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Cisco Subscriber Registration Center (CSRC) is an integrated suite of software modules that allows large-scale configuration and management of broadband modems. Leveraging the extensibility of Cisco Network Registrar, CSRC enables and administers subscriber self-registration. The directory-enabled architecture of CSRC allows it to integrate with LDAP version 3 directory servers.
Modem Registrar, included in the CSRC suite of software modules, is a policy-based cable modem management module that provides dynamic cable modem configuration. The Cisco TFTP server uses information, such as the cable modem's vendor, the subnet it is connected to, and other option settings to generate a complete Data-Over-Cable Systems Interface Specification (DOCSIS) configuration file. The DOCSIS certified cable modem uses the configuration information in this file and the time-of-day it obtains from the Time server to establish full secure network connectivity to the Cable Modem Termination System (CMTS).
This chapter introduces you to the features and benefits of the Modem Registrar application, and explains the hardware, server platform, and client requirements for using Modem Registrar. This chapter also introduces you to some of the components and interfaces Modem Registrar requires for proper operation.
Modem Registrar includes the following features:
Modem Registrar requires Cisco Network Registrar (CNR) version 3.0 (1)T or later Technology (T) version, which includes the following features:
Modem Registrar enables multiple service operators (MSOs) to meet the rapid demand for data over cable service in homes and businesses. Using Modem Registrar, you can do the following:
Modem Registrar operates with the following hardware components:
Modem Registrar supports the following server platforms:
Intel Sparc | |
Operating System | |
LDAP version 3 |
The Modem Register Web-based user interface operates using a standard browser that the customer provides and installs on the client system. The client browser must support Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) to provide security for configuration information. Modem Registrar currently supports the following client browsers:
A cable modem obtains the time-of-day using the time protocol (RFC-868) before downloading its DOCSIS configuration files. This time-of-day value enables the cable modem to store events in an internal log with a time-stamp. Since Windows NT does not provide a built-in time service feature as Solaris does, Modem Registrar provides a Time server for systems running Windows NT.
DOCSIS certified cable modems require precisely specified configuration files. The options specified in the configuration files apply to specific cable modems and are influenced by the services the subscriber has selected, the network to which the cable modem is connected, and by the set of hardware components between the subscriber and headend. While Solaris provides a native TFTP service, its capabilities are inadequate for configuring cable modems. Windows NT does not provide any TFTP services.
To meet the configuration requirements of cable modems, Modem Registrar enhances the Cisco Network Registrar (CNR) TFTP server (RFC 1350 compliant) with dynamic configuration capabilities. The Cisco TFTP server replaces the TFTP server available on Solaris systems. You must disable all existing TFTP services before using Modem Registrar to avoid overlapping of services.
The Cisco TFTP server provides the following capabilities:
Modem Registrar enhancements to the TFTP server provide policy-based dynamic generation of DOCSIS certified cable modem configuration files. In addition to reading and writing ordinary files, the enhanced TFTP server can also read DOCSIS configuration files.
You can use the Web-based user interface to control and configure the TFTP server, and to define policies for creating DOCSIS configuration files. The TFTP activities and settings you can manage are the following:
For more information, see the "Managing the Cisco TFTP Server."
Modem Registrar operates with the following customer-provided components:
The Cisco Subscriber Registration Center (CSRC) software packages, including Modem Registrar, require Perl version 5.00502 or higher to operate properly. If you do not already have Perl installed, you can obtain a copy from the CSRC distribution media, or you can download a copy from the Internet.
In addition to operating with the external interfaces described in the "Customer-Provided Interfaces" section, Modem Registrar also requires the Netscape Application Server (NAS). This server is an integral part of the Modem Registrar installation and is provided with the CSRC suite of modules.
Modem Registrar and other CSRC components reside on the same host as the NAS, including the Modem Registrar files used to create and format Web pages containing new or revised parameters. These files are the following:
Posted: Fri Oct 15 12:36:32 PDT 1999
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