Modern broadband CPE no longer ships as a single, monolithic firmware image. Operators and vendors now expect devices to install, update, start, stop, and remove individual software components independently. This capability, known as Software Module Management (SMM), has become a cornerstone of how broadband platforms evolve in the field.
CDRouter includes comprehensive automated tests for SMM under both TR-069 and User Services Platform (USP). These tests help ensure that devices behave predictably, securely, and in a standards-compliant way as software delivery models continue to modernize.
Software Module Management defines how a device handles discrete software units rather than full firmware upgrades. A “module” might be a containerized service, a feature plugin, a diagnostics agent, or an operator application that runs alongside the core OS.
At a minimum, SMM covers:
For service providers, this enables faster feature rollouts, targeted updates, and reduced operational risk. For vendors, it enables cleaner architectures and less disruptive update paths.
Many engineers first encountered SMM through TR-157, which extended TR-069 with a data model for software modules. TR-157 made it possible to manage modules over CWMP, but was bound to the SOAP RPC mechanisms of TR-069.
USP represents a clean break from that approach. Software Module Management functions have been moved to data-model-defined “commands,” enabling asynchronous operations, richer lifecycle control, and better alignment with modern software delivery practices. Under USP, SMM becomes more expressive and more automatable, especially when combined with the multi-controller architecture.
CDRouter supports and tests both models because real deployments often span generations. Devices still ship with TR-069 and TR-157 today, while new platforms increasingly adopt USP for long-term scalability.
CDRouter’s SMM test coverage focuses on real, observable device behavior rather than assumptions about internal implementation. Across both TR-069 and USP, CDRouter verifies that a device:
These tests are important asSMM failures rarely show up as obvious crashes. Instead, they appear as stuck modules, silent failures, inconsistent reporting, or management systems that slowly lose trust in the device. Automated, repeatable SMM testing catches these issues early, before they reach operator labs or live networks.
Open-source broadband platforms thrive on modularity. Projects like prplWare encourage decoupling the base operating system from higher-level services and applications. In particular, prplWare’s prplLCM project is built on USP/TR-369 software module management.
-> Read how Sagemcom used CDRouter to achieve prplWare Certification
When multiple vendors, contributors, and operators rely on the same open-source base, Software Module Management becomes the building block that keeps everything working together. A subtle deviation in module state handling or error reporting can break orchestration tools, pipelines, or operator automation.
CDRouter provides an objective, standards-based way to validate that an SMM implementation behaves exactly as operators expect, whether management occurs via TR-069 today or USP tomorrow. For prplWare platforms, this testing helps ensure that openness does not compromise operational reliability.
Software Module Management sits at the intersection of device architecture, lifecycle automation, and operator trust. By testing SMM across both legacy and modern management protocols, CDRouter helps vendors and open-source platforms move forward without breaking compatibility with the past.
