OLT bulk provisioning works by defining DBA, line-profile, and service-profile templates once, then letting every new ONU inherit them automatically on registration—so a 100-ONU rollout takes minutes instead of days of manual CLI work. A small or mid-size ISP bringing up dozens or hundreds of ONUs cannot configure each one by hand, and that is exactly what the OLT template mechanism solves. Rayin's Mini GPON OLT supports template-based provisioning through both CLI and Web management, so freshly registered ONUs pick up bandwidth and VLAN settings the moment they come online. Below we walk through the GPON template stack and a two-scenario build (surveillance and hotel) that you can copy.
A DBA template governs upstream bandwidth per T-CONT; a line-profile stitches T-CONTs and GEM ports together and binds to the ONU; a service-profile defines the UNI port capabilities.
GPON upstream is TDMA on a shared 1.244 Gbps channel (ITU-T G.984); DBA lifts utilization from ~40% to ~80% and cuts average latency from ~100 ms to under 10 ms in field tests.
The hard rule: the sum of fixed + assured bandwidth of all T-CONTs on one PON port must not exceed that port's total upstream bandwidth—1:128 split means 128 ONUs share 1.244 Gbps.
When an OLT serves a PON port split 1:128, typing commands for every ONU is not realistic. Templates turn a one-to-many job into a one-time job: you design the policy, and the OLT applies it to any ONU that registers. The approach is consistent across vendors—only the command keywords differ.
Note: All ONU configuration on a GPON OLT is delivered through a few cooperating templates. Master these and every future rollout becomes a copy-paste exercise.
An OLT pushes configuration to an ONU through several template types working together:
DBA template — defines the upstream bandwidth allocation policy, then binds to a T-CONT.
Line profile (line-profile) — the top-level template that creates T-CONTs, binds DBA, creates GEM ports and maps them to VLANs, then attaches to the ONU.
Service-profile — defines UNI port capabilities (eth/pots adaptive) and service parameters.
T-CONT — the upstream transport container, identified by an Alloc-ID; one T-CONT carries one class of traffic.
GEM port — the GPON encapsulation channel that maps different services (voice/data/video) to different T-CONTs and VLANs.
| T-CONT type | Bandwidth composition | Typical service | Characteristic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type 1 | Fixed | TDM, VoIP management | Reserved, cannot be preempted |
| Type 2 | Assured | Realtime, IPTV | Unused share can be borrowed |
| Type 3 | Assured + Max | VoIP, IPTV, enterprise data | Most common |
| Type 4 | Best-effort (Max) | General Internet | Uses leftover bandwidth only |
| Type 5 | Fixed + Assured + Max | Triple-play | Full upstream guarantee |
Upstream is TDMA: all ONUs share one upstream channel (GPON upstream 1.244 Gbps, downstream broadcast 2.488 Gbps, per ITU-T G.984). DBA lets the OLT assign timeslots by real-time demand, raising upstream utilization from ~40% to ~80% and dropping average latency from ~100 ms to under 10 ms in engineering measurements.
Set the VLAN and addressing plan before touching templates. Surveillance: a camera VLAN (e.g. 20) plus a management VLAN (e.g. 99), with cameras isolated from each other. Hotel: voice VLAN (100), data VLAN (200), IPTV VLAN (300), management VLAN (99). Lock the plan, then build templates.
Surveillance cameras push a steady stream, so use Type 2 (Assured) or Type 3 (Assured + Max). Example: one ONU with 8 × 1080p H.265 cameras (≈3–4 Mbps each, ~30 Mbps upstream total) → type3 assure 30720 max 51200 (values in Kbit/s: 30 M assured, 50 M max). Hotel: voice uses type1 fix 512 (small fixed VoIP), data uses type4 max 102400 (best-effort Internet), IPTV uses type3 assure 20480 max 51200.
Inside the line-profile, create the T-CONTs and bind each to its DBA template; then create GEM ports and map them to the VLANs from Step 1. Surveillance needs one T-CONT (data) + one GEM mapped to the camera VLAN; a hotel needs three T-CONTs (voice/data/IPTV) with three GEM+VLAN pairs.
The service-profile sets UNI port capability: surveillance ONUs typically use eth adaptive; hotel ONUs with POTS use eth adaptive pots adaptive. After commit, the template takes effect.
Tip: Keep the service-profile minimal—only declare the UNI capabilities the ONU actually has. Over-declaring ports that do not exist just wastes template slots.
Enable PON port auto-discovery. When a new ONU appears, ont add binds the line-profile + service-profile (SN authentication). Dozens of units are confirmed with a few ont confirm commands; combined with TR-069, a new ONU powers on and auto-applies templates and services—no per-unit configuration.
A critical constraint: on a single PON port, the sum of fixed + assured bandwidth across all T-CONTs must not exceed that port's total upstream bandwidth. Under a 1:128 split, 128 ONUs fight for 1.244 Gbps upstream, so you must budget the guaranteed rate globally—do not open a large assured rate for every ONU.
Warning: If you assign a big assured rate to every ONU, the PON port's guaranteed sum overflows and bursts get dropped. Size assured bandwidth for the whole port, not per device.
What is a DBA template on a GPON OLT? A DBA (Dynamic Bandwidth Allocation) template defines how upstream bandwidth is shared among T-CONTs on an ONU. Bound to a T-CONT, it lets the OLT assign timeslots by demand, lifting upstream utilization from ~40% to ~80% on a 1.244 Gbps GPON upstream (ITU-T G.984).
What is the difference between a line-profile and a service-profile? A line-profile is the top-level template that creates T-CONTs, binds DBA, and maps GEM ports to VLANs before attaching to the ONU. A service-profile only defines the UNI port capabilities (such as eth or pots adaptive) and service parameters.
How many T-CONT types does GPON define? GPON defines five T-CONT types. Type 1 is fixed, Type 2 assured, Type 3 assured + max (most common for VoIP/IPTV/data), Type 4 best-effort, and Type 5 fixed + assured + max for full triple-play guarantee.
Can I provision many ONUs at once on a GPON OLT? Yes. Build the DBA, line-profile, and service-profile templates once, enable PON auto-discovery, then bind ONUs by SN and confirm in bulk. With TR-069, new ONUs auto-apply templates on power-on—no per-device CLI work.
Why must assured bandwidth not exceed the PON port total? All ONUs on one PON port share a single 1.244 Gbps upstream. If the sum of fixed + assured bandwidth of every T-CONT exceeds that total, guaranteed traffic cannot be met and bursts are dropped. Budget assured rate for the whole port, especially at 1:128 split.
OLT bulk provisioning turns a painful one-by-one setup into a one-time template design. Define your DBA, line-profile, and service-profile correctly, respect the PON port bandwidth guardrail, and every new ONU registers and goes live on its own.
About the author: Sara — Sara is a Customer Manager at Rayin with over 10 years of experience in the communications field. She specializes in product selection and writes guides that help procurement engineers and system integrators work more efficiently. In her free time, she enjoys badminton and swimming.
About Rayin: Shenzhen Rayin Technology Co., Ltd. — Company Profile
