Network terminal equipment and access equipment association positioning method and system

Abstract

The invention discloses an association positioning method and system for network terminal equipment and access equipment. The positioning method comprises the following steps: establishing a dedicated channel between a broadband access server and a data analysis server; the data analysis server obtains soft probe data sent by the network terminal equipment based on the private channel, wherein the soft probe data comprises identification information, source address information and time information of the network terminal equipment; the data analysis server obtains online data related to the network terminal equipment in the dial-up authentication server, wherein the online data comprises source address information, identification information of access equipment and time information; and the data analysis server performs matching based on the source address information and the time information in the soft probe data and the online data so as to determine the corresponding relationship between the identification information of the network terminal equipment and the identification information of the access equipment. According to the method, additional hardware support is prevented from being deployed for the broadband access server, the hardware resource requirement is greatly reduced, the development cost is reduced, and the deployment period is shortened.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of network device association and positioning technology, and in particular to a method and system for association and positioning of network terminal devices and access devices. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of internet TV services, the correlation between STBs (Set-Top Boxes) and ONTs (Optical Network Terminals, also known as "optical modems") has become increasingly prominent in asset management and service quality monitoring. STBs, as core terminal devices for internet TV services, typically access the network through ONTs, while ONTs, as fiber optic access terminals, are responsible for connecting the user's home network to the operator's network. However, the lack of a precise correspondence between the two leads to some users' asset management being substandard, difficulties in recovering and utilizing existing user assets, and inaccurate information during the monitoring and optimization of individual user service quality. Particularly when analyzing STB service quality, correlation errors significantly impact the efficiency and accuracy of troubleshooting. According to sampling statistics, approximately 2% to 3% of users experience STB-ONT mismatches.

[0003] Taking a real-world business scenario as an example, the STB can connect to any LAN port of the ONT or access the network through a router connected to the ONT. After obtaining a private IP address, the STB uses NAT (Network Address Translation) technology to convert it to a public IP address to access the Internet. Because the private IP address before NAT is not publicly available, external systems such as DNS servers, software probe systems, IPTV platforms, and CDN servers cannot obtain the private IP address of the STB or ONT, making it difficult to accurately locate the ONT to which the STB belongs. This difficulty in location directly affects the operator's ability to effectively manage user equipment and optimize service quality.

[0004] In existing technologies, a common solution is to integrate data from multiple sources to associate the STB with the broadband account, thereby indirectly deriving the correspondence between the STB and the ONT. Specific methods include: combining data from the IPTV platform ("public IP + port," "STBID (set-top box identifier)," and "time"); data from the BRAS (Broadband Remote Access Server) ("public IP + port," "private IP + port," and "time"); and data from RADIUS (Remote Authentication Dial In User Service) ("private IP," "broadband account," and "time"). The correspondence between the STBID and the broadband account is obtained by comparing this information from all three sources.

[0005] However, existing technologies face challenges in achieving precise STB location of the ONT, including large development resource investment, long deployment cycles, high hardware resource requirements, and complex system modifications, making it difficult to meet operators' needs for low-cost, high-efficiency solutions. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide a method and system for accurately associating network terminal devices and access devices with relatively low hardware resources, less development resources, and a shorter deployment cycle.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a method for associating and locating network terminal devices and access devices, used on the network side. The network terminal device is connected to a broadband access server connected to the Internet, and the broadband access server is also connected to a data analysis server and a dial-up authentication server via the network. The location method includes: A dedicated channel is established between the broadband access server and the data analysis server so that the soft probe data generated by the network terminal device can be transmitted to the data analysis server using a private network address. The data analysis server obtains the soft probe data sent by the network terminal device based on the dedicated channel. The soft probe data includes the identification information, source address information and time information of the network terminal device. The data analysis server obtains online data related to the network terminal device from the dial-up authentication server. The online data includes source address information, the identification information of the access device, and time information. The data analysis server matches the source address information and time information in the soft probe data and the online data to determine the correspondence between the identification information of the network terminal device and the identification information of the access device.

