Customer Engineering

ACS Operational Launch Checklist

Overview

This checklist ensures a successful ACS operational launch for CONTROL. Complete each step in sequence before deploying devices to end-customers.

Prerequisites Checklist

1. Device Testing and Integration

All devices must be tested and integrated in the development platform before proceeding to production.

Development Platform: control-dev.zequenze.com

Ensure all device profiles are validated and functioning correctly in this environment.

2. DNS Configuration

Configure your own FQDN pointing to Zequenze's production environment. This allows your devices to use a domain under your management.

Typical DNS Configuration:

acs.myMVNO.com    CNAME    control.zequenze.com.

Replace myMVNO.com with your actual domain name.

3. TR-069 Credentials Configuration

All devices (modems) must have TR-069 credentials properly configured with the following parameters:

Important: These TR-069 settings must be configured by default in the device's firmware/software. This ensures that devices continue reporting to the ACS platform even after a factory reset.

Production Validation Testing

Before deploying to end-customers, perform the following validation tests on the production environment. This step requires completion of steps 1-3 above.

Required Validation Tests

All tests must complete successfully before proceeding to deployment.

Deployment Authorization

Once all validation tests are successful, you are authorized to begin deploying devices to end-customers.

Final Verification:

Configuring STUN (UDP-based connection request)

Overview

STUN (Session Traversal Utilities for NAT) is a TR-069 connection-request helper protocol that enables the ACS (Auto Configuration Server) to reach CPE (Customer Premises Equipment) devices that cannot be accessed via direct HTTP requests. STUN is typically required when the CPE is located behind a firewall or a NAT (Network Address Translation) process.

STUN-diagram.png

Configuration Requirements

To enable STUN functionality, both the CONTROL ACS platform and the CPE must be properly configured.

CPE Configuration

Configuring STUN on the CPE is straightforward and requires only two parameters:

Development Environment Settings

For testing and development purposes, use the following configuration:

STUN Server: control-stun-dev.zequenze.com
Port: 3478

CONTROL ACS Configuration

On the CONTROL ACS platform, STUN-related variables must be added to the Device Profile. A typical configuration example:

STUN-config.png

How STUN Connection Requests Work

Once STUN is configured on both the ACS and CPE:

  1. The CPE establishes a UDP binding with the STUN server
  2. The CPE reports this UDP binding address to the ACS using the TR-181 parameter: Device.ManagementServer.UDPConnectionRequestAddress
  3. The ACS uses this reported address for all subsequent connection-request procedures

This mechanism allows the ACS to communicate with CPE devices even when they are not directly accessible via traditional HTTP connection requests.

FAQ ACS | MVNO ALTAN

Plataforma ACS Zequenze para MVNO ALTAN

Preguntas Frecuentes

¿Qué es y para qué sirve la plataforma ACS Zequenze?

La plataforma ACS Zequenze permite al MVNO gestionar y operar los dispositivos de cliente (por ejemplo, módems) de forma remota, segura y automatizada.

acs-diagram-es.png

Principales funcionalidades

Las principales tareas que se pueden realizar y automatizar a través de la plataforma ACS Zequenze son:

Reportes y analíticos

Adicionalmente, la plataforma provee extensos reportes y analíticos sobre los dispositivos, incluyendo:

Interfaces de gestión

Como se indica en el diagrama anterior, la gestión de los dispositivos está disponible mediante:

¿Qué necesito para gestionar mis dispositivos con la plataforma ACS Zequenze?

El único requisito es que los dispositivos de usuario (módems) soporten el protocolo estándar TR-069 y que estén apropiadamente configurados para reportar hacia la plataforma ACS Zequenze.

Configuración para pruebas

Para fines de pruebas, los dispositivos pueden ser fácilmente configurados para reportar a la plataforma con solo estos tres parámetros:

Configuración para producción

Una vez validada la integración de cada tipo de dispositivo, se podrá acordar el mecanismo con el cual se configurarán en forma masiva los dispositivos de usuarios. Los métodos más típicos son:

Para nuevos dispositivos:

Para dispositivos existentes:

¿Puedo migrar mis dispositivos de un ACS existente a la plataforma ACS Zequenze?

Absolutamente.

Una de las ventajas del protocolo utilizado por las plataformas ACS (TR-069) es que es estándar y no permite hacer lock-in de los clientes en una plataforma ACS en particular.

Una vez que se valide la integración de tus dispositivos con la plataforma ACS Zequenze, podremos establecer un plan para esta migración, lo cual es tan sencillo como:

¿Cómo gestiono mis dispositivos vía la plataforma ACS Zequenze?

Según lo mencionado anteriormente, la plataforma provee interfaces WebGUI y REST API para la gestión de los dispositivos.

acs-gui.png

Ejemplo WebGUI plataforma ACS Zequenze

¿Qué diferencia la solución ACS Zequenze de otras soluciones del mercado?

Podemos resumir las principales diferencias en dos áreas:

Relacionadas a la plataforma ACS

Relacionadas a Zequenze como empresa

Si deseas conocer más de Zequenze, te invitamos a visitar nuestro website https://zequenze.com

Checklist y próximos pasos

Si deseas evaluar o implementar la plataforma ACS Zequenze, puedes contactarnos directamente escribiéndonos a team@zequenze.com

Por favor incluye la siguiente información:

Importante: No olvides confirmar que cuentan con el soporte de TR-069 con el fabricante/suministrador del módem

How to onboard devices into zequenze CONTROL ACS

Overview

Onboarding devices into Zequenze CONTROL is a straightforward process. This guide provides the key considerations and steps to successfully connect your devices to the CONTROL Access Control Server (ACS).

gaiia-zqz.png

Key Concepts

Before beginning the onboarding process, understand these fundamental aspects:

  1. Cloud-Based Architecture: Zequenze ACS is hosted in the Public Cloud (AWS/GCP), so all devices must have Internet connectivity to communicate with the platform.

