ARI settings

Use the following procedure to configure and edit the ARI settings:

  1. Go to System Administration > Sys Admin > System Settings.

  2. From the Section dropdown menu, select AMI Readings Import.

  3. Configure the following parameters:

  • AMI Reading Import

    Defines the percentage of service points missing data at the end of the data collection window (DCW) that will trigger an automatic estimation bypass.

    Enter as a whole number between 1 and 100. A reasonable starting value is 95 (for 95%). This should be adjusted and monitored to meet your utility requirements. This number represents the percentage of interval and register channels processed by all of the VE runner tasks under a single VE service that requires estimation. When the value entered is exceeded, the VE runners associated with the given VE service fills any interval gaps with 0 (zero) values with a status of MISSING and then create Clean Reading files for import. The expectation is for the missing readings to be acquired via the meter data collection process, rather than spend excessive time and system resources on performing estimations. A message is also published to MSMQ to notify monitoring systems that ARI estimation has been bypassed for the given VE service. The published message is formatted specifically in the following manner:

    <data id="59577" 
name="SERVICE_POINTS_MISSING_DATA_AUTO_BYPASS_ESTIMATION">
<value>[ACTUAL PERCENTAGE] of the Service Points are missing data for current day [DATE], VE Workbin(s) [LIST OF WORKBIN IDs]; AMI is bypassing the forced estimation of missing readings at the end of DCW.</value>
</data>

    Defines the percentage of service points missing data at the end of the data collection window (DCW) that trigger a warning notification.

    Enter as a whole number between 1 and 100. A reasonable starting value is 50 (for 50%). This should be adjusted and monitored to meet individual utility requirements. This number represents the percentage of channels processed by all of the VE runner tasks under a single VE service that requires estimation. When the value entered is exceeded, MSMQ publishes a warning message to notify monitoring systems that the volume of estimation the given VE service will perform following the close of the DCW has exceeded the warning threshold. The published message is formatted in the following manner:

    <data id="59576" name="SERVICE_POINTS_MISSING_DATA_WARNING_NOTIFICATION">
<value>[ACTUAL PERCENTAGE] of the Service Points are missing data for current day [DATE], VE Workbin(s) [LIST OF WORKBIN IDs]; AMI estimation may take longer than usual. You may want to consider bypassing the forced estimation of missing readings.</value>
</data>

    Defines whether AMI Readings Import (ARI) waits for a midnight register read while processing the current day readings inside a DCW for validation purposes. Select True to enable this parameter and force ARI to wait for a midnight read. Select False to disable it and allow ARI to validate without waiting for a midnight register read inside a DCW.

    Determines whether IEE uses the database importer for ARI. Select True to enable or False to disable it.

    If you need to shut down the application server, set ARI Enabled to False before you shut down the computer. Return the value to True after you restart.

    Note: Selecting True enables the HVRI_IMPORT job in the database. If someone manually disables the HVRI_IMPORT job in the database, this value may still show True, but the job will not run. If IEE is not processing clean reading files (for example, the files remain in state 0), verify that this system setting is set to True and that the HVRI_IMPORT job is enabled in the database.

    Defines the number of days to keep completed work bin and binary files. Enter a whole number.

    Defines when the AMI Reading Import files are closed and when to purge the files and data. This date and time determines when IDM services run the cleanup process that removes old files based on the File days to keep parameter. The services delete records from the database and remove files from the file system.

    Use the dropdown arrow to select a calendar date or to enter a valid date format, for the data collection end time. Enter the time value after the date. Enter one blank space between the date and time values.

    Determines whether critical changes that occur exactly at midnight trigger the routing of all readings for that day to the XML Reading Import adapter (Workbin 0). Examples of critical changes include the creation of a new effective dated version of a meter, or an effective dated interval length change on a meter channel. The default value is False. Select True to enable this parameter.

    Defines the import day for the ARI process. By default, this field is empty, indicating the true current day. The default behavior uses the current day, which is the day prior to the processing day. You can enter a date in this field for testing or benchmarking purposes. Use the dropdown arrow to select a test date from the calendar. After testing, reset the field to blank.