[0008] Preferably, a virtual private network is deployed between the broadband access server and the data analysis server to form the dedicated channel.

[0009] Preferably, the soft probe data is obtained from the startup message of the network terminal device.

[0010] Preferably, the online data is obtained based on online records using PPPoE or IPoE protocols.

[0011] Preferably, when the network terminal device accesses the access device through a router or a non-multicast port, the source address information is a private network address assigned by the access device; When the network terminal device accesses the access device through the multicast port, the source address information is a private network address assigned by the broadband access server, and the soft probe data also includes request information based on the DHCP protocol, which carries the identification information of the access device.

[0012] Preferably, the DHCP protocol request information includes an option82 field, which carries the serial number of the access device.

[0013] Preferably, a data forwarding server is deployed at the regional core network equipment. The data forwarding server receives the soft probe data from the dedicated channel from the broadband access server via a private network and forwards the soft probe data to the data analysis server.

[0014] The present invention also provides a network service system, which includes a broadband access server, a dial-up authentication server, a data analysis server, and a controller; The broadband access server is used to connect the network terminal device to the Internet based on the access device. The broadband access server is also connected to the data analysis server and the dial-up authentication server through the network. The controller identifies the access device to which any of the network terminal devices belongs based on the network terminal device and access device association location method described above.

[0015] The present invention also provides a network terminal device and access device association positioning system, which includes: One or more processors; Memory; And one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the programs including instructions for performing the network terminal device and access device association positioning method as described above.

[0016] The present invention also provides a computer-readable storage medium comprising a computer program that can be executed by a processor to perform the network terminal device and access device association and location method described above. Compared with existing technologies, the correlation positioning method provided by the above technical solution firstly utilizes the source address and time information in the soft probe data to match with the online data, solving the correlation error problem in existing technologies and significantly improving the accuracy of network-side device positioning. Secondly, by changing the soft probe data reporting path and using a dedicated channel to transmit data, it avoids deploying additional hardware support for the broadband access server, greatly reducing hardware resource requirements. Furthermore, it eliminates the need for complex analysis of the full data collected from the dial-up authentication server; positioning can be achieved simply by matching existing data, reducing development costs and deployment cycle. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the association and positioning method in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the association positioning method in another embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0019] To illustrate the technical content, structural features, objectives, and effects of the present invention in detail, the following description is provided in conjunction with the embodiments and accompanying drawings.

[0020] This embodiment discloses a method for associating and locating network terminal devices with access devices, used on the network side, to locate the access device to which the network terminal device belongs.

[0021] First, the technical terms involved in this embodiment will be explained: Broadband Access Server (BRAS): A new type of access gateway for broadband network applications. It is located at the edge layer of the backbone network and can complete data access for users' IP / ATM networks (access methods are mainly based on xDSL / Cable Modem / High-speed Ethernet (LAN) / Wireless Broadband Data Access (WLAN) / FTTx, etc.), forward authentication requests from ONT or set-top boxes to RADIUS, assign private network IPs to ONT or set-top boxes after successful authentication, and provide NAT services.

[0022] RADIUS Dial-up Authentication Server: Defined by RFC2865 and RFC2866, it is a widely used AAA protocol. AAA is a management framework, therefore, it can be implemented using various protocols.

[0023] In this embodiment and the following embodiments, a set-top box is used as a network terminal device and an optical modem is used as an access device for illustration, but this is not a limitation.

[0024] First, it should be noted that the set-top box is connected to a broadband access server that is connected to the Internet via an optical modem. The broadband access server is also connected to a data analysis server and a dial-up authentication server via the network.

[0025] Based on this, such as Figure 1 The positioning method in this embodiment includes the following steps: First, a dedicated channel is established between the broadband access server and the data analysis server to transmit the soft probe data generated by the set-top box, ensuring that the soft probe data is transmitted in the form of a private network address and retaining the source address information.

