Application/UI Tier

The UI Tier contains host web servers for the end user applications. The ServAssure NXT UI is hosted within the UI Tier. These servers can be scaled out horizontally to meet the needs of various sized deployments. The primary purpose of this tier is to serve up end user content for visualizing the network. The servers within this tier also authenticate all user and front-end access to the ServAssure NXT App Engine or Cache Tier. This server connects to either the Cache or Search Nodes via a backend cluster load balancer. For on-demand polls, the UI sends requests to the ServAssure Collection Platform.

NXT App Engine/Cache Tier

The ServAssure NXT App Engine is another horizontally scalable component of the ServAssure NXT System. This tier provides several functions, but is primarily responsible for the business logic behind all ServAssure NXT functionality.

The ServAssure NXT App Engine nodes are Java processes that leverage an in-memory data grid technology called Apache Ignite for fast in-memory computing and analysis of data. The ServAssure NXT App Engine Tier functions as the front end for persistence within the application. Data from back office systems as well as network data from ServAssure Collection Platform flow into the ServAssure NXT App Engine nodes. The ServAssure NXT App Engine nodes house the business logic that combines back office data such as topology, modem location, and hierarchy with network data collected by ServAssure Collection Platform. Once this data is consumed and analyzed, these nodes persist the data to the Persistence Storage Tier. All access to the data in the Persistence Storage Tier passes through the ServAssure NXT App Engine nodes. These nodes are also the access point for Application/UI Server requests. The main ServAssure NXT application is the NXT Engine.

Persistent Storage Tier

This tier is responsible for two main storage functions, data storage and search, and uses two technologies, Cassandra and Solr, respectively.

Data

A Cassandra database provides historical storage of all incoming data from the network collected by ServAssure Collection Platform. The Cassandra database can be scaled out horizontally to meet the needs of data ingest rates, user query loads, and historical retention durations. This is the main workhorse of the system and provides persistence for most ingested data.

Search

A Solr Database is used primarily for storage of topology and end subscriber account information. Solr is another horizontally scalable component that allows for fast information retrieval. The Solr stored data is updated by back office data provided by the network operator. The ServAssure NXT UI leverages this database through the ServAssure NXT App Engine Tier to provide type ahead functionality when end users are searching for subscribers, modems, or topology elements in the physical plant.

Back Office

The ServAssure NXT system depends on several data sets that are consumed from the customer's back office systems. These data sets include:

Topology Data

This data describes the network physical plant, or the relationship between all components contained under a fiber node down to the cable modem endpoint in the subscriber home. Typically, this data set is derived from the operator's topology database, which is updated with all changes to the plant design.

Modem Location Data

This data provides a mapping between cable modem MAC addresses and physical plant connectivity. In most operators' networks, this data is updated on a regular basis as customers move around the network.

Hierarchy Data

This data set represents the combining network above the fiber node, or the combination of logical organizational data in conjunction with CMTS and service group data that feeds the fiber nodes.