Manufacturers of cable modems and head end systems (routers) use SilverCreek, the SNMP Test Suite for DOCSIS compliance testing. DOCSIS is the "Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification". Suppliers of cable modems and cable modem head end systems must demonstrate compliance with the DOCSIS standard.

In the U.S., Cable Television Labs (CableLabs), the research and development consortium of cable television system operators, administers the DOCSIS program for validating conformance to DOCSIS specifications, and uses InterWorking Labs' SilverCreek test suite, to test cable modems for SNMP compatibility, per the DOCSIS specification. 

In Europe, The Euro-DOCSIS Certification Board grants certification to Euro-DOCSIS  compliant modems, and the qualified status to CMTS equipment, based on lab tests completed by Excentis. Excentis selected the SilverCreek SNMP test suite from InterWorking Labs as part of its official test fixture for certifying cable modems (CM) and cable modem termination systems (CMTS) to the Euro-DOCSIS 1.0 Specification.

"Excentis selected SilverCreek because of its ease of use and its wide acceptance in the cable modem industry" Said Wim De Ketelaere, Excentis Euro-DOCSIS Manager.

SilverCreek is the test suite for SNMPv3 conformance.

SNMPv3 forms the basis for Diffie-Hellman (RFC 2786) support in the DOCSIS standard, including SNMPv3 key ignition and key change functionality for CM and CMTS equipment. It is this Diffie-Hellman key initialization and key update mechanism that allows cable companies to authorize data services to customers, and provide data access services through their infrastructure.

DOCSIS1.0 certification: Requires that equipment pass SilverCreek Test Suite 1
(per the Cable Labs Specification)

DOCSIS2.0 and 1.1 certification:  Requires that equipment pass SilverCreek Test Suites (1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, 6.0, 7.0, 10.0 , 50.0 and Vulnerability tests)

• SilverCreek thoroughly covers OSS03 (SNMPv3 protocol testing/Diffie-Hellman)
• SilverCreek notification monitor tests the required DOCSIS notifications.
• SilverCreek has additional MIB walking sample test scripts for OSS01, OSS02.

DOCSIS3 certification: Requires that equipment pass SilverCreek Test Suites (1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, 6.0, 7.0, 10.0 , 50.0 and Vulnerability tests)

• SilverCreek thoroughly covers OSS03 (SNMPv3 protocol testing/Diffie-Hellman)
• SilverCreek notification monitor tests the required DOCSIS notifications.

DOCSIS FAQ

      51.OSSATP-2.0-CM-01.2.p1.1
       "The purpose of this test is to perform MIB Walk using SNMPv1 Protocol
       in NMAccess Mode for 2.0 CM in 2.0 Mode." 

       The text quoted above is from ATP 2.0 OSS 1 and 2.

These sample MIB walk tests DO NOT cover new MIBs required in ATP 3.0.

Customers are expected to either extend these tests or do something on their own.

It is important to know that THE tests such as test1.2.2, test2.9.2 and test3.9.2 in SilverCreek Protocol testsuite 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 already can detect missing variables in any loaded MIBs. Although they do not produce the results format required by DOCSIS ATP.

Summary

Manufacturers of cable modems and head end systems (routers) use SilverCreek, the SNMP Test Suite for DOCSIS compliance testing. DOCSIS is the "Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification". Suppliers of cable modems and cable modem head end systems must demonstrate compliance with the DOCSIS standard. The DOCSIS community adopted Diffie-Hellman as its authentication methodology for Internet access.