    Defines the end time for the ARI DCW to stop processing current-day data. Use the dropdown menu to select a calendar date, or type a valid date format and enter the time value after the date. Enter one blank space between the date and time values.

    For example, select a calendar date and enter 14:00 to set the collection end time for 2:00 p.m.

    This setting, along with the Data Collection Start Time system setting parameter defines the daily ARI DCW.

    Defines the start time for the ARI DCW to start processing current-day data. Use the dropdown menu to select a calendar date or type a valid date format and enter the time value after the date. Enter one blank space between the date and time values.

    For example, select a calendar date and enter 14:00 to set the collection start time for 2:00 p.m.

    This setting, along with the Data Collection End Time system setting parameter defines the daily ARI DCW.

    Defines the time zone for the ARI data collection window (DCW). Use the dropdown to select a valid value.

    This setting, along with the Data Collection Start Time and Data Collection End Time defines the daily ARI DCW.

    Defines the number of channels that are estimated and exported to the ETB files in a chunk.

    Defines the number of minutes a single VE historic day runner can remain idle after processing the last readings for the historic day. For example, if the value is set to 10 minutes and no readings arrive within 10 minutes following the last reading processed, the runner triggers estimation and completes processing. If historic readings can arrive at any time of the day, 10 minutes is a reasonable setting. If readings arrive in batches at specific times of day, you can use a lesser value. Enter a whole number.

    Determines the minimum time in minutes that incoming duplicates are not logged. The default value of 10 signifies that the longest time between logging summaries is 10 minutes. Enter a whole number.

    Defines the maximum number of files allowed in a work bin folder. This setting prevents IEE from reaching file system limits on the number of files allowed in a folder. When the number of files reaches this value, AMI Readings Import (ARI) creates a new folder. New directories are created within the Workbin directory, with a naming convention of [WB#]_[incrementing_seq#]. Valid values are whole numbers. Enter a value of 30,000 or lower.

    Defines the maximum allowable time, in minutes, for an AMI Readings Import VE runner to stay running after the data collection window (DCW) closes. The finalization time must be within the same calendar day as the DCW it follows. The VE service terminates any current day VE runners that are still running after midnight. The default value is 120 minutes. Enter a whole number.

    Note: You can change this value manually during finalization if it looks like the time is running out.

    Determines the maximum rate of logging message duplicates, per second, when the Suppress Duplicates setting is active. Enter the number in seconds. Enter a whole number.

    Defines the maximum number of threads for the AMI Readings Importer to use during the database import. One thread per core on the database server is appropriate. For example, if you have 8 dual cores, enter up to 16. Entering a higher number will not increase the number of reading files that are picked up.

    Do not set this parameter to 1. This database import is designed and tested as a multi-threaded process.

    Note: For SQL Server implementations, one AMI Readings Importer job must be scheduled for each thread. For Oracle implementations, set the Oracle database initialization file parameter JOB_QUEUE_PROCESSES to at least this System Setting +1.

    Defines the maximum number of unique log duplicates to monitor. Setting this property to a higher value may affect system performance. Enter a whole number.

    Defines the maximum number of service points a single VE runner handles. Enter a value of 50000.

    Defines the maximum size of a work bin file. A new work bin file is created when the data size exceeds this threshold. To set this value, select the field and enter the file size in bytes.

    Setting this value too low can create a lot of small files. Setting this value too high can cause the system to run out of memory.

    Defines the maximum number of threads used for parallel processing of ReadingPeriodWithStatusID updates.

    The ReadingPeriodWithStatusID update process can use multiple threads depending on the workload. Use this parameter to enter the maximum number of threads to allocate to this process. The minimum value is one.

    The update process involves loading new ReadingPeriodWithStatusID data from clean reading files and merging rows with existing ReadingPeriodWithStatusID data from the database. When the merged rows are saved to the database, then the FileInventory status will be set to StatusUpdated.

    The IEE installer populates many of these parameters with default values. The default value might not be the recommended or optimal setting for your specific IEE implementation. You must tune these values to achieve optimal system performance.

