Patent ID: 8661122

Claim:
A method for handling SSCP messages received at an access node that serves an access network, the method comprises: multicasting, by the access node, a traffic stream generated by a source, to two or more access network receivers, wherein a Streaming Service Control Protocol SSCP is utilized for said traffic stream and wherein each of said two or more access network receivers is served via a transmission path in the access network; processing SSCP report messages received at the access node from said two or more access network receivers, comprising analyzing of Quality of Experience QOE data retrieved from said SSCP report messages; based on the analyzed QOE data, providing status information, wherein the status information comprises indication of problems, if any, per access network section wherein said access network section includes a receiver out of said two or more access network receivers and a transmission path associated with said receiver in the access network; using the status information in monitoring the access network, wherein said method further comprises performing one or more of the following functions: filtering the status information to distinguish problematic receivers and their associated transmission paths versus non-problematic ones; identifying persistent problems related to specific problematic receivers and their associated transmission paths; identifying problems of peak-time consumption of multicast services; generating alerts; and initiating corrective actions if needed.