Aptilo WiMAX Provisioning |
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home / solutions / wimax / Aptilo WiMAX Provisioning
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There are several different methods available for configuration and provisioning of users and devices in a WiMAX network, all the way from various forms of manual configuration up to advanced over-the-air (OTA) provisioning solutions. The WiMAX Forum has taken a new initiative to facilitate an open retail model.
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Aptilo WiMAX AAA+ Core gives you more |
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WiMAX Forum Open Retail CertificationWiMAX Forum Open Retail Certification
Over-the-air provisioning plays a central role in the WiMAX Forum Open Retail Certification InitiativeWiMAX Forum Open Retail Certification Initiative which defines a set of processes, features and test cases that ensure end-user devices can be sold to consumers via any retail store, and allows end-users to activate the services without any help from service providers.
The OTA support is important in an open retail model because it allows for automatic remote configuration of devices with the necessary operator-specific parameters and gives a complete lifecycle management for the device.
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Another key element of the Open Retail Initiative is Certification Version Signaling (CVS), which allows operators to automatically identify the subscriber device and review its feature-by-feature certification test records during the network entry request. This process empowers the operator to automatically enforce policies to prevent uncertified devices from disrupting efficient network operation. It also makes it possible to display only the subset of available services that is supported by the specific device in the user online activation process.
The Authentication, Authorization and Accounting (AAA) function is also a key element in the signup process. Aptilo is committed to supporting all WiMAX Forum initiatives and standards including the WiMAX Forum Open Retail Certification Initiative with our Aptilo WiMAX AAA+ CoreAptilo WiMAX AAA+ Core - the key component in both the Aptilo WiMAX AAA+ Server™Aptilo WiMAX AAA+ Server™ and the pre-integrated Aptilo WiMAX CSN System™Aptilo WiMAX CSN System™. |
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WiMAX Forum Open Retail Certification
Overview of WiMAX provisioning methods
Many service providers strive to find methods that do not require any operator-specific settings pre-provisioned in the device.
It is very cost-effective to allow consumers to pick any device from the shelf in the store and then let the user execute an online activation -- this ties the device to the user and is a prerequisite for an open retail model. Another important consideration is the impact the method has on the operator and end-user in terms of time and effort to get the device up and running after sign-up. The capital expenditure (CAPEX) investment in provisioning systems is of course a governing factor for most operators. Finally the choice of authentication method has an impact on whether or not client certificates are required.
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OTA / OMA-DM ProvisioningOTA / OMA-DM Provisioning: The OMA-DM (Open Mobile Alliance Device Management) system has the clear benefit of having very low impact on both the user and the operator in terms of the time and effort to provision a device as it provisions the device over-the-air (OTA). It also provides a great flexibility in managing the device over its lifecycle -- even software clients and upgrades can be delivered over-the-air. Aptilo’s WiMAX solutions support integration with 3rd party OMA-DM systems through our native provisioning interfaces.
Open Online ActivationOpen Online Activation: This method also allows for that the device can be taken from the shelf and does not need to be pre-provisioned. It requires however a client certificate for mutual authentication with the AAA server.
When the device is switched on for the first time it will login via TLS using the MAC address as the user ID. The “unknown device” feature in the Aptilo AAA+ Core recognizes that this is an unprovisioned device and will apply hotline profiles so that the user is hotlined and forwarded to a sign-up portal for online selection of services and user activation. One disadvantage until now has been the use of MAC addresses for login as this has required self-management access via the device itself. |
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Traditionally, with this method, a user is unable to login from another connection manage and refill the account. However, with the Aptilo AAA+ CoreAptilo AAA+ Core, this problem is solved in an elegant way with a hierarchical account structure.
The device is set up as a sub-account and uses the MAC address to login and gain access to the network. Later, when the service is set up by the user in the sign-up process, an account with user ID and password is created and associated as the master account for the device.
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This master account can later be used for self-management of the account including refill of prepaid accounts (top-up). This can also be done remotely over the Internet, as this account is not tied to any particular device. The user continues to login with the device via the MAC-based sub-account, one account for each device.
Open Online Activation is a very attractive alternative to the OMA-DM method as it offers all the benefits of using off-the-shelf devices for a fraction of the cost, although the continuous management of device upgrades will not be achieved over-the-air.
Manual Operator ProvisioningManual Operator Provisioning: With Manual Operator Provisioning, the devices are pre-provisioned with unique user IDs (UIDs) and passwords at the factory or in batches at the operator’s warehouse.
Manual End-User ProvisioningManual End-User Provisioning: This method can be used if it is not feasible to use unique client certificates or pre-provision the device. In this case, a UID/password must be manually provisioned into the device by the end-user upon first connection.
While the manual provisioning methods should be avoided as these processes can be very costly, Aptilo has developed specific functionality to make the implementation as easy as possible.
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