Zero-Touch CPE Provisioning via Gold Configuration Scripts
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Solution Overview
Problem
The traditional provisioning of customer premises equipment (CPE) is time-consuming and expensive, as it requires manual installation and configuration by technicians, and existing automatic provisioning techniques are not adaptable to the varying service provider network environments and complex parameters involved in CPE provisioning.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for zero-touch provisioning of CPE, where a 'gold' configuration script is generated and stored on a server, allowing the CPE to automatically download and apply service information, including a class of service template, upon initial power-up, tailored to the specific customer and network environment, eliminating the need for on-site technicians.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual installation and configuration by technicians is used, then CPE can be properly provisioned with complex network parameters, but the process becomes time-consuming and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-provisions CPE devices before deployment to customer premises by automatically configuring network parameters, service profiles, and device settings in advance. This preliminary configuration is stored on a server, and when the CPE is activated at the customer site, it automatically downloads and applies the pre-configured settings, eliminating the need for manual technician configuration while ensuring accurate provisioning.
2Productivity
If existing automatic provisioning techniques from mobile networks are used, then provisioning time is reduced, but the system cannot adapt to varying service provider network environments and complex CPE parameters
Solution Approach 1:
The system tailors provisioning configurations to specific local network environments by implementing location-aware provisioning. Different network parameters, service profiles, and configuration settings are automatically selected based on the customer premises location, network type, and specific service requirements. This allows the automatic provisioning system to adapt to varying network environments while maintaining high provisioning speed.
3Manufacturing precision
If manual technician provisioning is used, then complex network parameters can be carefully configured, but labor costs and operational expenses increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates and stores standardized configuration templates and service profiles that can be automatically copied and applied to multiple CPE devices. These templates contain pre-defined network parameters, service settings, and configuration data that ensure consistent and accurate provisioning across different devices and locations, eliminating the need for manual configuration while maintaining high configuration accuracy.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, methods, apparatus and other mechanisms to automatically provision CPE at a customer location by generating and storing at a server a “gold” configuration script for each CPE for each customer, and for downloading the gold configuration script to CPE in response to receiving at a zero touch provisioning (ZTP) entity a provisioning control signal automatically generated by CPE due to execution of a pre-installed script upon initial power up. The gold configuration script may comprise CPE configuration and service provisioning information received from the ZTP entity, such as provided by a class of service (COS) template specifically designed to provision the requesting CPE in accordance with the premises-specific environment of the network and the customer-specific services to be provided via the network.