Comtech EF Data

Heights Training
dSCPC Switching
February 2017

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 dSCPC Switching Overview

– Automatic process of the Remote modems switching into dSCPC.

– Load & ToS switching are the automatic switching options.
– The 2 options are able to be used separately or together.
– Each option will have to be individually configured on the Heights remote.

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 Load Switching Overview

– Load switching is a functionality of the Remote modem to request an

increase or decrease of bandwidth to the bandwidth manager based on the
current WAN utilization.

– Load switching will have to be enabled on each Heights remote modem.

– Load switching is configurable from the driver of the Heights modem.

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 Load Switching Parameters

– Step Up Threshold: Percentage of bandwidth utilized to trigger a switch

request from the modem. This value must be greater then the Step Down
Threshold.
– Step Down Threshold: Percentage of bandwidth utilized to trigger a
switch down from the current dSCPC rate. This value must be less then
the Step Up Threshold.
– Step Up Delay: The amount of time traffic utilization must exceed the step
up threshold for a switch to be requested.
– Step Down Delay: The amount of time traffic utilization is below the Step
Down Threshold before a switch is requested. Tip: setting this delay timer
to a higher value will result in less downward switching due to inconsistent
traffic flows.
– Excess Capacity: Data rate percentage calculated to increase the
modem’s bandwidth. This calculation if derived from the current bandwidth
of the modem.

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 Configure Load Switching

– Load Switching can be configured from two areas.

• The Configuration Page of the Service Area (Service Area ->
Configuration -> Remote Settings -> Site -> dSCPC
• The Element itself (Element -> Data Display -> Configuration ->
dSCPC
– Remote modem(s) will send an Automatic Switch Request (ASR) to
the bandwidth manager to perform switches.
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 WAN Utilization

– The Height remote provides statistical information of the modem.

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 Load Switch Session

– Selecting Application Sessions on a site will notify the user what

generated a switch from the modem.
– The switch type will be displayed and the bandwidth requested from
the site will be displayed.
– Note: if the amount requested from the Application Session exceeds
the switch rate packets will begin to drop.

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 Type of Service (ToS) Switching
Overview

– ToS uses the ToS value found in the IP header to switch a Heights remote.
– The ToS value has to be presented to the modem.
– ToS switching will be enabled in each modem and associated with an application
switch type in the bandwidth manager

– ToS ID: 1-63 (reserved ToS values)

– Application Switch Policies: 64 – 254 (operator selectable)
– Maximum number of ToS switches per ID: 1 - 127 is the number of switches a
site is able to request for a single ToS value.

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 How to find the ToS value

– Differentiated Services Field (DiffServ) contains the IP header.

– The ToS is simply able to be converted using a Calculator in Programmer view
converting the Hex to Dec.
– The IP header must be exposed to use ToS switching. This may not be the case
in encrypted networks.

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 Configure ToS Switching

– ToS can be configured from two areas.

• The Configuration Page of the Service Area (Service Area ->
Configuration -> Remote Settings -> Site -> dSCPC
• The Element itself (Element -> Data Display -> Configuration ->
dSCPC

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 Application Policies

– Policies are able to be created from a global, group or individual site location.
• Set a application policy for the modem(s).
• Application priorities
• Tx Min/Max switch rate (the modem switch request should be within this value).

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 InBand Application Policies Extras

– Enable Automatic Switching: allows modems in the network to

automatically switch into dSCPC
– Excess: During a ToS switch adds extra bandwidth to a switch
– Application Updates Load: enables a ToS to occur if the switch
request is below the current bandwidth. It will also add the ToS
switch value to the current switch rate.
– Entry Rate: Must be enabled to switch from the ECM channel. Is a
global value used to override the Modem’s min switch rate for the
ECM Switch.

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 Entry Rate example

– Entry Rate Sets the initial ECMv2 switch of the Heights remote.
– If used the value must be above the minimum & below the maximum switch rate
– This is a global setting that will affect the switch rates of all remote sites.
– If the user does not wish to use leave default box checked at 0bps.

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 References

– http://www.comtechefdata.com/files/manuals/mn-netvue-pdf/MN-NETVUE.pdf

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