TR-069 Lessons Learned: Unlock benefits with USP

In the CPE management world, TR-069 has reigned as king for over 20 years, with only a few use case-specific competitors. Its structure allowed for a clear view of data and easy data management. However, the protocol's use over time unearthed some flaws in its functionality and use cases. Rather than patching and transforming the protocol into something else, a newer version has been developed in parallel, learning from TR-069 failings and following current market trends. Cue in TR-369, also known as User Services Platform.

Even though USP was first defined by the Broadband Forum in 2018, it has only recently caught popularity with service providers and CPE manufacturers, with the full extent of use cases and benefits yet to be seen. We are going to highlight some of the key changes and benefits that come with switching from TR-069 to USP.

Choice of Transport
TR-069 uses a specific SOAP-based structure for communication. In contrast, the User Services Platform (USP) offers flexibility by allowing you to choose the underlying Message Transport Protocol (MTP) that best fits your use case. WebSockets can be used for a direct connection between the device and the USP Controller, enabling easy onboarding. Alternatively, MQTT (publisher-subscriber mechanism) can operate with or without an MQTT broker. STOMP is also an option, relying on message queues for server-device connectivity.

Always On
TR-069 is session-based, and it isn’t easy to predict when spikes in communication can happen on the system. As such, load handling is required in the case of campaigns, firmware upgrades, or devices coming back online after an area power outage. Another problem is device reachability in case the device is located behind a gateway. TR-069 would resort to using XMPP or STUN servers as proxies to reach the device if the device even supported them. With USP we do not have these issues as we have a direct and clear path to the devices which solves any NAT issues.

Protobuf Encoding
As part of its stack, TR-069 uses SOAP and subsequently XML as the message structure. Even though the structure is well-defined, it still leaves room for manufacturer interpretations and “dialects” that can render the messages unreadable for the server. Additionally, the nature of XML is that it's mostly structure, and a small part of it is content, making it expensive for transport. USP uses protobuf encoding, eliminating vendor interpretations and ensuring client-server compatibility. The protobuf eliminates the need for a “chatty” structure and focuses on relevant content.

No more TR Sessions
As mentioned above, TR sessions as such have issues. They are inconsistent, the device can contact the ACS for various reasons (boot, periodic, value change, etc.), which makes sizing the solution a nightmare. In case TLS is used, each session comes with its own expensive TLS handshake, taking time and computing resources. USP offers consistent load and persistent sessions. Because of its structure, additional load has minimal impact on the session itself.

Sophisticated Notifications
After covering the need for device configuration, the next step was to monitor devices to increase the Quality of Service and Quality of Experience. The most common way of gathering monitoring data in TR-069 is periodic polling. Parameter listeners could be enabled on some parameters to report Value Changes, however, not all parameters supported them. USP relies entirely on the device to report parameter changes. By setting subscriptions on certain parameters or parameter subtrees, the USP Controller would get notified of the change. Bulk Data Collection profiles can be set up so that the device can periodically send a list of specified parameters. With Edge Computing, the device takes care of filtering and forwarding only relevant parameters and data.

Multiple Controllers
In the TR-069 world, the ACS is the sole owner of the device interactions, and all configurations should go through it. However, USP allows the use of multiple controllers, having access to the same or separate portions of the device’s data model. This allows multiple systems to configure the devices or add use case-specific controllers that have access only to the portion of the data model that is relevant to them.

Streaming Use Case
With the changes in ways of communication and the structure of messages, USP enables streaming use cases, i.e. fetching a large amount of device data in a small amount of time. With proper ACS support and configuration, USP can give us a real-time view of the device for troubleshooting or quality check purposes, especially relevant for WiFi QoE use cases.

Conclusion
While TR-069 served as a reliable CPE management protocol for over two decades, the evolution of technology and user expectations revealed its limitations in flexibility, scalability, and efficiency. The User Services Platform (USP), or TR-369, addresses these shortcomings with a modern, modular design that embraces current market trends. It introduces transport protocol flexibility, persistent and scalable communication sessions, efficient protobuf encoding, real-time device monitoring, and support for multiple controllers. These advancements position USP as a forward-thinking, robust alternative that overcomes the legacy constraints of TR-069, making it the better choice for future-proof CPE management.

Written by Jure Kostelac
Jure Kostelac is a dedicated Technical Account Manager with nearly five years of experience at Axiros. With a strong customer-focused approach, Jure specializes in device management solutions, ensuring clients receive seamless support and tailored technical guidance. A key point of his work is centered around bringing the User Services Platform (USP) closer to customers, helping them optimize performance and streamline operations. Jure's expertise bridges the gap between complex technology and practical implementation, making him a trusted advisor to his clients and a key contributor to Axiros’ mission of delivering innovative, customer-centric solutions in the device and network management space.