HFC Node Congestion Management via Subscriber Data Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional node splitting in hybrid fiber-coaxial networks to alleviate congestion is costly and ineffective, as it assumes equal data usage among subscribers, often misidentifying the cause of high utilization and failing to address underlying issues like malware and policy violations.
Innovation Solution
A system that identifies individual subscribers with excessive data usage by analyzing utilization data, determines the cause of high usage, and takes targeted actions such as transferring services, removing malware, or addressing policy violations to alleviate congestion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If node splitting is performed to alleviate congestion, then network utilization is reduced, but cost increases and service interruptions occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and identifies the specific subscribers causing excessive data usage from the node's subscriber base. By pinpointing and addressing only these problematic subscribers through targeted actions (service transfer, malware removal, policy enforcement), the system alleviates congestion without requiring costly node splitting infrastructure changes.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of applying a uniform node splitting solution to all subscribers, the patent applies localized quality control by identifying and addressing only the specific subscribers with excessive usage. This targeted approach resolves congestion at the source while maintaining service continuity for normal subscribers, avoiding the need for expensive infrastructure modifications.
2Productivity
If node splitting is performed to alleviate congestion, then network utilization is reduced, but service interruptions occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary identification and analysis of excessive data usage patterns before congestion fully develops. By detecting and addressing problematic usage early through monitoring and analysis, the system prevents congestion from reaching critical levels that would require node splitting, thereby maintaining continuous service without interruptions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism that continuously monitors data usage patterns and automatically triggers targeted actions when excessive usage is detected. This real-time feedback loop allows the system to respond dynamically to congestion risks by addressing specific problematic subscribers, maintaining service continuity while preventing the need for disruptive node splitting operations.
3Productivity
If node splitting is performed based on aggregate utilization, then congestion is addressed, but measurement precision is insufficient to identify root causes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the aggregate node utilization metric into individual subscriber-level data usage patterns. By breaking down the overall congestion metric into granular subscriber-specific measurements, the system can precisely identify which subscribers are contributing to excessive usage and what specific causes (malware, policy violations, legitimate high usage) are driving the congestion, enabling targeted remediation.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of applying a blanket node splitting solution based on aggregate metrics, the patent performs partial action by focusing only on the specific subscribers contributing to excessive usage. This precise measurement and targeted approach addresses only the necessary portion of the problem, avoiding unnecessary service disruptions for normal subscribers while effectively resolving the root causes of congestion.
Data Source
AI summary
A network, such as a hybrid fiber-coaxial (HFC) network, may comprise a plurality of nodes. Each node may facilitate transmission of service signals between a service provider and a plurality of subscribers. If a node's utilization is determined to be above a predetermined threshold that is indicative of congestion on the node, a system associated with the service provider and/or a third party service may identify a subset of subscribers with excessive data usage. For example, the system may receive usage data for each subscriber serviced by the node, and compare the usage data to a total usage data among the subscribers serviced by the node and/or a standard to identify the subset. Once identified, the system may determine a cause of the excessive data usage for each subscriber within the subset, and determine an action to be performed based on the cause to alleviate the congestion on the node.