Subscriber Management System (SMS) 2-Way Cable Modem Provisioning
Technical Specification

By: Bruce Bahlmann - Contributing Author (your feedback is important to us!)

Created: March 2, 1999

Note: For help designing your provisioning system or developing tools to help test, automate, and deploy your system contact Birds-Eye.Net.

This document defines the inter-processing for 2-Way Modem/NIC provisioning from SMS.

The flow of this processing is as follows:

SMS objects call a local script layer (prov.pl) requires (provisioning_API.pm)

• SMS script layer (a single script) handles are major functions (see below for details of these functions).
• Passed values for each major function vary and are validated by SMS script layer. The SMS script layer makes "rsh" calls to Join-server script layer
• The SMS script layer always exits with a return value of zero (0) so that SMS can handle errors and success gracefully.
• Success of calls to join-server script layer are evaluated by echoed text messages, not by return codes, which are masked by the "rsh" call
• Provisioning data is stored in SMS and Join-server
• SMS script layer will log all requests made to it

Join-Server script layer (pserver_API) interacts with Join-server

• This script layer may be one or more scripts (as defined by developers)
• These script(s) will exit with a return code = 0 for success and a standard text message
• These script(s) will exit with a return code > 0 for failure and a specific error text message (SMS will base success/failure on the text message alone, not the exit code)
• Join developers may define failure return codes and text messages at will
• Positional ordering of passed values must be enforced when calling the Join-server script layer. Values that are blank are passed as "NONE".
• Join-server script layer will log all requests made to it

(Note : Required values for each function are bolded)

Provision Modem

1 Operation Type (PROVMDM)
2 Join-Server IP Address
3 Modem MAC Address
4 SMS Composite Account#
5 SMS User Name
6 Modem Serial#
7 Modem Type
8 Device Type
9 Speed
10 Filter
11 CPE#

Upon success, Join-server script layer echoes "PROVMDM Success"

Deprovision Modem

1 Operation Type (DEPROVMDM)
2 Join-Server IP Address
3 Modem MAC Address
4 SMS Composite Account#
5 SMS User Name

Upon success, Join-server script layer echoes "DEPROVMDM Success"

Change Service Group

1 Operation Type (CHGSVCGRP)
2 Join-Server IP Address
3 Modem MAC Address
4 SMS Composite Account#
5 SMS User Name
6 Speed
7 Filter
8 CPE#

Upon success, Join-server script layer echoes "CHGSVCGRP Success"

Considerations : Should Speed, Filter and CPE# be required ?

Provision NIC (PC)

1 Operation Type (PROVNIC)
2 Join-Server IP Address
3 NIC MAC Address
4 SMS Composite Account#
5 SMS User Name
6 PC Hostname

Upon success, Join-server script layer echoes "PROVNIC Success"

Considerations : If Hostname = "NONE", be sure not to set that value as hostname.

Join-server script layer should eventually call a DNS service for hostname registration

Deprovision NIC (PC)

1 Operation Type (PROVNIC)
2 Join-Server IP Address
3 NIC MAC Address
4 SMS Composite Account#
5 SMS User Name
6 PC Hostname

Upon success, Join-server script layer echoes "DEPROVNIC Success"

Considerations : Join-server script layer should eventually call a DNS service for hostname de-registration

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