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special report the connected world supplement In providing localisation and


visibility of service issues, the ideal IP video-monitoring solution performs intelligent analysis and intuitive visualisation on a targeted data set, rather than gathering the broadest possible range of operational status data. This is an important differentiator of a successful IP video- monitoring solution, and will be critical in the future as IPTV operators begin to support more multiscreen services. As the service domain expands to


include additional devices, network types, content sources, and so on, the approach of gathering all of the available data and operating after- the-event analysis becomes increasingly time consuming. Too much information can be as much of a barrier to quick and effective action as too little information. In the multiscreen landscape, a smart filtering and rapid analysis approach is crucial to an operator’s success in delivering a superior service. A successful IPTV monitoring


solution provides customised views of service performance based on a wide range of categories such as neighborhood, region, channel, headend, and more. By breaking data down into a more manageable view, the monitoring system helps to accelerate and eliminate the risk of introducing new services, like multiscreen and OTT. This more manageable view of the


service also helps eradicate a common challenge that network operations personnel often face: silent failures. Silent failures are service issues that occur with no alarm registered by the existing monitoring system. Typically, these ‘silent’ issues only get recognised if a customer service agent notices a trend. A monitoring solution that uses correlation rules, on the other hand, enables service operators to more quickly identify and isolate silent service issues, driving improvements in customer satisfaction. In addition to real-time capabilities,


meaningful after-the-event analysis is also important, particularly for trending, periodic reporting and in supporting a more detailed technical investigation of subtle issues.


A unique approach to monitoring


Many IPTV service assurance solutions involve porting a proprietary client to each consumer device to provide


www.ibeweb.com l the connected world supplement september/october 2012 l ibe l S23


information regarding its operational status and performance. But Mariner’s preferred approach is to seek out existing sources of monitoring data, eliminating the challenge of adding a proprietary piece of software to the device stack. These sources include several standardised or commonly- used technologies which provide the necessary data from the network edge. Mariner concentrates its own intellectual efforts toward effective issue analysis, visualisation, reporting, and troubleshooting. This approach is now reaping benefits, as the proprietary client approach is a poor option when dealing with the multiplicity of end devices which characterises the multiscreen and OTT environments. Mariner’s architecture for monitoring involves three tiers: • A deep understanding of the


available monitoring data set, and a set of connectors to harvest that data. • A common but flexible analysis


engine, rules driven and highly configurable, to provide the most useful ‘rolled-up’ status indicators based on the available data. • Easy-to-interpret dashboards


providing rapid insight and action for different operator stakeholders. Mariner identified standardised or


commonly-used technologies that could provide the necessary data from the network edge, and concentrated intellectual efforts toward effective issue analysis, visualisation, reporting, and troubleshooting. Mariner addresses the most


important issues affecting the IPTV market, including growing operational costs and high levels of customer dissatisfaction, by capturing insight from the end device. Through a


In order to effectively monitor multiscreen services, an operator must manage an extremely complex set of content delivery requirements, taking into account a diverse number of viewing platforms, network types, content formats, encapsulation strategies, and bitrates...


unified network architecture and standardised technology, data is collected from the edge of the network and service operators are provided with multiple, customisable views of that information for more effective monitoring and management of their customers’ QoE. Real-time analysis and simple


visualisation of the video service status helps the operator pinpoint trouble areas that impact quality of service across many different devices, including traditional set-top boxes and newer IP-connected platforms like tablets, smartphones, PCs, Macs, and mobile gaming devices. Data can seamlessly be collected from a variety of broadband access platforms, such as DSL, DOCSIS, wireless, and Wi-Fi, ensuring a smooth user experience across any device and network. As the consumers’ insatiable


appetite for OTT and multiscreen services grows, an increasing number of adaptive bitrate standards are making their way into the world, including Apple HLS Streaming, Microsoft Smooth Streaming, Adobe HTTP Dynamic Streaming, and the new HTTP streaming standard MPEG DASH. It is therefore imperative for an IP monitoring solution to support all current and future HTTP streaming formats. Mariner understands that to


Monitoring and managing video on multiscreen


networks ensures QoE for customers.


succeed in this highly competitive TV marketplace, service operators must meet the quality expectations of an increasingly demanding TV consumer. By delivering a consistent and superior service across all networks and devices, IPTV operators can distinguish themselves in what is becoming a crowded and complex marketplace.


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