OSIsoft meter data unification system

The OSIsoft MDUS integrates AMI (Advanced Metering Infrastructure) head-end systems with SAP AMI Integration for Utilities software. The OSIsoft MDUS uses OSIsoft’s PI System to manage the high volume of meter data.

“By endorsing solutions such as the OSIsoft MDUS system, SAP continues to build its ecosystem, drive new levels of collaboration, and provide additional choices and flexibility to our customers. Use of the OSIsoft MDUS system with SAP solutions will enable our customers to improve efficiencies and employee productivity, thus accelerating delivery of innovative products to market while lowering total cost of ownership”
-Stefan Englehardt, Head of Utilities Industry Business Unit, SAP

OSIsoft's PI System provides the Utility Industry the leading operation data management infrastructure for the Smart Grid Components of Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution. OSIsoft's products are used widely in the Utility Industry meeting needs such as energy management, condition based maintenance, operational performance monitoring, curtailment programs, renewables ... phasor monitoring of transmission lines and many more. Now OSIsoft is applying this leading data management expertise to the fourth component of the Smart Grid, Customer\Meter, as implemented in Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI).

The OSIsoft MDUS delivers integration between a utility's meter system and SAP AMI Integration for Utilities and provides the ability to integrate meter data with other operational data. It serves as a real-time data collector, which is head-end system vendor-independent. The OSIsoft MDUS can be extended beyond AMI to address other Smart Grid initiatives. The design allows utilities to easily leverage meter data into their operation management systems, such as outage management systems, demand response and other Smart Grid applications.

Utility companies recognize that the true management of the smart grid will require end to end visibility and data access. This is a major factor in making the OSIsoft real-time infrastructure ideal for meeting the needs of the Central Metering and Event Data Hub as represented by a MDUS system for AMI.

SAP has played a leading role in OSIsoft's software offering. SAP launched the Lighthouse Council (LHC) which was made up of a consortium of Utility Companies and vendors to define the requirements of technical integration from the HES to SAP. The consortium broke down the established AMI business use cases to clearly understand the new business processes AMI brought to the utility. OSIsoft participated in this activity including the development of use cases and testing of integrated product offerings.

The SAP implementation leverages the Enterprise Service Orientated Architecture (eSOA) providing a set of business web service definitions and implementation. The OSIsoft MDUS is designed to fully integrate into these web service specifications performing important tasks such as the calculation of data for billing determinants, point of delivery deployment (meter provisioning), remote disconnect/reconnect, remote move in/move out, and AMI data synchronization.

OSIsoft AMI Interface

The OSIsoft AMI Interface is the link between the AMI Head End System (HES) and the OSIsoft MDUS collecting data in real-time. The OSIsoft AMI Interfaces are advanced self maintained and supported systems. They automatically detect meters and create all required configuration records.

The Interfaces communicate with the Head End System (HES) to fully recognize all meters associated with the HES. Records are then created in the PI Data Directory. These records include all the static meter information such as: meter serial number, UII, and meter manufacturer information. The AMI Interface allows two way communications with the HES.

The OSIsoft MDUS supports many meter head end suppliers. We recognize every Utility AMI installation may involve several AMI vendors due to technology of the vendors. Each utility AMI deployment will likely involve competitive searches for the best technology. We have many supported head-end systems today and continue to create new interfaces.

PI Server

The PI Server efficiently stores all this data to very high resolution. The PI Server is very scalable; built on Windows Server 2008, multi-core, 64-bit platform allows a single server to support millions of meters. Federation of a few PI Servers allows support of the biggest utilities in the world.

The PI Data Archive integrates into Windows Active Directory for authentication and authorization. Access control list granularity is to the point level; this means you can grant specific access to each meter or individual meter attributes.

The PI Server is highly available, supports multi-server collectives, insuring no single point of failure and scalability through user and application load distribution.

The PI Server has the ability to serve data to 1000's of users and applications simultaneously. This can be for billing, customer portals or any other business need. Access is made through a variety of technologies such as SQL-JDBC or OLEDB, OPC, and web services.

PI Data Directory

PI Data Directory is the PI Server's asset and equipment database. It is designed to create, store and organize an entry for every meter.

In the Technical Meter definition, automatically created by the PI AMI Interfaces, all registers and channels are named using the IEC 61968-9 standard. The OSIsoft Utilities Gateway builds the Data Directory for the Business Meter with only a subset of the information in SAP and is designed to compliment SAP not duplicate the data.

OSIsoft Utilities Gateway

OSIsoft Utilities Gateway is comprised of web services and the business logic to support AMI Integration to SAP. A business process within SAP will launch several service requests to complete a business process. For example a full installation will create the meter, create the register assignments, perform a POD assignment and do an initial read for the registers. All of these service requests are orchestrated by the OSIsoft Utilities Gateway to completion.

The OSIsoft Utilities Gateway leverages advanced software technology such as data caches, concurrency to leverage multi-core platforms, and scale out strategies. The services also support advanced scheduling and other orchestrations. Communication from SAP for Utilities directly to your head end systems is enabled; you're HES, in turn, routes the commands directly to the smart meters.

OSIsoft supplies the content for installation into your SAP PI System to complete the connection to SAP. The content has been built to comply with the SAP standards and has been certified for integration with SAP Utility 6.0 via SAP PI 7.1 with the SAP integration scenario ESOA-Bundle 1.0 - Utility - Advanced Meter Infrastructure.

OSIsoft MDUS meets the needs of an AMI Infrastructure by providing:

• Scalability
• High Availability
• Supports Heterogeneous Head-End System Interfaces
• Analytics
• Data Synchronization
• Real-time Data Collection and Historization of Data
• Certified SAP Interface and SAP Endorsed Business Solution
• Business Process Integration
• Support for business functions such as Billing etc.
• Extendable to a Real-time Smart Grid Infrastructure
• Single source support with SAP Solution Manager