Deploying Distributed Access Architecture - Facts and experiences with R-PHY & DOCSIS 3.1

Transcription

1 Deploying Distributed Access Architecture - Facts and experiences with R-PHY & DOCSIS 3.1 DISTRIBUTED ACCESS ARCHITECTURE (DAA) PRE-CONFERENCE SESSION CABLE-TEC EXPO 2018, ATLANTA GA KJELD BALMER DIRECTOR, DOCSIS 3.1 & DAA DEPLOYMENT

2 Agenda Topics to be covered 1. Who is Stofa? 2. Distributed Access Architecture - Drivers & Goals - Design & Architecture 3. Building experiences 4. Lessons learned 2

3 Who is Stofa? Introduction About Stofa Market penetration Stofa is a Danish telecommunications company and was founded back in 1959 Originally Stofa supplied antenna as well as other associations, but since then also targeting individual consumers Stofa strives to optimize everyday digital life for the benefit of people as well as businesses in Denmark As a mixture of Service Provider, Operator and infrastructure owner, Stofa is highly vertically integrated Customers Unique customers Subscribers 3 ~ ~ ~

4 Drivers for Stofa s network transformation towards DAA and Docsis 3.1 Drivers and choices Fiber limitations in the HFC network Expensive legacy Docsis 3.0 capacity expansion Competition from other Cable and FTTH operators Network transformation Distributed Access Architecture with Remote-PHY Docsis 3.1 increasing frequency spectrum 4

5 Goals for Stofa s network transformation towards DAA and Docsis 3.1 Goals to be achieved Free up internal fiber infrastructure in high dense areas (physical limitations) Distributed Access Architecture with Remote-PHY Reduce node splits (design criteria 250 HHP per node) Ease capacity upgrades Improve network quality IP to the node Improving signal quality 1) Centralised and simplified HE structure 2) Reduce use of floor space 3) Saving power in HE, though more power consumption in the access network Docsis 3.1 increasing frequency spectrum 6 More downstream spectrum..limitations in frequencies for providing tv broadcast (258MHz-1218MHz) 7 More upstream spectrum towards synchronous broadband speed offerings (5MHz-204MHz) 8 Better modulation possibilities (up to 4096QAM) 9 More powerful modems more channels available 5

6 Design for Distributed Access Architecture OLD vs. NEW Architecture Playout/datacenter Headends Node Access network OLD DigiTV VoD Internet Telephony IP-Router QAM DigiTV QAM VoD EDGEQUAMS COAX Combiner TX RX RX TX CMTS s Analog Fiber Playout/datacenter Headends Node Access network DigiTV Typical fibre length less than 10 kilometres New amplifiers, passives and taps NEW VoD Internet Telephony IP-Router R- PHY CCAP Digital IP Fiber N+5 design 6

7 Current R-PHY/CCAP architecture footprint Geographical overview New CCAP sites Old HE sites changing to router locations in DAA architecture 40 HE sites 6 CCAP sites 7

8 How we are building - Successful 2-phased approach Phase overview Phase 1 2 RPHY SPM: 8 Action Replace passives and amplifiers (1:1 replacement) Replace filters and install Remote-PHY Node (1:1 replacement) Realign amplifiers 20 R-PHY nodes replaced per week (to be extended) 5 teams of 8 people in a roll 15 people orchestrating planning, design and test Additional Planning and roll-out scheduled in 4 months forecast. Replacement of customer installations on request (replacement of outlet and modem) Main focus - Minimising customer impact/outage

9 Current build status Deployment completion overview Element R-PHY nodes Progress 200 Amplifiers Filters CCAP sites Passives Target Contractor

10 Build findings Findings and examples Pre-stage configuration R-PHY solution in the field Pre-stage/pre-configure as much as possible Get to know your network!! Example from Operations 10 Past - Disconnecting an analogue node usually results in 15 seconds downtime Now - Disconnecting a R-PHY node usually results in 15 minutes downtime Difficult ramp up in R-PHY deployment (phase 2) Troubleshooting difficult Heat main reason for incidents in the early phases Tests with OFDM downstream completed in live network

11 Documentation and Quality Assurance Preparation and execution Poor fiber documentation is the main reason for roll-back in deployment of R-PHY s Documentation Evaluate all existing documentation (GIS, Engineering etc.) Fix as much as possible before roll out High focus on fiber documentation change in handling fiber in the field Example : disconnecting a presumed analogue node turned out to be a switch location Most common quality issues are loose connectors Quality Assurance Competencies/ Skill Level Investigate the level of build quality before roll out Have strict Quality Assurance processes in place when building Quality assurance (physical inspection) on 25 % of all field work during rebuild Make sure to evaluate and train before roll out 11

12 Tools Monitoring Troubleshooting, automation and monitoring Shifting from technology issues towards own ability to take up new technology Troubleshooting Introducing new process and tool for upstream alignment and troubleshooting for amplifiers and R-PHY nodes Big change in the way field technicians approach the network (Proactive Network Monitoring tools in use) Automate The amount of RPD s to be deployed requires automated software uploads. Home grown tool deployed now in process of migrating to a standard tool Purpose Prior to R-Phy deployment After R-Phy deployment Remark US alignment and ingress monitoring DOCSIS capacity monitoring Viavi XPERTrak Arris ICO-1 Arris vmanager integration (Homegrown) Arris ServAssure NXT Performance manager RPD and Core management Arris RPD Manager Arris vmanager integration RF Amplifier control and monitoring RF network / CM monitoring and troubleshooting Teleste EMS Explorer Stofamaps homegrown Teleste Argus Explorer Arris ServAssure NXT Alarm Central 12

13 Lessons learned Most important findings Difficult 13 Upstream RF monitoring and adjusting is still a headache Upstream alignment turns out to be real difficult Data quality is KING - Ensure documentation quality still struggling. Handling of R-PHY technology => challenging the field staff R-PHY units are logically connected to the CCAP Core..no direct physical connection any more Reuse as much as possible of the existing DHCP setup and the network components if possible Our experience shows that new Docsis solution + new network setup + new DHCPv6 setup equals huge complexity and increases the number of incidents Easy The new R-PHY technology and implementation is robust Easy capacity upgrades in the future only license changes nothing to be changed in the physical network for some years Tasks that seemed difficult in the design phase; for example PTP timing turned out to be quite easy Proactive Network Monitoring tools quite easy to deploy

14 Thanks for your attention! Questions are more than welcome 14