Monitoring operational status and detecting faults in a high throughput satellite system

1. A system, comprising:

a processor;

a memory storing instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

select, from a plurality of terminals, a subset of terminals to perform system operation tests using a dynamic pre-qualification technique, wherein the dynamic pre-qualification technique comprises selecting the subset of terminals to perform system operation tests based on sufficiency of received query responses from a potential subset of terminals to perform system operation tests;

perform system operation tests using the selected subset of terminals; and

report results from the system operation test using the selected subset of terminals.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the dynamic pre-qualification technique further comprises:

selecting the potential subset of terminals to perform system operation tests;

transmitting a dynamic pre-qualification query to each terminal from the selected potential subset of terminals;

receiving at least one query response from each of the selected potential subset of terminals;

determining the sufficiency of each of the received at least one query responses; and

selecting the subset of terminals to perform system operation tests based on the sufficiency of the received query responses.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the query response is based on at least one status self-check performed by each of the terminals, wherein the status self-check is used to help determine whether the terminal is able to be used to perform system operation tests, the status self-check comprising at least one of terminal state, user activity, transmission link quality, and transmission link reliability.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the sufficiency of each of the received at least one query responses is based on the at least one of the status self-check meeting a predetermined threshold or responsiveness of the terminal to the dynamic pre-qualification query.

5. The system of claim 2 , wherein the memory storing instructions further comprises:

performing, in response to the determination that at least one query responses is insufficient, at least one of the following actions:

generate an alarm or notification;

delay the dynamic pre-qualification technique; and

abort the dynamic pre-qualification technique.

6. The system of claim 2 , wherein selecting the subset of terminals to perform system operation tests comprises:

disqualifying terminals associated with insufficient query responses;

filtering out disqualified terminals from the subset of terminals to perform system operation tests; and

adding qualified terminals into the subset of terminals to perform system operation tests.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein selecting the subset of terminals to perform system operation tests further comprises:

prioritizing the qualified terminals within the subset of terminals to perform system operation tests.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein system operation tests comprises at least one of: traffic tests, business link tests, application tests, forward channel coverage tests, and return channel coverage tests.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the results of the system operation tests are reported with at least one of the following: an overall pass-fail result, a pass-fail result for each individual system operation test with specific measure values, specific measured values for which pass-fail is determined based on comparing to predetermined thresholds, and a time of the performed system operation test.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the memory storing instructions further comprises:

determining potential system operation issues based on the results of the system operation tests using the selected subset of terminals; and

generating at least one alarm or notification based on the determination of potential system operation issues.

11. A method for monitoring operational status and detecting faults in a satellite system, comprising:

selecting, by a processor, a subset of terminals, from a plurality of terminals, to perform system operation tests, wherein selecting the subset of terminals uses a dynamic pre-qualification technique, wherein the dynamic pre-qualification technique comprises selecting the subset of terminals to perform system operation tests based on sufficiency of received query responses from a potential subset of terminals to perform system operation tests;

performing system operation tests using the selected subset of terminals; and

reporting results from the system operation test using the selected subset of terminals.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the dynamic pre-qualification technique comprises selecting the subset of terminals to perform system operation tests by:

identifying the potential subset of terminals to perform system operation tests;

transmitting a dynamic pre-qualification query to each terminal from the identified potential subset of terminals;

receiving at least one query response from each of the identified potential subset of terminals;

determining the sufficiency of each of the received at least one query responses; and

selecting the subset of terminals to perform system operation tests based on the sufficiency of the received query responses.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the query response is based on at least one status self-check performed by each of the terminals, wherein the status self-check is used to help determine whether the terminal is able to be used to perform system operation tests, the status self-check comprising at least one of: terminal state, user activity, transmission link quality, and transmission link reliability.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the sufficiency of each of the received at least one query responses is based on the at least one of the status self-check meeting a predetermined threshold and responsiveness of the terminal to the dynamic pre-qualification query.

15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

performing, in response to the determination that at least one query responses is insufficient, at least one of the following actions:

generate an alarm or notification;

delay the dynamic pre-qualification technique; and

abort the dynamic pre-qualification technique;

determining potential system operation issues based on the results of the system operation tests using the selected subset of terminals; and

generating at least one alarm or notification based on the determination of potential system operation issues.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having an executable stored thereon, which when executed instructs a processor to perform a method as follows:

selecting, from a plurality of terminals, a subset of terminals to perform system operation tests, wherein selecting the subset of terminals uses a dynamic pre-qualification technique, wherein the dynamic pre-qualification technique comprises selecting the subset of terminals to perform system operation tests based on sufficiency of received query responses from a potential subset of terminals to perform system operation tests;

performing system operation tests using the selected subset of terminals; and

reporting results from the system operation test using the selected subset of terminals.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein:

the dynamic pre-qualification technique comprises selecting the subset of terminals to perform system operation tests by:

identifying the potential subset of terminals to perform system operation tests;

transmitting a dynamic pre-qualification query to each terminal from the identified potential subset of terminals;

receiving at least one query response from each of the identified potential subset of terminals;

determining the sufficiency of each of the received at least one query responses; and

selecting the subset of terminals to perform system operation tests based on the sufficiency of the received query responses.