www.robotron.eu

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robotron*ecollect

Advanced Meter Reading

Software with energy.

Advanced Meter Reading perfectly integratedIn the last few years the products of the Robotron Energy Market Suite have been

often associated with terms such as high performance, process optimization, continuity and flexibility. Today more than 50 % of all meter data in Germany and Switzerland are processed by Robotron MDM/EDM systems. Even all German transmission system operators have several Robotron products in use. Furthermore a number of international customers (i.e. in Scandinavia, Austria, Italy, Spain, and Bulgaria) have implemented Robotron products and successfully face

the challenges of their energy markets.

robotron*ecollect covers a substantial part of meter data processing – Advanced Meter Reading (AMR) as direct connection to the meter system. The secure and

automated data collection from meters of different vendors as well as the usage of all common communication channels are particularly important in this context.

The seamless integration in our MDM/EDM solution robotron*esmart and robotron*ecount ensures high performance, simple data handling and offers the possibility to comprehensively monitor the entire process chain. robotron*ecollect is also capable of being integrated as stand-alone-solution into existing system landscapes by open interfaces. In this case, robotron*ecollect is the optimal solution for efficient processing and provision of meter data for billing purposes or for different market partners.

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Software mit Energie.Software with energy.

Efficient data management including a fully automated collection and processing of consumption and power quality data plays also a key role especially in case of the following:

�� Smart Grid with controllable consumers or green energy feeders

��Control of energy storage systems or electrical consumers in households (Smart Home)

�� Integration of new Smart Metering systems

�� Integration of charging – infrastructure for eMobility

�� Energy efficiency for C&I (commercial and industrial)

robotron*ecollect comprehensively meets these highly complex requirements. It allows automated meter data collection of C&I- as well as residential customers. The data collection of Smart Grid or Submetering components for managing energy efficiency is done the same way. Furthermore, administration and parameterization of all involved devices (meters, communication modules etc.) as well as the management of metering point topology is guaranteed.

Push, pull, and poll communication via modem connection (GSM, PSTN etc.), IP telemetry or TCP/IP connections (DSL, GPRS, UMTS etc.) as well as WebServices (SOAP, REST) are supported.

Monitoring with automated fault detection and subsequent meter reading reduce manual intervention to a minimum. System performance can be individually adjusted by scalable system components to allow a faster parallelized collection and processing of meter data. robotron*ecollect has already proven its mass data compatibility in several customer projects.

Collected meter data are directly imported into the time series management of Robotron EDM/MDM solution robotron*esmart and are therefore immediately available for the associated processes.

Software with energy.

System structure and operationA high level of efficiency and future sustainability is guaranteed through vendor-independent support of existing as well as future meter and communication infrastructure. robotron*ecollect supports all common meter types, load profile recorders, Smart Meter as well as data concentrators or head-end-systems with all communication protocols and data formats.

The portfolio of supported devices ranges from remote readable electricity or gas standard and interval meters to different volume meters and load profile recorders up to modern Smart Meter systems. In addition, Smart Grid components such as controllable loads, generation facilities, energy storages as well as charging infrastructure components for electric vehicles are collected and controlled.

The seamless integrated data management of AMR and EDM/MDM systems is the basis for an integrated all-in-one system. As a result, critical interfaces are removed and idle times between individual process steps are avoided. Subsequent data collection of missing meter data in the EDM/MDM can be done without changing the system. Automated detection of missing load profile values with post-collection of meter data fully optimizes this process.

Meter data such as load profiles, register- , billing- and power quality data as well as different status flags or error codes are administered within a high-performance EDM core. Downstream processes like Validation, Editing and Estimation (VEE) and further analyses which may go as far as data transfer to different market participants can be realized within one system environment by seamlessly integrating the Robotron Energy Market Suite.

Data administration is done in one system which reduces the entire process duration – another important aspect especially for customers with a large volume of metering points expected with Smart Metering projects. Increased processing speed is of course also an advantage to meet strict deadlines of market communication processes.

A core module of robotron*ecollect is the communication server RCS (Robotron Communication Server). It coordinates the processing of cyclically or Ad hoc read-out jobs, receives pushed meter data and is responsible for the interpretation of raw data.

Additionally, there possibly is a direct connection from the RCS to an upstream M2M system – the head-end-system robotron*SwitchingServer.

