Cisco Headend System Release 2.7 Troubleshooting Guide

 

4024428 Rev B 

v 

 

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the National Weather Service, and 

local authorities send emergency alert messages (EAMs) to service providers who 

broadcast these messages to television subscribers. These messages include regular 

tests of the Emergency Alert System (EAS), as well as messages that warn of 

dangerous conditions such as thunderstorms, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, and 

earthquakes. 
The FCC requires that service providers receive and send Emergency Alert Messages 

(EAMs). In addition, the FCC requires that service providers conduct weekly and 

monthly tests of the Emergency Alert System (EAS). By conducting weekly and 

monthly tests of the EAS, service providers ensure the reliability of their EAS 

equipment so that subscribers can receive national, state, and local warning 

messages about emergency situations. 
This guide describes the digital EAS and the various EAS vendor components that 

interface with our IP Service Delivery System (ISDS) and the IPTV Services Delivery 

Platform (ISDP). 

 

After reading this guide, you will be able to configure, operate, maintain, and test 

EAS components on the ISDS and the RNCS. Properly configuring, maintaining, and 

testing your system lets you follow FCC regulations by receiving and then sending 

EAMs to subscribers through a correctly configured and fully automatic EAS 

process. If your system does not perform as expected, this guide also includes a 

troubleshooting section so you can quickly restore your system to full operation.  

 
 

You have the option of configuring your EAS as one of the following: 

 

A centralized configuration, where the central ISDS sends the EAMs to all the 

subscribers' set-tops. 

 

A distributed configuration, where the central ISDS and each Regional Network 

Control Server (RNCS) delivers the EAMs to the subscribers' set-tops. 

 
 

This document is valid for the ISDS 2.3 and later software releases.