Apparatus and method for managing a network

A server comprising a controller to:

• receive information from a set top box that is associated with an undesired condition being experienced by the set top box coupled to an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) network at a network management system of the IPTV network comprising a trouble diagnosis engine and an interactive trouble report engine which are in communication with a rule management engine;
• invoking the rule management engine to validate customer records and authenticate a customer via a database in communication with the rule management engine;
• determine a failure condition associated with the information at the trouble diagnosis engine of the network management system;
• isolate the failure condition to a customer premises equipment (CPE) failure rather than an IPTV network failure;
• transmit correction instructions to the set top box for presentation to the user on a designated trouble shooting channel when the failure condition is isolated to the CPE failure;
• and
• perform a diagnostic process on the CPE failure after presentation of a portion of the correction instructions.

A server comprising a controller to:

• receive information from a set top box that is associated with an undesired condition being experienced by the set top box at a network management system comprising a trouble diagnosis engine and an interactive trouble report engine which are in communication with a rule management engine, the information being inputted into the set top box;
• invoking the rule management engine to validate customer records and authenticate a customer via a database in communication with the rule management engine;
• determine a failure condition associated with the information;
• perform a first diagnostic process to isolate the failure condition between a Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) network failure and a customer premises equipment (CPE) failure;
• and
• transmit correction instructions to the set top box on a designated trouble shooting channel for presentation at a display coupled to the set top box when the failure condition is isolated to the CPE failure.

A set top box comprising a controller to:

• receive information from the set top box that is associated with an undesired condition being experienced at the set top box;
• transmit the information to a server that comprises a trouble diagnosis engine and an interactive trouble report engine which are in communication with a rule management engine wherein the rule management engine is invoked to validate customer records and authenticate a customer via a database in communication with the rule management engine;
• receive a first portion of correction instructions on a designated trouble shooting channel based on a failure condition associated with the information that is determined by the server to be isolated to a customer premises equipment (CPE) failure instead of an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) network failure;
• present the first portion of the correction instructions;
• receive a second portion of correction instructions on the designated trouble shooting channel based on a diagnostic process performed by the server on the CPE failure after the presentation of the first portion of the correction instructions;
• and
• present the second portion of the correction instructions.

A method, comprising:

• receiving information from a set top box that is associated with an undesired condition being experienced at the set top box at a network management system comprising a trouble diagnosis engine and an interactive trouble report engine which are in communication with a rule management engine, the information being inputted into the set top box;
• invoking the rule management engine to validate customer records and authenticate a customer via a database in communication with the rule management engine;
• determining a failure condition associated with the information;
• performing a first diagnostic process to isolate the failure condition between a Internet Protocol television (IPTV) network failure and a customer premises equipment (CPE) failure;
• and
• transmitting on a designated trouble shooting channel correction instructions to the set top box for presentation to the user when the failure condition is isolated to the CPE failure.