[0026] The data analysis server obtains the soft probe data sent by the network terminal device based on the dedicated channel. The soft probe data includes the identification information, source address information, and time information of the network terminal device.

[0027] Secondly, when the set-top box connects to the network through the optical modem, the broadband access server sends relevant online information to the dial-up authentication server, generating online data containing source address information, optical modem identification information, and time information. The dial-up authentication server then provides this online data to the data analysis server.

[0028] Then, the data analysis server determines the correspondence between the set-top box and the optical modem by comparing the source address information and time information in the soft probe data and the online data. For example, when the source address of the soft probe data matches the source address of the online data and the time information is close, the association between the two can be confirmed.

[0029] For the aforementioned correlation-based location method, firstly, the source address and time information in the soft probe data are matched with the online data to solve the correlation error problem in existing technologies, significantly improving the accuracy of network-side device location. Secondly, by changing the soft probe data reporting path and using a dedicated channel to transmit data, additional hardware support for the broadband access server is avoided, greatly reducing hardware resource requirements. Furthermore, there is no need to collect full data from the dial-up authentication server for complex analysis; location can be achieved simply by matching existing data, reducing development costs and deployment cycle.

[0030] On the other hand, a virtual private network (such as a VPN network) is deployed between the broadband access server and the data analysis server to form the dedicated channel.

[0031] The above configuration ensures that the soft probe data is transmitted within the dedicated channel without undergoing public address translation, thus preserving the integrity of the source address information.

[0032] This embodiment effectively improves the security of data transmission by deploying a virtual private network to form a dedicated channel, and is suitable for device association and positioning needs in various network environments.

[0033] On the other hand, the soft probe data is obtained from the startup message of the network terminal device.

[0034] Specifically, when a set-top box starts up and attempts to access the network, it sends a startup message to request network configuration or authentication information. This message contains key data such as the set-top box's identification information, source address information, and time information. For example, the startup message data for a certain set-top box might be: device identifier STB-45678, source address 192.168.1.102, and message sending time 2023-10-16 09:15:23. The data analysis server extracts the aforementioned soft probe data by parsing the startup message.

[0035] This embodiment achieves high efficiency and accuracy in data acquisition by obtaining soft probe data from the startup message of network terminal devices, and is suitable for the correlation and positioning needs in various device startup scenarios.

[0036] On the other hand, the online data is obtained based on the online records of PPPoE or IPoE protocols.

[0037] When a set-top box accesses the network through an optical modem, the broadband access server records the device's online information according to the PPPoE or IPoE protocol and sends the relevant data to the dial-up authentication server. For example, if a set-top box goes online based on the PPPoE protocol, its online record data is: source address 192.168.1.103, optical modem identifier ONT-2023-002, and online timestamp 2023-10-17 10:20:35. The dial-up authentication server stores this online data and provides it to the data analysis server.

[0038] This embodiment obtains online data by using online records based on PPPoE or IPoE protocols, ensuring the standardization and reliability of the data source, and is suitable for correlation and positioning needs under different network access protocols.

[0039] On the other hand, when the set-top box is connected to the optical modem via a router or a non-multicast port, the source address information is the private network address assigned by the optical modem. For example, if a set-top box is connected to the optical modem via a router, the private network address assigned by the optical modem is 192.168.1.105. This address is included as source address information in the soft probe data for subsequent device association analysis.

[0040] When the set-top box connects to the optical modem via a multicast port, the source address information is a private network address assigned by the broadband access server, and the soft probe data also includes DHCP-based request information, which carries the optical modem's identification information. For example, if a set-top box connects to the optical modem via a multicast port, the private network address assigned by the broadband access server is 192.168.2.110, and the DHCP request information included in the soft probe data carries the optical modem's identification information as ONT-2023-003. This information is collected by the data analysis server for subsequent device correlation analysis.

[0041] This embodiment ensures the accuracy and adaptability of device association and positioning in various access scenarios such as routers, non-multicast ports, and multicast ports by processing source address information and soft probe data separately for different access methods.

