Itron Analytics outage detection

Itron Analytics' Outage Detection application is not a comprehensive outage management system (OMS), but it is an efficient and intelligent tier between the AMI network and an enterprise OMS.  It can be configured to validate outage alarms and avoid passing duplicate messages or momentary interruptions to an OMS.

The OD application subscribes directly to OpenWay Collection Engine or OpenWay Collection Manager software to receive the following alarms:

  • Power Outage Detected (18696). Used to detect loss of AC power to singlephase meters and the power phase of polyphase meters.

  • Power Restoration Detected (18706). Used to detect restoration of AC power to singlephase meters and the power phase of polyphase meters.

  • Loss of Phase Error (18337). Used to detect loss of AC power to non-power phases of polyphase meters when the power phase remains energized.

  • Volt (RMS) Restored From Below Threshold To Normal (18575). Used to detect restoration and adequate voltage of AC power to non-power phases of polyphase meters when the power phase remains energized.

Outage Detection receives the preceding AMI alarms in near real-time and performs processing prior to sending (or not sending) outage and restoration notifications to subscribers.

  1. Itron Analytics receives an outage-related alarm from OpenWay Collection Engine or OpenWay Collection Manager software for an energized meter.

  2. Itron Analytics checks if the associated service point is a member of a group that is assigned the NonOutageReporting group type (for non-AMI meters) or OutageSquelching group type (for identifying service points that should not report outages because they frequently disconnect and connect). If not, continue.

  3. Itron Analytics creates a service point or phase outage, depending on the type of alarm.

  4. When Automated Ping is enabled:

    1. For singlephase and polyphase meters, when a Power Outage Detected alarm is received, Itron Analytics automatically initiates a meter ping.

      1. If the meter responds, then the service point outage is ended immediately when the ping response is received.

        or

      2. If the meter does not respond within the ‘Ping Response Wait Time’, then Itron Analytics proceeds with the service point outage.

    2. For polyphase meters, when a Loss Of Phase alarm is received, Itron Analytics automatically initiates an on-demand meter read to obtain instantaneous voltage measurements for each phase.

      1. If the voltage measurement for the phases with alarms is greater-than or equal-to a configured percentage of the phase nominal voltage, then the phase outage is ended. For more information on this setting, see Editing Outage Detection settings.

        or

      2. If the voltage measurement for the phases with alarms is less-than a configured percentage of the phase nominal voltage, then Itron Analytics proceeds with the phase outage. For more information on this setting, see Editing Outage Detection settings.

  5. If a Power Restoration Detected alarm is received for a singlephase or polyphase meter, then the service point outage is immediately ended.

  6. If a Volt (RMS) Restored From Below Threshold To Normal alarm is received, then the outage is immediately ended for the applicable phases.

  7. If a service point outage has not been ended by either Automated Ping or a restoration-related alarm within the configured Interruption Notification Delay period, then an ‘outage’ notification is sent to subscribers. For more information on this setting, see Editing Outage Detection settings.

    Note: Additional outage-related alarms received prior to service point restoration will not generate additional messages.

  8. For service points in an outage state after an ‘outage’ message has been sent to subscribing systems:

    1. If a Power Restoration Detected alarm is received for a singlephase or polyphase meter, then the service point outage is immediately ended, and a ‘restoration’ notification is sent to subscribers.

    2. If a Volt (RMS) Restored From Below Threshold To Normal alarm is received, then the outage is immediately ended for the applicable phases and a ‘restoration’ notification is sent to subscribers.

  9. For service points not in an outage state that receive a Power Restoration Detected alarm, the alarm is forwarded to subscribing systems.

Itron Analytics automatically checks the functionality of its real-time monitoring and notifications by periodically pinging random meters at set intervals. By default, it pings a random selection of 5 meters (that have had interval data in the previous 12 hours and are not associated with a current, on-going interruption) every fifteen minutes. The results are stored in the database's mstr.MeterTwoWayRequest table. If no meters respond to the ping, an email is sent to CNODS to alert them of a potential issue.