Managing QoS over Home Networks

1
Managing QoS over Home Networks

• Amol Bhagwat
• Engineer, Technology Development OSS
  Provisioning
• Broadband Access, CableLabs

2
CableHomeTM at a Glance

• CableHome is a Specification Initiative
• Secure managed residential gateway
• Connects to the cable network automatically
  (hands off)
• Enables cable operators to offer trouble-free
  home networking solution
• Managed IP platform, many service possibilities

P.C.
Energy
Printer
Management
Residential Gateway
Home Security
IP Audio
MP3 Player
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CableHome 1.0 in a Nutshell

• Specification publicly released April 2002
• Enables convenient home networking solution for
  the consumer
• Focus is on managed and secure residential
  gateway
• Single specification, significant industry effort
• 13 certified products so far matured
  specification
• International standard ITU Recommendation J.191

Enables cable operators to offer trouble-free
home networking solution
CableHome 1.0 Features
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CableHome 1.1 in a Nutshell

• Specification publicly released April 2003
• Builds on features and momentum of CableHome 1.0
• R/G Additions firewall management,
  telecommuting, in home servers, parental control
• Home Network additions QoS, application
  discovery
• 3 Certified devices
• Linksys, Netgear, SMC

• Improved Residential Gateway
• Standardized Firewall Configuration
• QoS and Application Discovery on the Home Network

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CableHome 1.1 QoS Goals

• Enable QoS sessions between two devices or a
  device and a RG within home
• Solve home network piece of End-to-End QoS puzzle
  for generic applications
• Enable store forward type of services by MSOs
  in the home
• Layer-2 home networking technology agnostic

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CH 1.1 QoS Design Challenges

• Key Design Considerations
• Support from existing standards-based layer-2
  technologies
• Legacy devices and best effort traffic (Is it
  realistic?)
• Can it be software upgradeable from CH 1.0?
• Does it meet overall CH 1.1 Requirements?
• Contending QoS Paradigms
• Prioritized Differentiated/Preferential access
  to the media, no QoS parameter guarantees
• Parameterized Planned access to media, QoS
  parameter guarantees

Prioritized QoS Paradigm selected for CH 1.1
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CableHome 1.1 QoS Architecture

• Portal Services (PS) CH specified functionality
  in the RG
• CableHome QoS Portal (CQP) QoS Sub-Element of
  the PS
• Boundary Point (BP) CH specified functionality
  in LAN Host
• QoS Boundary Point (QBP) QoS Sub-element of the
  BP

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CableHome 1.1 QoS Functionality

• CQP Functionality
• QoS Forwarding and Media Access (QFM)
• QoS Characteristics Server (QCS)- Priorities
  Management
• QBP Functionality
• QoS Characteristics Client (QCC)- Priorities
  Management and Prioritized Media Access
• CableHome Priorities
• CableHome Generic Priorities- Assigned to
  applications by MSOs
• CableHome Queuing Priorities- Derived from
  Generic
• CableHome Media Access Priorities- Derived from
  Generic

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CH 1.1 Priority Management
Provisioning Application Priorities to the PS
The Only Required MSO Provisioning Step
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CH 1.1 LAN Messaging
BP Obtains Application Priorities from the PS
BP
PS
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CH 1.1 LAN Messaging
Application Update in the BP
Application Update
Application Update (Addition/Deletion)
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CH 1.1 LAN Messaging
Application-session Activity in the BP
PS
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CH 1.1 QoS Highlights

• Simple and realistic solution for HN QoS
• Layer-2 technology agnostic
• Supports legacy best-effort devices in the home
• Involves minimal operator provisioning overheads
• Easy to configure and use for operators
• Provides hooks for further sophistications

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UPnP QoS Architecture

• QoS Manager Manages QoS resources over a LAN
  segment
• QoS Policy Holder Stores QoS Policies and
  provides interfaces to access policies, but
  not to manage it
• QoS Device Provides device QoS capabilities
  resources information exposes resource
  management interfaces

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UPnP QoS Messaging
UPnP Policy Holder
UPnP QoS Manager
Control Point
UPnP A/V Sink
UPnP A/V Source
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Multiple Industry Efforts on HN QoS Messaging

• CH 1.1 has defined messaging scheme for
  communication of QoS Priorities
• Uses SOAP/XML over HTTP
• The same protocols specified for UPnP control
  messages
• UPnP QoS WC in the process of defining similar
  messaging
• Two different, non-interoperable messaging
  schemes are undesirable for the industry
• Creates confusion amongst manufacturers
• Delays the deployment of the services over HN
• Ultimately hurting consumers and the entire
  industry

Unified QoS Messaging beneficial to HN industry
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What is Importantfrom a Cable Industry
Perspective

• Leverage ubiquity of UPnP messaging
• CableHome can adopt UPnP QoS Messaging
  Discovery Mechanism
• Retain ability to manage QoS policies (when
  requested by the consumer)
• Help consumer manage a possibly complicated QoS
  environment
• Important from a service offering point of view
• UPnP solution compatible with CableHome 1.1
• Identification of applications
• Support for multiple sessions associated with an
  application
• Priorities range and mappings

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How the QoS PiecesMight Fit Together for
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CH-UPnP Harmonization A Win-Win Proposition for
all

• UPnP has a lot to offer to the consumer
• Greatly enhanced home networked experience
• Prevalent interoperable solutions
• The Cable industry has a lot to offer to the
  consumer
• Broadband service
• Premium entertainment content
• Managed home networked environment (if desired by
  consumer)
• Increases Consumer, Manufacturer Cable Provider
  Benefits
• Common technical solution across multiple
  cooperating industries that address important
  consumer problems
• Leverage ubiquity of UPnP to extend and improve
  service offerings
• Additional premium content services from
  service providers will increase consumer demand
  for devices and software
• Manufacturers avoid double implementation
• Service provider can assist consumer in
  installing and managing home network (including
  the QoS environment) if the customer chooses

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Questions
Contact a.bhagwat_at_cablelabs.com