Cisco Headend System Release 2.7 User Guide

Page of 282
 
Chapter 9    Monitor DHCTs with the DHCT Status Reporting Utility 
 
 
 
94 
4031374 Rev B 
 The router or switch lacks sufficient processing capability. The router or 
switch can act as a choke-point in the communication path. In extreme cases, 
the QPSK modulator may reboot. 
 
DBDS Configuration and Management Issues 
The following list contains some conditions that might exist in the configuration of 
the DNCS that may cause a DHCT to become a non-responder: 
 
Improper demodulator attenuation management — To maintain a 
communication link with the QPSK demodulator, DHCTs should transmit at a 
level between (and including) 25 to 55 dBmV (decibels with respect to 1 
millivolt). Over time, DHCT transmission levels may shift too high or too low. 
The shifting levels may cause significant numbers of DHCTs assigned to a 
demodulator to become non-responders. 
 
Improper DHCT inventory management — The DNCS database may fall out of 
synchronization with the database of the billing vendor. This loss of 
synchronization may cause the DNCS to try to poll DHCTs that are not actually 
in subscribers' homes. 
 
Failure to run the updateOUI utility — DHCTs that attempt to sign on to the 
network using an incorrect organizationally unique identifier (OUI) are 
unsuccessful. 
 
What Activities Can Minimize the Non-Responding Condition? 
This section summarizes some actions that system operators can take to reduce the 
non-responding condition on their network. 
 
Review Network Configuration 
Often, an examination of your basic network configuration can eliminate some 
conditions that cause DHCTs to become non-responders. Consider these points as 
you examine your network: 
 
Review your existing network topology. Verify that you have separately 
partitioned each hub. You do not want noise or interference on one hub to affect 
another hub. 
 
Review the concentration of DHCTs assigned to your system's QPSK 
modulators. Verify that DHCTs are assigned as evenly as possible to your 
system's modulators. Be certain that you never have more than 16,000 DHCTs 
assigned to any one modulator. 
 
Verify the integrity of all network elements. Examine your routers and switches 
for proper throughput. Examine your power supplies, amplifiers, nodes, and 
taps, elements that are frequently overlooked during an examination of a