Video Management System Overview

The BigBand VMS (Video Management System) simplifies the operation and deployment of video services. Its innovative capabilities improve operational costs by enabling integrated management of video processing functions. VMS also accelerates service turn-up, and enhances network troubleshooting and maintenance.

• Simplifies the deployment and operation of video services
• Lowers operational costs with integrated management of video processing, faster video service turn up, bulk provisioning functions and quick troubleshooting and maintenance
• Designed to support BigBand's portfolio of switched digital and broadcast video solutions to manage a range of services including digital television, video-on-demand, HDTV, IPTV and advertising applications
• Engineered to cost-effectively scale from small to large video networks with a flexible pay-as-you-go approach
• Northbound systems integration with higher-level NMS
• Built on open standards, e.g. Java, Linux, XML
• Carrier-class and scalable client/server architecture
• Supports robust fault, configuration, performance and security management functions

The VMS Platform is designed to support BigBand’s portfolio of switched digital and broadcast video solutions to manage a range of services including digital television, video-on-demand, HDTV, IPTV and advertising applications.

Engineered to cost-effectively scale from small to large video networks, the VMS offers a flexible pay-as-you-go approach. Larger video networks can immediately deploy fully-redundant VMS configurations with no single point of failure. Smaller video networks can begin with basic configurations and scale cost-effectively as network needs change.

Operators can take advantage of the BigBand VMS scalable client/server architecture to enable enhanced capabilities such as secure access to all GUI functions in a centralized or distributed manner and logically partitioning of network elements    and distributing management across different organizational groups.

Carrier-class, fully redundant and scalable client-server architecture

In addition to robust fault, configuration, accounting, performance and security management functions (FCAPS), the BigBand VMS provides capabilities that are especially useful in large video network deployments such as:

• Mass provisioning – standard configurations can be replicated across a network or a group of parameters can be quickly changed across multiple network elements;
• Mass software upgrade – scalable software download and upgrade tools;
• Configuration backup and restore;
• Northbound systems integration with higher-level NM;
• Management control by multiple concurrent users.

To aid the monitoring and troubleshooting process, the VMS offers:

• Color-coded, aggregated alarm status;
• Event / alarm log filters;
• Troubleshooting views – real-time, video-aware performance statistics.

Additionally the BigBand VMS includes extensive security management features that enable operators to control and monitor user access to different software functions.

User-Friendly GUI (Graphical User Interface)

Lowers operational costs by enabling integrated management of video processing functions across different BigBand network elements and solutions. With the VMS powerful GUI, operators can quickly locate devices and identify problems in the network. For example operators can view the definition of a device (topology), click once to view the element’s alarms, and click again to view the software configuration in the Element Manager, and download updated software. All elements of the system are available at an eye’s glance, giving the user quick access to the VMS functions.

Topology Management

Provides discovery and identification of network elements (subnets, devices, and sites), the ability to arrange into logical aggregations, associating devices with sites and graphical drill down to viewing/modifying the device properties. Each object (subnet, device or site) appears as an icon, overlayed on a choice of maps. Icons can be rearranged and saved on the map to meet the requirements of individual service providers. Topology configuration is presented from two perspectives:

• IP subnets – devices are presented by their IP/subnet, the physical view of the network;
• Network sites – devices are presented by their logical association (sites and their associated devices).

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Topology management

Fault and Security Management

Fault management is implemented via the Events and Alarms views. The Events view aggregates the system traps. The Alarms view list shows the alarms currently active in the network. Both views include a full description of the event/alarm. Both lists can be sorted according to the event/alarm properties, and searched by multiple criteria. Users can define and save custom views, using a rich array of parameters.

The VMS also includes extensive security management features that enable the service provider to control and monitor user access to different software functions.

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Fault and Security Management

Element Management

The Element Manager, a flexible and dynamic tool, offers configuration and functional control of all managed elements, from the chassis level down to the port level. Management includes naming elements and viewing their properties; configuring the element’s service parameters; and installing and removing element software. Typical activities include: modifying video service parameters; enabling, disabling, and resetting the chassis and its ports; downloading and activating software for the chassis and its ports. 

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Element Management