DSL Forum TR-069 and its extensions (TR-098, TR-104, TR-106, TR-110, TR-111, TR-135, TR-140, TR-142)* Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is TR-069?
2. What is the Purpose of TR-069?
3. What is the DSL Forum?
4. What CPE can TR-069 be used for?
5. What is B-NT?
6. What are Remote Procedure Calls?
7. What are TR-069 Parameters?
8. What is a TR-069 Voucher?
9. What are the key benefits to TR-069?
10. What are the other TRs related to TR-069? IE: TR-098, TR-104, TR-106, TR-110, TR-111, TR-135, TR-140, TR-142
11. What are the benefits of Managing devices with TR-069 and not something like SNMP?

1. What is TR-069?
The TR-069 CPE WAN Management Protocol (CWMP) is a protocol that was created by the DSL Forum which sets out a common method for CPE devices to communicate with an Auto Configuration Server (ACS). An ACS can manage a device, trouble shoot, configure, an upgrade etc.

2. What is the Purpose of TR-069?
TR-069 was created by the DSL Forum to standardize the Wide Area Network (WAN) management of CWMP. Service Providers can now use one common platform to manage, through the Internet, all of their Customer Premise Devices, no matter the device nor the manufacturer.

This common application has never been achieved before due to CPE vendors creating proprietary mechanisms for management, and not wanting to expose those mechanisms to it's competitors.

3. What is The DSL Forum?
The DSL Forum is a consortium of approximately 200 leading industry players covering telecommunications, equipment, computing, networking and service provider companies.

Their work ensures that service providers are able to rollout, as well as introduce new services quickly and effectively, using common platforms and practices that makes all they do easily scalable, and economical.

4. What CPE can TR-069 be used for?
Any and All Customer Premise Equipment (CPE), such as VoIP Analog Telephone Adapters (ATA), DSL Modems, and Residential Gateways could be provisioned via TR-069 and its extensions (TR-098, TR-104, TR-106, TR-110, TR-111, TR-135, TR-140, TR-142)

5. What is a B-NT?
A broadband access CPE device capable of being managed by an ACS.

6. What are Remote Procedure Calls?
Remote Procedure Calls (RPC) are methods that allow one program to use the services of another program in a remote machine. The calling program sends a message and data to the remote program, which is executed, and results are passed back to the calling program.

In this case a CPE must support various RPC Methods, like GetParameterValues, if the ACS sends that message to the CPE, the CPE will then respond with the value for the Parameter the ACS asked it.

7. What are TR-069 Parameters?
A name-value pair representing a manageable CWMP “option” made accessible to an ACS for reading and/or writing.

InternetGatewayDevice.WANDevice.1.WANConnectionDevice.1.WANPPPConnection.1.Username is a good example of a parameter that is the structure for the PPPoE username for the broadband connection

8. What is a TR-069 Voucher?
A digitally signed data structure that turns on or off a particular feature set within the device. A voucher for example may turn on or off Parental Controls on a device.

9. What are the key benefits to TR-069?
There are many benefits to managing a CPE device with an ACS using TR-069, they include:

* Single and bulk CWMP device configuration, troubleshooting, firmware upgrades, user management, and reporting for TR-069 * enabled devices to reduce truck rolls
* Empowers service providers to offer dynamic value-added services such as home networking, security, Voice over IP, all centrally managed via a TR-069 ACS
* Real-time CWMP access, configuration, and troubleshooting to eliminate truck rolls
* Reduces support calls by automated / proactive monitoring and managing of TR-069 * CWMP devices

10. What are the other TRs related to TR-069? IE: TR-098, TR-104, TR-106, TR-110, TR-111, TR-135, TR-140, TR-142
TR-098 - This TR lays out the Data Model for Internet Gateway Devices (DSL Modems with built in routers)
TR-104 - This TR lays out the Data Model and any specific items for Voice Over IP (VoIP) devices
TR-106 - This TR lays out a base object structure for TR-069 enabled devices
TR-110 - This TR lays out a reference model for VoIP configurations
TR-111 - This TR covers Applying TR-069 to Remote. Management of Home Networking Devices
TR-135 - This TR lays out the Data Model for Set Top Boxes
TR-140 - This TR lays out the Data Model for Mass Storage Devices
TR-142 - This TR lays out the Data Model for PON and Fibre related Devices

11. What are the benefits of Managing devices with TR-069 and not something like SNMP?
Really this is an easy question to answer. Yes SNMP is a technology that is tried and true, but each company has it's own MIB, and SNMP has been know to have security flaws. TR-069 was created to be device agnostic, meaning that every and all CPE devices can be managed by one TR-069 Auto Configuration Server (ACS) no matter what the manufacturer etc.