  2. TR-069 Protocol: The protocol follows a client-to-server model where devices (CPEs) periodically report to the ACS at intervals defined by the Report Interval parameter. For a comprehensive understanding of TR-069, refer to this tutorial.

  3. Remote Management: Once successfully onboarded, the ACS enables remote configuration and management of CPEs using TR-069 variables supported by each device. These variables are defined in TR-098/TR-181 Data Models and can be managed through the ACS platform GUI or REST API.

Requirements

Mandatory Parameters

For a CPE to communicate with the ACS platform via TR-069, configure the following four (4) parameters:

  1. ACS URL: The FQDN where devices will initiate TR-069 sessions.

  2. Username & Password: Onboarding credentials used by the CPE to authenticate with the ACS platform.

  3. Report Interval: Time interval (in seconds) for periodic Inform messages from the CPE to the ACS platform.

  4. Internet Connectivity: Required for cloud-based ACS access. Note: Some CPEs, such as FTTH ONTs, may require specific WAN VLAN configuration to permit TR-069 traffic.

DNS Configuration

Internet Service Providers (ISPs) must define their own FQDN as a CNAME record pointing to the Zequenze ACS platform. For example:

acs.myISP.com    CNAME    A    control.zequenze.com.

Configuration

Default TR-069 Parameters

Once DNS is configured, set up your devices with the following default TR-069 configuration:

Configuration Methods

There are two (2) primary methods for mass-configuring default TR-069 settings on devices:

  1. Vendor Integration: Request your CPE vendor to embed this information into the device's software default values.

  2. DHCP Option 43: Use DHCP Option 43 to provision TR-069 parameters automatically.

For more details on ACS Discovery methods, consult this tutorial.

Important Considerations

CRITICAL: Verify that the default TR-069 configuration persists after a factory reset. This ensures devices remain under ACS management even after being reset to factory defaults.

Validation

Verifying Successful Onboarding

Once properly configured with Internet access, devices will automatically onboard to the platform. Successfully onboarded devices appear in the Inventory view of the CONTROL GUI:

control-gui-01.png

Inventory View Fields

The following table explains the information displayed in the Inventory view:

Field Description
Name Unique device name in the platform. Automatically generated as the concatenation of Device OUI + Serial Number. Upon initial onboarding with model-specific credentials, the ACS assigns unique Username/Password credentials to each device.
ID Device's unique identifier within the ACS platform.
Status Indicates whether the device is currently reporting periodically to the platform.
Profile CWMP (TR-069) profile assigned to this device. Each device model uses a specific profile based on its data model, which can be customized per customer requirements.
Serial Device serial number.
Groups Logical groups to which the device belongs.
Location Physical location assigned to the device.
Description Notes and metadata about the device. By default, the initial onboarding timestamp is recorded here.

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

If a configured device does not automatically onboard, verify the following:

  1. ACS URL Configuration: Confirm the ACS URL is correctly set on the device (check in the device's GUI or management interface).

  2. Credentials: Verify that Username and Password are properly configured on the device (check in the device's GUI or management interface).

  3. Internet Connectivity: Ensure the device has active Internet access. Note: Some CPEs, particularly FTTH ONTs, require specific WAN VLAN configuration to allow TR-069 traffic through the network.

Additional Support

If you continue experiencing onboarding issues after performing these checks, our team is available to assist with detailed troubleshooting. Please contact us for specialized support.

How to setup a webserver for TR-143 Performance Tests

TR-143 defines the standard framework for running performance tests from a CPE (Customer Premises Equipment) through the TR-069 protocol. Specifically for the Download and Upload tests, the CPE requires a functional HTTP server to either download or upload files to compute current throughput and measure network performance.

This guide explains how to configure a web server that supports both download and upload functionality for TR-143 performance testing when using CONTROL.

Requirements

Installation Steps

Install Nginx

Update the package list and install Nginx:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install nginx

Create Directory Structure

Create the necessary directories for downloads, uploads, and temporary files:

sudo mkdir -p /var/www/files
sudo mkdir -p /var/www/files/download
sudo mkdir -p /var/www/files/upload
sudo mkdir -p /var/www/files/tmp

Set the correct ownership for the web server:

sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/files

Configure Nginx

Edit the Nginx configuration file located at `/etc/nginx/sites-available/default` with the following content:

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name noname;
    root /var/www/files/download;

    location / {
        autoindex off;
    }

    client_max_body_size 100M;

    location /upload {
        client_body_temp_path /tmp;
        alias /var/www/files/upload;
        dav_methods PUT;
        dav_access user:rw group:rw all:r;
    }
}

Configuration notes:

Apply Configuration

Verify the configuration syntax:

sudo nginx -t

If the configuration is valid, restart Nginx to apply changes:

sudo systemctl restart nginx

Testing the Setup

Download Test

To test download functionality, first create a test file in the download directory (e.g., `100MB.bin`), then download it from a client machine:

wget http://<server_ip_address>/100MB.bin

Upload Test

To test upload functionality, upload a file from your local machine to the server (uploading a file named **`test-upload.bin`** from your local host to the server):

curl -X PUT --data-binary @test-upload.bin http://<server_ip_address>/upload/test-upload.bin

Replace `` with your server's actual IP address and ensure the test file exists locally before running the upload command.

Troubleshooting