Forecasting and cable television network—planning of narrowcast services
A method and a non-transitory computer readable medium for evaluating a configuration change of a cable television network, the method may include: receiving, a model of a cable television network, the cable television network comprises multiple service groups, multiple transmitters and at least one session management unit; wherein each service group comprises multiple user devices; receiving or generating, viewers' activity information about viewing patterns of viewers that belong to the multiple service groups; receiving a request to perform a requested change in a current configuration of the cable television network; simulating, by a simulator, based on the model, the viewers' activity information and the requested change, a provision of services to the multiple service groups given the requested change to provide simulation results that represent an effect of the requested change, prior to a deployment of the change in the cable television network.
1. A method for evaluating a configuration change of a cable television network, the method comprising:
receiving, a model of a cable television network, the cable television network comprises multiple service groups, multiple transmitters and at least one session management unit; wherein each service group comprises multiple user devices; wherein user devices are mapped to nodes and nodes are mapped to service groups.
receiving or generating, viewers' activity information about viewing patterns of viewers that belong to the multiple service groups;
receiving a request to perform a requested change in a current configuration of the cable television network;
simulating, by a simulator, based on the model, the viewers' activity information and the requested change, a provision of services to the multiple service groups given the requested change to provide simulation results that represent an effect of the requested change, prior to a deployment of the change in the cable television network.
2. The method according to claim 1 , comprising generating viewers' activity information by processing raw viewers' activity information.
3. The method according to claim 2 , comprising processing raw viewers' activity information to provide cable television statistics and service group statistics per each service group of the multiple service groups.
4. The method according to claim 1 , comprising receiving a requested change in the number of transmitters of the cable television network, and providing simulation results that represent the effect of the requested change in the number of transmitters of the cable television network.
5. The method according to claim 1 , comprising receiving a requested change in the partition between broadcast services and switched digital video services; and providing simulation results that represent the effect of the requested change in the partition between broadcast services and switched digital video services.
6. The method according to claim 1 , comprising receiving a requested change in the mapping between service groups and user devices; and providing simulation results that represent the effect of the requested change in the mapping between service groups and user devices.
7. The method according to claim 1 , comprising receiving a requested change in at least one bit rate allocated to at least one service that should be provided over the SDV cable television network; and providing simulation results that represent an affect of the requested change in at least one bit rate allocated to at least one service that should be provided over the SDV cable television network.
8. The method according to claim 1 , comprising receiving a requested change of adding at least one narrowcast service to the services that are currently expected to be provided over the cable television network; and providing simulation results that represent the effect of the requested change of adding at least one narrowcast service to services that are currently provided over the cable television network.
9. The method according to claim 1 , comprising receiving a requested change of adding a new narrowcast service to services that are currently provided over the cable television network; wherein the new service is expected to generate new viewing patterns having a similarity to viewing patterns of a currently provided reference service; and providing simulation results that represent the effect of adding the new service; wherein the simulation is responsive to the similarity between the new viewing patterns and the viewing patterns of the currently provided reference service.
10. The method according to claim 1 , comprising receiving a requested change in resolution of a narrowcast service that is currently expected to be provided over the cable television network; and providing simulation results that represent the effect of the resolution change; wherein the change in the resolution comprises a change from a standard definition resolution to a high definition resolution, from a standard definition to 3D or from a high definition to 3D.
11. The method according to claim 1 , comprising receiving a requested change in a delivery method of at least one service that should be provided over the cable television network; and providing simulation results that represent the effect of the requested change in the delivery method of at least one service that should be provided over the cable television network.
12. A method for determining an optimal configuration of a cable television network, the method comprising:
receiving or generating viewers' activity information about viewing patterns of viewers that belong to the multiple service groups;
receiving a request to locate a configuration of the cable television network that will comply with a requested performance related demand;
evaluating a plurality of configurations of the cable television network until finding at least one desired configuration of the cable television network that satisfies the requested performance related demand;
wherein an evaluating of each configuration of the cable television network out of the plurality of configurations of the cable television network comprises:
generating a model of the cable television network when configured according to the configuration; wherein the cable television network comprises multiple service groups, multiple transmitters and at least one session management unit; wherein each service group comprises multiple user devices;
simulating, by a simulator, a provision of services to the multiple service groups by the cable television network to provide simulation results that represent a compliance level of the cable television to the requested performance related demand.
13. The method according to claim 12 , comprising processing raw viewers' activity information to provide cable television statistics and service group statistics per each service group of the multiple service groups.
14. The method according to claim 12 , comprising finding multiple desired configuration of the cable television network that satisfies the requested performance related demand and selecting a desired configuration of the cable television network.
15. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the requested performance related demand relates to an allowable number of denials of service requests sent to user devices of the cable television network.
16. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the requested performance related demand relates to a minimal number of transmitters required for providing services to the user devices without exceeding an allowable number of denials of service requests.
17. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the requested performance related demand relates to a partition between broadcast services and switched digital video services and an allowable number of denials of service requests.
18. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the requested performance related demand relates to a quality of service level supported by the cable television network.
19. A non-transitory computer readable medium that stores instructions for:
receiving, a model of a cable television network, the cable television network comprises multiple service groups, multiple transmitters and at least one session management unit; wherein each service group comprises multiple user devices;
receiving or generating, viewers' activity information about viewing patterns of viewers that belong to the multiple service groups;
receiving a request to perform a requested change in a current configuration of the cable television network;
simulating, by a simulator, based on the model, the viewers' activity information and the requested change, a provision of services to the multiple service groups given the requested change to provide simulation results that represent an effect of the requested change, prior to deployment of the change in the cable television network.
20. A non-transitory computer readable medium that stores instructions for:
receiving or generating viewers' activity information about viewing patterns of viewers that belong to the multiple service groups;
receiving a request to locate a configuration of the cable television network that will comply with a requested performance related demand;
evaluating a plurality of configurations of the cable television network until finding at least one desired configuration of the cable television network that satisfies the requested performance related demand;
wherein an evaluating of each configuration of the cable television network out of the plurality of configurations of the cable television network comprises:
generating a model of the cable television network when configured according to the configuration; wherein the cable television network comprises multiple service groups, multiple transmitters and at least one session management unit;
wherein each service group comprises multiple user devices; and
simulating, by a simulator, a provision of services to the multiple service groups by the cable television network to provide simulation results that represent a compliance level of the cable television to the requested performance related demand.