Standard Technologies and Best Practices

In the IntelliGrid Architecture Framework, standard, technologies and best practices are described, covering their basic capabilities, and, where relevant, their strengths and weaknesses with respect to specific requirements within specific environments. These standards, technologies, and best practices cover the industry-wide internet-based technologies, media-specific technologies, security countermeasures, network management solutions, system management practices, as well as existing power industry-specific standards and the many legacy technologies.

These standards, technologies, and best practices are categorized into the following groups. Detailed descriptions of each of these can be found on IntelliGrid Architecture website and in Volume IV, Appendix D. Additional information on Security is in Volume IV, Appendix A, and on Network Management, Volume IV, Appendix B and Volume IV, Appendix C.

Information Technologies

§ Energy Industry Technologies. The electric power industry has developed standards and de facto technologies that meet their unique requirements. Although a few of these technologies may be replaced over time by more industry-wide technologies, most will continue to be used and evolved to meet specific needs. Many already utilize or plan to utilize the IntelliGrid Architecture Framework abstract object modeling, namespaces, and metadata repository concepts outline above. In some instances, standards do not exist, and only vendor-proprietary solutions are available at this time, particularly in the Automated Meter Reading arena.

§ Information Industry Technologies. The ongoing development of the Internet has been a substantial source of advancement in networking and distributed systems development. It is important to distinguish, however, Internet-based technologies, such as TCP/IP and XML, from the use of the Internet itself. Using the existing Internet is an independent decision that should be consistent with system management and security policies from those organizations agreeing to use it. Internet technologies, and those emerging from the next generation Internet development work, can be used independently of existing Internet architecture. Internet-based technologies have become prevalent throughout most industries, and many, such as TCP/IP and HTML, are used almost to the exclusion of other equivalent technologies. Increasingly, web services are being seen as the wave of the future.

§ Security Technologies. Security technologies have been primarily standardized through the ISO/IEC and the IETF for Internet-based security.

§ Network and Enterprise Management. Network and enterprise management has matured in the corporate arena, but has not yet significantly penetrated the operations arena, where ad hoc solutions are more likely.

Best Practices

§ Data Management Best Practices. Data management best practices describe techniques for handling data management issues that do not have any specific technology solutions, such as Data Validation, Management of Manual Data Entry.

§ Security Best Practices. Security best practices identify the standards that specify methods or techniques that are important for security, such as Security Policies and Security Training.