Smart Metering Management Platform

The Smart Big Data and Analytics Journey Utilities face significant challenges in aligning business processes with emerging connectivity technologies to more effectively process and analyze data that is increasingly voluminous and complex. The Cognizant Smart Metering Management Platform (SMMP), combined with Microsoft SQL Server 2012, offers a solution to address these challenges through a smart, modular business analytics and integration layer that can synthesize data across enterprise systems. This architecture is intended to augment existing utility data management systems and help utilities apply solutions that address challenges in engaging consumers, leveraging mobile technologies, improving security, and managing Big Data.

SMMP is built on Microsoft technology that includes Microsoft SQL Server 2012, a cloud-ready information platform that helps organizations unlock breakthrough insights and quickly build solutions to extend data across on-premises and public clouds; and supporting technologies such as SQL Server Analysis Services, Power View, PowerPivot, GeoFlow, AlwaysOn, and Microsoft Hyper-V.

The Smart Solution Cognizant offers SMMP as an out-of-the-box licensed solution with ready-built connectors to leading enterprise systems, and may offer bundled services that include roll-out and integration consulting, infrastructure management, and process-level outsourcing. Service-oriented architecture (SOA) with Common Information Model and Multi-Speak compliance facilitates integration with a variety of systems, making SMMP vendor-agnostic. Effective analysis of smart grid data is one of the most pressing issues facing utilities today. The SMMP architecture, along with optional services, enables utilities to start on the smart grid journey immediately.

Integration Components Integration Platform: The integration platform forms the core of the SMMP and provides ready-built interfaces to integrate utility IT package applications and systems that serve key business process areas, ranging from asset management to outage management at the enterprise level.

Application Suite: The SMMP application suite offers an evolving set of applications that caters to advanced smart grid functionalities. In addition, the application suite works in plug-and-play mode; offers flexibility and configurability; and extends the functionalities of package applications by providing advanced analytics and web-access capabilities.

Figure 1. SMMP integration components

Figure 2. SMMP Smart Customer Self-Service (smartCSS) Application

Figure 3. SMMP Smart Meter Network Management (smartMNM) Application

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Applications smartCSS (Smart Customer Self-Service) is an intuitive and easy-to-use web portal and mobile application. It serves as a one-stop shop for consumers to control their energy consumption and transactions, virtually anytime and anywhere. smartHAN (Smart Home Area Network) enables utilities to monitor and control registered Home Area Network (HAN) devices in real time against defined schedules and disaster recovery programs. smartMNM (Smart Meter Network Management) equips utilities with the capability to monitor, control, and configure smart meters and communication devices in the smart metering ecosystem. smartEVM (Smart Electric Vehicle Charging Management) uses a cluster-based approach to help utilities closely monitor and control their EV charging infrastructure in real time and support the expected proliferation of electric vehicles. smartFeeds helps utilities to manage the growing number of distributed generation resources, which may include renewable generation and vehicle-to-grid sources, that can feed power back to the grid. smartMobility comprises the hybrid mobile apps that provide another channel for accessing major applications, while also providing dedicated mobile-based applications.

Microsoft Stack The SMMP solution is built on Microsoft technologies and is extensible to gain leverage from familiar enterprise products and common productivity interfaces.

Presentation Layer

Microsoft SharePoint provides a robust portal environment for monitoring dashboards, using interactive data analysis tools, and collaborating on data and analysis findings. SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS) for SQL Server 2012 can be used to build comprehensive analytic solutions for predictive analysis and to explore aggregated data from different perspectives by using Microsoft business intelligence (BI) tools, including Microsoft Excel.

Power View for Excel 2013 offers users at all levels an interactive and familiar experience in exploring, visualizing, and presenting data. PowerPivot for Excel 2013 enables users at all levels to access, mash up, and analyze data from virtually any source, and rapidly create compelling analytical applications. GeoFlow is a 3-D data visualization tool for Excel 2013 that enables users to plot geographic and temporal data visually, analyze that data on a 3-D globe, and create visual tours to share with others.

Data Management Layer Customers can reduce downtime with the high availability and disaster recovery solution SQL Server AlwaysOn. This solution simplifies deployment and management of high availability requirements through integrated configuration and monitoring tools, and configuration of active, multiple secondaries to accelerate failover and recovery of applications. Infrastructure Layer Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2012 can enable consolidated workloads, improve server utilization, and reduce costs. This product contains a hypervisor, Windows Server driver model, virtualization capabilities, and supporting components such as failover clustering.

About Cognizant

Cognizant combines consulting expertise, rich experience in the utilities industry, and innovative use of open, standards-based technology to help guide the world’s leading utility companies on the journey to smart metering. Cognizant solutions provide the flexibility and scalability to adapt to evolving business needs, offer seamless integration with other enterprise systems, and deliver reliability, security, and data integrity for enhanced peace of mind.

Summary The Smart Metering Management Platform, used in combination with Microsoft technologies, offers capabilities and deeper insight into data that can move your business forward and unlock new business models along the smart grid journey.

Solution Architecture

● The Presentation Layer is a web-based interface consisting of modules that support utility distribution areas.

● The Framework Layer consists of independent components that control system accessibility and configuration.

● The Service Layer includes securities that are based on Microsoft .NET and services the exchange of information with the message header that holds security information.

● The Business Layer consists of business logic that resides in business components, which are shared by the web services.

● The Adapter serves as a bridge between the SMMP and any third-party applications.

● Data Transport performs data abstraction and accesses the SMMP-specific database using the Enterprise Library.

● SMMP Engines are based on configuration; behavior and schedule can be managed centrally within the Parallel Computing Framework.

● FTP File Watcher Engine is responsible for reading and archiving files.

● Analysis Cubes are used for data aggregation, the core of system performance and scalability.

To learn more about the Smart Metering Management Platform, go to: http://www.cognizant.com/RecentHighlights/Cognizant Smart Metering Management Platform.pdf