Are DSL Deployments Leaving TR-069 Behind?

Taking a quick snapshot of my home network the other day, I counted a total of thirteen active IP devices. This might seem like a lot of gear to some of you, but when you start counting the smart phones, IPTV set-tops, computers, gaming consoles, DVD players and other devices, you quickly realize how that can add up. In our industry we all live in the same reality. IP devices are being purchased at a record rate and being used across your networks. This leads to the inevitable question as to how do we manage this and also prepare for the additional services we plan to offer? No, you will not be managing all those devices, but managing the point of access into the home will be critical. In order to adapt to the growth in demand and implement new revenue-generating IP services, you will need the capability to manage the access devices you own. Unless you believe you can manage all these access devices by rolling a truck to every home (incurring the OpEx), my question is-- Are you leaving TR-069 behind?

The Broadband Forums TR-069 technical specification was ratified in 2004 for the purpose of establishing an application layer protocol for the management of end-point devices. Not to get into all the technical jargon, but basically you can manage and monitor your access end-points using this technology along an Auto Configuration Server (ACS). Unless you’re new to the business, I’m sure this is not the first time you’ve heard of either TR-069 or an ACS server. This technology is embedded in most all of the access devices you deploy today. The obvious devices are your DSL CPE and Fiber Network Terminals, but you may be surprised that some of the devices you deploy are not TR-069 compliant. So, let’s talk about the devices a bit more before we move to my thoughts on the problem and a possible solution.

For the moment, when considering the access devices that you deploy and the use of TR-069, I’m taking the Fiber ONT out of the equation. The Fiber ONT is almost exclusively directly supplied by the manufacturer and each manufacturer puts a unique special sauce in them for management. The access devices I’m specifically looking at here for TR-069 management are the DSL CPE and other devices for access and implementation of IP services. I know at CSSA there is not a DSL modem or gateway that goes out the door today that is not TR-069 compliant. You’ll also find TR-069 technology embedded in HPNA adapters, powerline adapters and a few residential Ethernet access routers. Yes, I said a few. Although we are strongly encouraging manufacturers to incorporate TR-069 technology in their residential and SMB routers, today many do not.

So, here is where we get to my point of issue. DSL CPE and other TR-069 compliant devices are flying off the shelf to meet the growing demand for your broadband deployments and implementation of services such as IPTV. Many…well most of the Tier III/IV service providers do not have a TR-069 ACS server deployed. While we are building out these networks are we considering how we will get these access devices we are deploying today to connect back to a TR-069 ACS server we will implement in the future? My guess—the answer is probably not. But, I think there is a solution.

First there are some things to consider when you think about how your access devices will connect back to an ACS server for TR-069 management. Your device has to have an IP address for the server to connect and the device has to know what server to connect to. If you are deploying DSL CPE today and not inputting an address/URL and authentication info for an ACS server, you will have to roll a truck to that device to input the information. If you are deploying DSL CPE in bridge mode and did not provision a management PVC, you will have to roll a truck to that device to input the information. My suggestion is that you input that information in the devices you deploy today in anticipation of having the management capability in the future.

At CSSA we maintain an electronic inventory for each DSL CPE device we ship to our customers. This means that since early this year, we are tracking all the MAC addresses and serial numbers of the DSL CPE devices you are deploying. Having this information can save you significant time as the ACS server utilizes the MAC address and/or serial number for authentication. By having this data you can batch load the device info when you bring your ACS server online. In addition, we offer custom configuration services so that your custom settings become the factory default of the device. We have the technical resources to help you customize your settings for the anticipated implementation of an ACS server. By incorporating these settings into a custom configured device you deploy today, your device will automatically connect when you bring your ACS server online.

At some point, DSL broadband access devices will give way to the next generation access device whether it be fiber, wireless or other. That’s progress and your investment in TR-069 is well spent as TR-069 is becoming the standard for access and home-networking device management for everything from set-tops to femtocells. But, specifically in our market, we still have to deploy these services over copper plant in many areas and will have copper based DSL services for quite some time. During this time your broadband subscribers will continue to increase demand and you will continue to implement new services. It seems to me that a bit of planning for TR-069 management today can help save time and money in the future and help you get the most out of you investment.

Oh, and by the way, if a few of you want to get together for a group purchase of ACS servers please let us know. We ALWAYS accomplish more in numbers.

 - Scott Davison, VP Strategic Product Development