    Defines the number of minutes that the AMI Readings Import job spends attempting to import the clean read files listed as ready for import in the FileInventory table, but which are not yet physically present in the import source directory. Enter sufficient time to allow for a third-party transfer process to move the files into the import directory. The import target directory is a parameter configured when the job is created in the database. The default value is 60 minutes.

    Defines whether historical VE runners re-import interval data when ARI only needs a historical register read. Select False to import only historical register reads. Select True to re-import the interval data with the register read.

    Determines whether the receiver routes readings older than a specified number of days to Workbin0 for standard reading import (SRI) processing instead of writing the data to an AMI Readings Import (ARI) work bin file. This parameter helps IEE avoid the overhead of using an ARI VE runner to process small amounts of older data. If the value is 0, the receiver does not route readings to Workbin0 for reasons of age. The default value is 0.

    Determines whether IEE suppresses log duplicates. Select True to instruct the VE service to suppress log message duplicates when it runs in ARI mode and it exceeds the Maximum Log Duplicates Rate.

    Defines the path to the directory where the work bin files are located. This directory must be created in Windows before this parameter can take effect. The directory must be readable and writable from all receiver and VE servers. Enter a valid directory path in UNC format. For instance, \\server_name\AMI\WorkBins.

  • ARI Database

    Defines the directory path where ARI VE runners write clean reading and ancillary files. Enter a UNC path, not a local path that begins with a drive letter. If the VE runners cannot access the UNC path at the time the clean readings files are generated, the VE runners write the files to a subdirectory within the work bin folder.

    Note: This parameter applies to MS SQL Server implementations only and does not apply if the database file transfer type is FTP.

    Determines the number of times ARI retries a method internally when a database communication failure occurs.

    Determines the amount of time, in seconds, between each ARI retry attempt when a database communication failure occurs. See ARI Database Communication Failure Retry Count.

    Defines the file path to the location where the binary files are placed on the database server. For FTP, use the FTP path to the AMI Readings Import directory created on the database server.

    Caution: AMI Readings Import (ARI) requires that the FTP string begin with ftp:// and include an @ symbol followed by a server address. The string must also contain at least one slash. If you do not specify a password in the Database File Path Password parameter, include the password in the database file path. Test the connection to see if you need to add the FTP location to the trusted sites list in Internet Explorer or Mozilla browsers. Do not start ARI manually before testing the connection.

    If the VE runners cannot access the UNC path at the time the clean readings files are generated, the VE runners write the files to a subdirectory within the workbin folder.

    The following is an example file path with password:

    ftp://password:ari@ral-ora231//mnt/oraclec/files/import/

    The following is an example file path without password:

    ftp://ari@ral-ora231//mnt/oraclec/files/import/

    Defines the password for the FTP connection to the database. This setting is only required if the value in the Database File Transfer Type is FTP.

    Defines the maximum size of the generated database file, in bytes. Enter a value of 10,240,000 (10 MB).

    Note: If the database server has a large number of cores and available memory in relation to the number of data channels to process daily, you can reduce this file size to leverage the available processors.

    Defines the file transfer method used to place ARI files on the database server. To use a third-party transfer mechanism, select Direct. The valid values are as follows.

    • FTP. Requires the Database File Path parameter to contain an FTP connection string.

    • Direct. Saves directly to an SMB-compliant network share, such as a Windows shared directory. Requires the Database File Path parameter to contain a full UNC path to the XMB-compliant share.

    Defines the database file type. The valid values are as follows.

    • For Oracle, use External Table Binary (ETB).

    • For MS SQL, use Bulk Copy (BCP).

  • ARI Monitor UI

    Defines the number of days displayed in the filter on the AMI Readings Import (ARI) monitoring user interface (AMI > Monitoring > AMI Readings Import). Enter the number of days in whole numbers. Under Filters > Install Date, you can select new meters, old meters, or all dates (all dates equals all meters). You cannot change the definitions of new meters and old meters.

    Defines the number of days displayed in the filter on the AMI Readings Import (ARI) monitoring user interface (AMI > Monitoring > AMI Readings Import). Enter the number of days in whole numbers. Under Filters > Install Date, you can select new meters, old meters, or all dates (all dates equals all meters). You cannot change the definitions of new meters and old meters.

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