Auto-configuration Server Group Management for CPE Load Distribution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current auto-configuration server (ACS) systems managing customer premises equipment (CPEs) face inefficiencies due to high connection times and increased equipment costs, as multiple commands or requests lead to prolonged communication and require multiple ACSes to handle maximum connections, reducing timeliness and increasing operational expenses.
Innovation Solution
The ACS implements a group management module that calculates a health value based on processing capacity, memory, and bandwidth usage, dynamically adding sub-servers and management groups to distribute CPE management, allowing for efficient handling of increased online CPEs by utilizing sub-servers to reduce the load on the primary ACS.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If multiple commands or requests are used for ACS to manage CPEs, then management functionality is achieved, but connection time increases and timeliness decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple separate commands and requests into a single integrated online message exchange. Instead of sending multiple SOAP data packages and HTTP requests separately, the system merges them into one unified communication event, thereby reducing connection time while maintaining full management functionality.
2Quantity of substance
If more ACSes are built to increase total connection capacity, then connection capacity increases, but equipment cost increases greatly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the CPE management function by introducing sub-servers that handle specific groups of CPEs. This allows a single ACS to effectively manage more CPEs by distributing the management load across multiple sub-servers, thereby increasing connection capacity without proportionally increasing ACS equipment cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces sub-servers as intermediary components between the ACS and CPEs. These sub-servers act as mediators that handle communication and management tasks, allowing the ACS to scale its management capacity without directly increasing its own connection handling burden, thus avoiding proportional increases in equipment cost.
3Quantity of substance
If ACS manages maximum connection threshold, then connection capacity is optimized, but off-line CPEs must wait for connection slots, reducing timeliness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by having sub-servers ready to immediately accept and process online messages from CPEs before the main ACS connection is fully established. This preliminary handling of messages by sub-servers eliminates the waiting time for off-line CPEs while the ACS manages its connection threshold.
Data Source
AI summary
An auto-configuration server (ACS) and a management method of customer premises equipments (CPEs) thereof are provided, and the ACS includes a sub server communication module and a group management module. When an online message is received from a new CPE, the management method includes performing an extension procedure including the following steps. A health value of the ACS is calculated. When the health value of the ACS is less than or equal to a health threshold, a new group and a sub server corresponding to the new group are added and the new CPE is managed by the sub server corresponding to the new group.