Timestamp Normalized Counter Data for Cable Network Analytics
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cable network topologies, optimized for one-way downstream service, face challenges in configuring two-way communication, requiring new equipment and increased costs for digital service provision, especially in transitioning from coaxial to hybrid fiber networks.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for timestamp normalization of counter data in a content network, involving a cable modem termination system, a collector, and a mediator to normalize and store usage data, enabling correlation and validation of time series data from multiple sources and reducing data-pulling overhead for capacity management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If new equipment is added to provide two-way communication, then two-way digital service capability is improved, but network cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a mediator component that sits between the collector and data warehouse, acting as an intermediary that normalizes timestamp data from multiple sources. This mediator handles the complexity of time synchronization and data normalization, allowing the rest of the system to remain simple while achieving sophisticated two-way service monitoring and analytics capabilities.
2Measurement precision
If timestamp normalization is implemented to correlate data from multiple sources, then data validation and analytics capability are improved, but data processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the data processing function into distinct components: a collector that gathers raw counter data with timestamps, a mediator that normalizes and validates the timestamp information, and a data warehouse that stores the processed data. This segmentation allows each component to focus on a specific task, improving data correlation accuracy while managing processing complexity through functional decomposition.
Solution Approach 2:
The mediator serves as an intermediary layer that handles the complex task of timestamp normalization, dividing counter data into time-based buckets and validating data from multiple sources. This intermediary absorbs the processing complexity, allowing the collector and data warehouse to remain simple while achieving precise data correlation across different temporal granularities.
3Loss of information
If counter data is collected and normalized with timestamp information, then network usage analytics capability is improved, but data storage and processing overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic action by dividing continuous counter data into discrete time-based buckets using the mediator. Instead of storing every individual data point, the system aggregates data into periodic intervals (e.g., hourly, daily buckets), which preserves the temporal patterns needed for analytics while significantly reducing the total data volume that needs to be stored and processed.
Solution Approach 2:
The mediator performs preliminary action by pre-processing and normalizing timestamp data before it reaches the data warehouse. By organizing data into standardized time buckets in advance, the system reduces the storage overhead and simplifies subsequent analytics operations, as the data is already structured for efficient querying and analysis.
Data Source
AI summary
A method including collecting, from a cable modem termination system (CMTS), counter data corresponding to usage of a network resource, wherein the counter data includes timestamp data, converting the counter data into timestamp normalized counter data by dividing the counter data among a plurality of buckets according to the timestamp data, and storing the timestamp normalized counter data.