How current day relates to ARI processes and components

Because IEE MDM stores, manages, and allows the manipulation of readings data in virtually any time context, time zones are associated with many data objects: meters, service points, time of use schedules, tasks, reports, users, and so on.

To support this, IEE must know which time zone a given collection engine (CE) uses when that CE provides datato IEE for import. Additionally, IEE must know which time zone is being used in reports, exports, and other processes. This is important, because while a utility might program all its meters to observe multiple time zones, the utility's customers (for example, billing departments and power quality evaluation personnel), might need to visualize or otherwise leverage the data in a completely different time zone.

A common scenario for this occurrence happens when the utility programs all its meters to not observe Daylight Saving Time (DST). However, the region in which that utility operates might still observe DST.This scenario creates a condition where the meters record data in one time zone, while day-to-day business is undertaken in a different time zone.In this case, it would be common for the meters configured in IEE to be associated to a non-DST time zone, and the service points to be associated with the DST version of the same time zone.

Time zone has a profound relationship to the ARI process.Fundamental to ARI is the concept that it expects to validate, estimate, and import data one day at a time. As a result, it is critical that the components of ARI have a common definition of the start and end times of day.The 24-hour time frame for which the ARI receiver and VE services expect to receive readings is referred to as current day.

The IDM services, VE services, and related VE Runner tasks all must have the same definition of the current day to correctly process and import data.In IEE versions earlier than v8.1, it was the work bin time zone (which was defined by the common time zone of all the service points in the work bin), which defined the current day for all ARI components.

Starting in IEE v8.1, all ARI components use the time zone of the meter linked to each channel within the work bin.In this way, the definition of the current day is more granular and flexible than it was previously. This allows IEE to better support cases where the utility’s meter and service point time zones are different from one another.

In IEE versions earlier than v8.1, ARI components and processes defined current day based on the following definitions:

Table 2 ARI components and processes

ARI component or process

Current day definition

Work bin

Common service point time zone for all channels

Readings processing

Work bin time zone

ARI Receiver services

Work bin time zone

VE services/runners

Work bin time zone

Meter

Meter time zone

In IEE v8.1 and later, the ARI components and processes define current day based on the following definitions:

Table 3 ARI components and processes

ARI component or process

Current day definition

Work bin

Common service point time zone for all channels

Readings processing

Meter time zone, on a channel-by-channel basis

IDM services

Meter time zone of each channel

VE services/runners

Meter time zone of each channel

Meter

Meter time zone

Prior to IEE v8.1, the ARI component and process relationship to current day definition meant the following:

  • Meters could potentially define the current day as +/- one or more hours than the work bin defined current day.

  • Meters within a work bin could report readings for a current day that was +/-one or more hours than the work bin and service point time current day.

Furthermore, in IEE versions earlier than v8.1, where a utility’s meters were configured to observe a non-DST time zone while the service points were configured to observe DST for the same time zone, the following ARI processing issues could occur:

  • For meters that provided 24 hours of readings based on the meter time zone, this meant that ARI Receiver services and VE services and runners, which defined current day in terms of the work bin time:

  • Recognized only the first 23 of those 24 hours of readings as being included in its current day.

  • Recognized the last hour of readings as having occurred after the close of its current day.

  • Created two work bin files: one that contained the first 23 hours of readings, to be processed during the current data collection window (DCW), and another that contained the last hour of readings, to be processed during the next day's DCW.

  • When meters took their self-register read at midnight, that read was potentially not utilized by VE services to validate and estimate readings during the current DCW, because VE services placed that read in the second work bin for next day processing.

In IEE v8.1, current day, ARI Receiver services, and VE services and runners all recognize a current day that is defined by the meter time zone. For current day processing and ARI processes and components, this means the following:

  • Meters and ARI Receiver services and VE services and runners recognize the same 24-hour time frame as current day.

  • All 24 hours of readings reported by the meter are written to one work bin file for processing during the current DCW.

  • When meters take their self-register read at midnight, that read is utilized by VE services to validate and estimate readings during the current DCW.