[0042] Furthermore, the DHCP request information includes an option82 field, which carries the serial number of the access device. For example, a set-top box connects to an optical modem via a multicast port. Its DHCP request message includes an option82 field containing the optical modem's serial number, "ONT-SN-2023-004". The data analysis server parses this field to extract the optical modem's serial number and uses it as part of the optical modem's identifier for subsequent device association analysis.

[0043] This embodiment achieves accurate acquisition of the optical modem identifier by carrying the optical modem's serial number in the option82 field of the DHCP request information, further improving the accuracy and reliability of device association and positioning.

[0044] On the other hand, such as Figure 2 A data forwarding server is deployed at the regional core network (such as at the prefecture-level city) equipment. The data forwarding server receives the soft probe data from the dedicated channel from the broadband access server through the private network and forwards the soft probe data to the data analysis server.

[0045] Specifically, the data forwarding server is deployed at the core network equipment in the city (e.g., NE5000E) as an intermediate node of the VPN tunnel. It is responsible for receiving soft probe data forwarded by the broadband access server through the VPN tunnel and identifying and processing specific packets (e.g., the boot packet when the soft probe starts). The data forwarding server extracts key fields from the boot packet (such as "source IP", "STB sequence number", and "time") and then forwards this information to the data analysis server.

[0046] This embodiment ensures the security and reliability of soft probe data during forwarding by deploying a data forwarding server at the core network device in the region and using a private network for data transmission. At the same time, it improves the efficiency of data transmission and adapts to the device association and positioning needs in a large-scale network environment.

[0047] In summary, this invention discloses a method for associating and locating network terminal devices and access devices. A specific implementation example will be used for further explanation below: Connect a data forwarding server to the regional core network equipment, configure it with a public IP address (e.g., 211.139.10.10) and a private IP address (e.g., 10.10.10.2), and set up static routes (e.g., 10.128.0.0 / 20 pointing to 10.10.10.1) to achieve direct routing to the home broadband network segment. Deploy an HTTP proxy forwarding function on this data forwarding server to receive and forward soft probe data generated by the set-top box.

[0048] Create a VPN tunnel between the broadband access server and the regional core network equipment, and configure static routes (such as 211.139.10.10 pointing to 10.10.10.2) to ensure that data transmission between the home broadband network segment (such as 10.128.0.0 / 20) and the soft probe data forwarding server is carried out through the private network, avoiding NAT (Network Address Translation) changes to the source IP address.

[0049] The DNS server enables regionalized resolution for the domain name used by the soft probe (such as rtz.com), returning the public IP address of the corresponding data forwarding server (such as 211.139.10.10) based on the source of the request, rather than the direct address of the data analysis server, ensuring that data is transmitted to the corresponding data forwarding server according to the region.

[0050] The set-top box's software probe program sends data to the data forwarding server (public IP: 211.139.10.10). At this time, the source IP address carried in the data packet received by the data forwarding server varies depending on the access method: If the set-top box is connected to the optical modem via a router or directly to the non-multicast port of the optical modem, the source IP is the private network IP assigned by the optical modem; If the set-top box is directly connected to the multicast port of the optical modem, the source IP is the private network IP assigned by the broadband access server.

[0051] When the data forwarding server is running the HTTP proxy forwarding function, it identifies specific messages (such as boot messages) sent when the set-top box's soft probe starts up, extracts key fields from them, including "set-top box identifier," "source IP," and "time," and forwards the extracted data to the data analysis server. The data analysis server, combined with fields such as "source IP," "ONT serial number," and "time" from the PPPoE+ and IPoE data provided by the dial-up authentication server, can accurately locate the optical modem to which the set-top box belongs.

[0052] In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, a network service system is also disclosed, which includes a broadband access server, a dial-up authentication server, a data analysis server, and a controller.

[0053] The broadband access server is used to connect the network terminal device to the Internet based on the access device. The broadband access server is also connected to the data analysis server and the dial-up authentication server through the network.

