5 Short DELT Analysis PREM4: Inhome Fault Dispatch OSP Dispatch to home Short Fixed Confirm In-home wiring fixed Stop Stop
Detailed Sample Error Codes - Technicians Network Fault Error Code Network Operations Summary / Recommendations DSLAM not provisioned SYS2 Verify IP address of DSLAM associated with this circuit DSLAM port not found SYS4 Verify DSLAM provisioning. Verify this is the correct port for this circuit ID Fault in CO CO1 Verify CO wiring including CO splitter jumper High Wideband Noise OSP1 Suspected unbalanced loop or crossed pair. Verify the loop balance using dedicated test equipment High RFI Noise OSP3 Suspect aerial bonding / grounding issue. Repeat test with modem at NID to determine if OSP or in-home Bridged Tap OSP4 Condition cable pair by removing bridged tap DELT results will show length and data rate impact Short Circuit OSP5 Report short circuit in outside plant Fault In-Home PREM1 In-home problem such incorrect wiring or defective CPE. Dispatch to home Missing Microfilter PREM2 Verify all phones have microfilters. Min Margin not Achieved SVC1 Margin requirements can not be met. Further line conditioning required. Downgrade customer s service level
Trouble Ticket Example Error code and description OSP4 bridged tap in Outside Plant Escalate trouble ticket Customer care or Network Operations validates OSP problem Confirms impact of 1.25Mbps on service Enters trouble ticket to LEC for removal. References bridged tap problem LEC field technician locates and removes bridged tap Customer service can re-run test to validate fix
Service Upgrade Existing DSL Customers What if upgrade to VDSL2 Telco Use Case Dr. DSL LDP Improve up-sell take rates for new services Accurately determine what service level can be achieved e.g. gold, silver, bronze Proactively target existing customers to up sell higher margin services Dual Ended Line Re-Qualification (DERQ) Customer service can determine if customer qualifies for new services or upgraded to VDSL2- based IPTV Marketing can proactively identify candidates Actual ADSL2+ Rate Estimated VDSL2 8b profile rate
Network Monitoring & Stability Classification Telco Use Case Dr. DSL LDP Determine network-wide line classification Validate stability and quality of each line and viability of IPTV services Detect degradation trends in network, node or binder Classifies health of each DSL line High / Medium / Low risk Configurable parameters e.g. ES, SES, Resyncs Over 1-day and 1-wk period Proactive line monitoring Proactively Identify problems before they impact customer
Dynamic Line Management Telco Use Case Optimize line quality and stability Proactively correct line errors and faults dynamically Find best combination of parameters that stabilizes DSL line with minimal impact on rate Identify which lines can not be stabilized and require additional line diagnostics testing Dr. DSL LDP Reduction in complaints and dispatches DLM proactively modifies DSLAM profile to improve stability Improve rate and reach For stable lines, profile change can increase rate at longer reach Network Quality Improvement DLM addresses dynamic changes in network such as crosstalk
Implement DLM Profile LDP Profile Sector determines the best DSLAM service and spectral profile for given line conditions Improves stability with progressively more restrictive profiles until QoS metric is achieved SNR Margin Lower max rate, Higher All profiles are pre-defined / preapproved by telco service-profile 1 name F1024_20480 no ra-mode-down # value=automatic no ra-mode-up # value=automatic min-bitrate-down 10240 min-bitrate-up 512 max-bitrate-up 1024 max-delay-down 8 max-delay-up 8 imp-noise-prot-dn 5 imp-noise-prot-up 5 no inp-wo-erasure-dn no inp-wo-erasure-up min-l2-br-down 10240 active Restrictive profiles service-profile 2 name F1024_18480 no ra-mode-down # value=automatic no ra-mode-up # value=automatic min-bitrate-down 10240.... service-profile X name F924_15480 no ra-mode-down # value=automatic no ra-mode-up # value=automatic min-bitrate-down 9240....
DLM Example Impulse Noise Protection 2 Data Rate DS (Mbps) SNR Margin (db) 1 2 Error Second (# / 15 min) Days 1 2 Profile change #1: increase SNR Margin 6 db to 10dB Profile change #2: increase SNR Margin and decrease INP
Support for Calix E5 and C7
Dr. DSL Line Diagnostics Platform Calix E5 vs. C7 support Functionality Calix C7 Calix E5 ADSL2+ Supported Supported VDSL2 Supported when released Supported Pre-Qual (SELT) Not Currently Supported Supported Fault Detection Not Currently Supported (1) Supported Line Diagnostics Supported Supported Test Workflow Codes Supported Supported Line Monitoring Supported Supported VDSL2 Re-Qualifications Supported Supported Note (1): Planned Release in 2010
Contact Information: Scott Robbins Director Aware, Inc. Bedford, Massachusetts, USA srobbins@aware.com 412-999-7596 Peter LeBlanc Vice President Aware, Inc. Bedford, Massachusetts, USA pleblanc@aware.com 781-687-0363