Non-linear Service Assurance

Switched Digital Video (SDV) technology enables cable operators to deliver long tail content and compete with internet offerings. Delivery involves seamless interworking for complex signaling among several devices (often multi-vendor). Video on Demand (VOD) is a key revenue generator for Cable and Telco operators and is challenged by Over-the-Top (OTT) offerings. Hence, quality preservation and availability are key.

Unlike traditional broadcast, SDV requires increased reliance on IP transport and IP multicast, and increased control plane overhead. Complex architectures vary from vendor to vendor, and multi-vendor solutions make it difficult to monitor and troubleshoot problems.

Traditional Broadcast Video

• All channels are sent on the last mile irrespective of the viewership
• Limited HFC spectrum (850Mhz) hinders addition of new services

Switched Broadcast Video

• Only channels that are being viewed are sent on the last mile
• Results in unused capacity that can be used for other services

IQDialogue SDV provides a visual representation of all aspects of Switched Digital Video signaling. It performs classification in real-time on type and status, with easy to understand KPI and color-coding. Users can easily switch back and forth between the various status screens and operational modes. SDV message filtering can be performed on a per service group, per set-top-box and even on a per tuner level for more targeted analysis. Capacity and processing abilities can scale up to 200 SDV servers simultaneously based on the appliance platform and IP interfaces available.

Key features of IQDialogue SDV include:

• Targeted real-time monitoring, analysis, auditing and alarming for Switched Digital Video deployments
• Simultaneous support of every major SDV signaling specification and custom vendor implementations
• Integrated database back-end for logging and trending of all SDV messaging traffic (STB, SDV server, ERM, EQAM, etc.)
• Northbound alarming services (SNMP traps)
• Support for hundreds of thousands of STBs and to millions of concurrent tuners from a single probe.

IQDialogue MSO VOD Server edition is a robust VOD monitoring platform complemented by a northbound system and management platform. IQDialogue provides the only true end-to-end real-time solution for MSO-based VOD deployments. The VOD service delivery platform is visually represented, with easy to understand color-coding. IQDialogue also offers the best-in-class support for emerging technologies and protocols that tend to change frequently.

Key features of IQDialogue MSO VOD include:

• Support for NGOD and ISA VOD specifications
• Ability to track in real-time the current number and status of VOD sessions across one or all Service Groups.
• Simple interfaces with multiple concurrent user support, with rich set of Key Performance Indicators and dashboards
• Ability to create “Ladder-Views” of VOD sessions requests, with full timing and decode abilities
• Built-in rich and extensible query and reporting system
• VOD vendor and platform agnostic

IQDialogue AMP offers real-time and historical views of every STB/tuner activity (live viewing, recordings) and the ability to filter by service group, channels, and activity levels. It uses a unique sophisticated algorithm providing optimal channel lineup based on viewing metrics with actual bandwidth saving metrics and data points. It provides the ability to run simulations of bandwidth usage by changing channel lineups (switched to broadcast). It includes advanced trending and reporting of channel viewership along Bandwidth Management, Channel Management, and Viewership Management reporting.

SDV And VOD Service Assurance Solution

The industry’s only Control Plane Monitoring Solution