Automatic provisioning of customer premises equipment

Abstract

Systems, methods, apparatus and other mechanisms to automatically provision CPE at a customer location by generating and storing at a server a “gold” configuration script for each CPE for each customer, and for downloading the gold configuration script to CPE in response to receiving at a zero touch provisioning (ZTP) entity a provisioning control signal automatically generated by CPE due to execution of a pre-installed script upon initial power up. The gold configuration script may comprise CPE configuration and service provisioning information received from the ZTP entity, such as provided by a class of service (COS) template specifically designed to provision the requesting CPE in accordance with the premises-specific environment of the network and the customer-specific services to be provided via the network.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, performed by a server computing device for zero touch provisioning (ZTP) in a network, the method comprising:
 receiving a customer specification of network requirements (CSNR) exclusively specified for a customer premises equipment (CPE);   provisioning a class of service (COS) template exclusively created for providing an intended operation of the CPE based at least on the CSNR;   storing the COS template and an identity of the CPE as one job assignment;   receiving, from the CPE, a signal comprising the identity of the CPE being plugged into a network link at customer premises for a first time; and   downloading to the CPE, based at least on the received identity of the CPE matching the one job assignment, service information for the ZTP of the intended operation of the CPE, the service information including at least the COS template information.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the identity of the CPE is a serial number. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the auto link to the ZTP server comprising a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) of the ZTP server. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the downloaded service information further comprises information related to one or more of service attributes including: a point-to-point protocol (PPP), local area network (LAN) data, a quality of service (QoS), dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP), and virtual local area network (VLAN). 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the CPE is a CPE router, CPE switch, or a voice over internet protocol (VoIP). 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one job assignment is one of a plurality of job assignment entries in a table comprising job assignments for a corresponding plurality of CPEs, said table being stored in the ZTP server. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the class of service (COS) template comprising service configuration layer information. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the service configuration layer information indicates at least one of a voice quality and a voice session initiation protocol (SIP) trunking. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a communication path between the ZTP server and the CPE include a modem installed in the customer premises. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the downloading to the CPE of the COS template takes place after authenticating the CPE in the network. 
     
     
         11 . A method, performed by a customer premises equipment (CPE) for zero touch provisioning (ZTP) of the CPE, the method comprising:
 receiving, before installing the CPE at customer premises, a configuration template specification comprising an auto link to a ZTP server in a network, the auto link being indicative of identities of the ZTP server and the CPE;   plugging the CPE at the customer premises into a communication network link;   sending a signal comprising the auto link to the ZTP server; and   receiving, from the ZTP server, based on the CPE identity authenticated by the network, service information for the ZTP of the intended operation of the CPE,   wherein the service information comprises at least a class of service (COS) template which is exclusively created for the CPE based on a customer specification of network requirements (CSNR).   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the auto link to the ZTP server comprises a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) of the ZTP server. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein a connection between the communication network and the CPE is provided using a coaxial cable, a twisted pair or an optical fiber. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein a connection between the communication network and the CPE is provided using an ETHERNET. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the auto link is stored in the CPE during manufacturing of the CPE. 
     
     
         16 . An apparatus comprising:
 a processor;   a storage medium for tangibly storing thereon program logic for execution by the processor, the program logic comprising:   logic for receiving a customer specification of network requirements (CSNR) exclusively specified for a customer premises equipment (CPE);   logic for provisioning a class of service (COS) template exclusively created for providing an intended operation of the CPE based at least on the CSNR;   logic for storing the COS template and an identity of the CPE as one job assignment;   logic for receiving, from the CPE, a signal comprising the identity of the CPE being plugged into a network link at customer premises for a first time; and   logic for downloading to the CPE, based at least on the received identity of the CPE matching the one job assignment, service information for the ZTP of the intended operation of the CPE, the service information including at least the COS template information.   
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the downloaded service information further comprises information related to one or more of service attributes including: a point-to-point protocol (PPP), local area network (LAN) data, a quality of service (QoS), dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP), and virtual local area network (VLAN). 
     
     
         18 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium tangibly storing computer program instructions capable of being executed by a computer processor, the computer program instructions defining code for:
 receiving a customer specification of network requirements (CSNR) exclusively specified for a customer premises equipment (CPE);   provisioning a class of service (COS) template exclusively uniquely created for providing an intended operation of the CPE based at least on the CSNR;   storing the COS template and an identity of the CPE as one job assignment;   receiving, from the CPE, a signal comprising the identity of the CPE being plugged into a network link at customer premises for a first time; and   
       downloading to the CPE, based at least on the received identity of the CPE matching the one job assignment, service information for the ZTP of the intended operation of the CPE, the service information 
     
     
         19 . An apparatus comprising:
 a processor;   a storage medium for tangibly storing thereon program logic for execution by the processor, the program logic comprising:   logic for receiving, before installing the CPE in a customer premises, a configuration template specification comprising an auto link to a ZTP server in a network, the auto link being indicative of identities of the ZTP server and the CPE;   logic for plugging the CPE in the customer premises into a communication network link;   logic for sending a signal comprising the auto link to the ZTP server; and   logic for receiving, from the ZTP server, based on the CPE identity authenticated by the network, service information for the ZTP of the intended operation of the CPE,   wherein the service information comprises at least a class of service (COS) template which is exclusively created for the CPE based on a customer specification of network requirements (CSNR).   
     
     
         20 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium tangibly storing computer program instructions capable of being executed by a computer processor, the computer program instructions defining code for:
 receiving, before installing the CPE in a customer premises, a configuration template specification comprising an auto link to a ZTP server in a network, the auto link being indicative of identities of the ZTP server and the CPE;   plugging the CPE in the customer premises into a communication network link;   sending a signal comprising the auto link to the ZTP server; and   receiving, from the ZTP server, based on the CPE identity authenticated by the network, service information for the ZTP of the intended operation of the CPE,   wherein the service information comprises at least a class of service (COS) template which is exclusively created for the CPE based on a customer specification of network requirements (CSNR).