By Shafayet Khan, CableLabs; Tyler Glenn, CableLabs; Paul Fonte, CableLabs
Optimizing network performance is essential for service providers and application developers to ensure the best possible experience for end-users. Traditionally, networks such as DOCSIS® networks, opticalnetworks, and mobile networks have operated in silos, each managed independently. This fragmented approach often results in operational inefficiencies, extended service delivery times, and compromised user experiences due to delayed issue resolution and suboptimal network performance. For application developers, this fragmentation can lead to significant challenges in ensuring their applications run smoothly and deliver optimal performance, as they must account for varying network conditions and limitations. Additionally, problems might not always stem from the network; issues may actually originate within the applications themselves. Identifying these issues is vital for developers, and network insights can be instrumental in pinpointing and resolving such problems.
To address these challenges, CableLabs® introduces the Quality by Design (QbD) (Fonte & Khan, 2024)specification within the Network as a Service (NaaS) framework. QbD is a comprehensive approach aimed at enhancing network performance and user experience through real-time monitoring and automated resolution of network issues. Quality by Design leverages a set of APIs to facilitate two-way communication between applications and the network, transforming applications into network monitoring tools. This innovative approach allows applications to share real-time Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) with the network, providing true visibility into user experience. By correlating application KPIs with network performance data, QbD enables rapid identification and resolution of network impairments and helps determine if issues are rooted in the applications themselves.
End users can experience degraded quality, leading to suboptimal application performance, caused by various factors across the network or within the application itself. QbD addresses this by enabling applications to not only monitor network conditions but also influence network behavior through shared KPIs and network requirements. This proactive approach ensures that applications can dynamically respond to network conditions, thereby enhancing the overall customer experience.