[0054] The controller identifies the access device to which any of the network terminal devices belongs based on the network terminal device and access device association location method in the above embodiments.

[0055] The present invention also discloses another association positioning system, which includes one or more processors, a memory, and one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the programs including instructions for performing the association positioning method as described above. The processor may be a general-purpose central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or one or more integrated circuits, used to execute the relevant programs to implement the functions required by the modules in the association positioning system of the embodiments of this application, or to execute the association positioning method of the method embodiments of this application.

[0056] The present invention also discloses a computer-readable storage medium comprising a computer program executable by a processor to perform the association and location method described above. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium accessible to a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available medium can be read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), or magnetic media, such as floppy disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes, magnetic disks, or optical media, such as digital versatile discs (DVDs), or semiconductor media, such as solid-state drives (SSDs).

[0057] This application also discloses a computer program product or computer program, which includes computer instructions stored in a computer-readable storage medium. The processor of an electronic device reads the computer instructions from the computer-readable storage medium and executes the computer instructions, causing the electronic device to perform the aforementioned association and positioning method. The above-disclosed embodiments are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention. Therefore, any equivalent variations made in accordance with the claims of the present invention are still within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for associating and locating network terminal devices and access devices, used on the network side, wherein the network terminal device is connected to a broadband access server connected to the Internet based on the access device, and the broadband access server is also connected to a data analysis server and a dial-up authentication server through the network, characterized in that, The positioning method includes: A dedicated channel is established between the broadband access server and the data analysis server so that the soft probe data generated by the network terminal device can be transmitted to the data analysis server using a private network address. The data analysis server obtains the soft probe data sent by the network terminal device based on the dedicated channel. The soft probe data includes the identification information, source address information and time information of the network terminal device. The data analysis server obtains online data related to the network terminal device from the dial-up authentication server. The online data includes source address information, the identification information of the access device, and time information. The data analysis server matches the source address information and time information in the soft probe data and the online data to determine the correspondence between the identification information of the network terminal device and the identification information of the access device.

2. The method for associating and locating network terminal devices and access devices according to claim 1, characterized in that, A virtual private network is deployed between the broadband access server and the data analysis server to form the dedicated channel.

3. The method for associating and locating network terminal devices and access devices according to claim 1, characterized in that, The soft probe data is obtained from the startup message of the network terminal device.

4. The method for associating and locating network terminal devices and access devices according to claim 1, characterized in that, The online data is obtained from the online records based on the PPPoE or IPoE protocols.

5. The method for associating and locating network terminal devices and access devices according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the network terminal device accesses the access device through a router or a non-multicast port, the source address information is the private network address assigned by the access device; When the network terminal device accesses the access device through the multicast port, the source address information is a private network address assigned by the broadband access server, and the soft probe data also includes request information based on the DHCP protocol, which carries the identification information of the access device.

6. The method for associating and locating network terminal devices and access devices according to claim 5, characterized in that, The DHCP protocol request information includes an option82 field, which carries the serial number of the access device.

7. The method for associating and locating network terminal devices and access devices according to claim 1, characterized in that, A data forwarding server is deployed at the core network equipment in the region. The data forwarding server receives the soft probe data from the dedicated channel from the broadband access server through the private network and forwards the soft probe data to the data analysis server.

8. A network service system, characterized in that, This includes a broadband access server, a dial-up authentication server, a data analysis server, and a controller; The broadband access server is used to connect the network terminal device to the Internet based on the access device. The broadband access server is also connected to the data analysis server and the dial-up authentication server through the network. The controller identifies the access device to which any of the network terminal devices belongs based on the network terminal device and access device association positioning method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. A network terminal device and access device association positioning system, characterized in that, include: One or more processors; Memory; And one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the programs including instructions for performing the network terminal device and access device association positioning method as described in any one of claims 1 to 7.

10. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, It includes a computer program that can be executed by a processor to perform the network terminal device and access device association and positioning method as described in any one of claims 1 to 7.

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