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Software mit Energie.Software with energy.

The robotron*SwitchingServer is a flexible communication platform for the distribution and transfer of meter data and control information supporting current and future security requirements. Fields of application range from the integration of Smart Meter gateways through secured, encrypted communication channels (TLS) using control commands for grid and load control (SCADA) to (pseudonymized) forwarding of meter data to external market partners.

A highly efficient device management which administers parameters of the individual components as well as the meter and communication infrastructure is the basis for additional features such as automated

parameterization of meters. Import or automated synchronization of device master data with external systems simplify data maintenance.

Automated procedures such as meter readings, parameterization or control of components may be described or scheduled as cyclical orders.

By monitoring the complete process, an automatic request to fill data gaps is possible via pull or push mode.

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Software with energy.

ParallelizationDuring the meter reading process via PSTN or GSM it is most time consuming to establish the connection to a meter or communication device. Inadequate transmission bandwidth is also a restricting factor. This may result in bottlenecks during the transmission process when retrieving data from a huge number of metering points. Providing a sufficient number of communication channels (e.g. modem lines) along with deploying load balancing concepts through parallelization of several RCS will help to achieve a satisfactory system

performance. This is ensured by an almost unlimited scalability of the AMR system robotron*ecollect including the on demand provision of communication channels for parallel processing of massive meter-reading processes. The integrated clustering possibilities of communication channels allow to structure the communication process according to different criteria such as type of energy, customer type, customer group, communication channel etc.

Functionalities

robotron*ecollect offers the following basic functionalities:

��Automated meter data collection (Advanced Meter Reading) – Support of all relevant communication media in push and pull operation

– Vendor-independent support of all common communication protocols and data formats of meters, modems, gateways, as well as head-end systems (e.g. DLMS, IEC1107, SML, SCTM, DSfG, M-Bus, PRIME, Mod-Bus, LON, FNP, ABL...)

– Scalable, failsafe system components – suitable for processing mass data

– Support of latest security requirements with encrypted transmission incl. Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) integration through universal head-end-system robotron*SwitchingServer

��Management and processing of meter data – Meter data processing of load profiles, registered data, billing data, power quality data, arbitrary time series/meter periods and individual values as well as statuses, alarms and additional information

– Automated conversion of meter data in standard format (OBIS)

– Separate raw data storage

– Scheduled and historicized allocation of metering points

��Readout control with monitoring and subsequent data reading mechanism – Spontaneous or cyclical reading

– Meter data fault detection with automated subsequent reading of missing values

– Partial processing in case of connection loss during a reading process

– Read-out and analysis of meter log book

PKIPublic Key

Infrastructure

Software mit Energie.Software with energy.

�� Integrated device management (AMI) – Administration of meter and communication infrastructure (meters, communication devices, additional equipment with historicized allocations)

– Automated synchronization/import of device master data

– Lifecycle management for devices

��Device parameterization and control functions (single and mass operation) – Time synchronization

– Firmware upload (incl. activation) with historicized firmware management

– Setting of communication parameters

– Transmission and administration of tariff structures

– Remote control/load control

�� System integration – Open interfaces for meter and master data with common technologies (file, Web service, database)

– Seamless integration within the Robotron Energy Market Suite for Validation, Editing, and Estimation (VEE), meter data analysis, balancing, market communication, change process management, Web portal illustration etc.

List of devicesrobotron*ecollect

Software with energy.

Vendor-independent device support

robotron*ecollect supports all common meters, meter systems and communication modules with the respective and partly vendor-specific communication protocols independent of manufacturer of the device. Head-end-systems can be integrated via open interfaces. The list of supported communication modules includes:

IEC1107 IEC62056-21 DLMS/COSEM

SML IEC60870-5-102 IEC60870-5-104

LSV1 DSfG ECL according to command reference 8/5.09

WebServices (DTAG, Siemens AMIS, PRIME, ...) M-Bus (EN1434-5) MODBUS

SCTM FNP ABL*

The table below shows an extract of currently supported meters and communication devices:

Bär: DLX

Dr. Neuhaus: EDL/eHZ, SMARTY-ix130, SMARTYix110, ZDUE-MUC, ZDUE-GSM/LAN/GPRS

EMH: LZKJ, LZQJ, LZQJ-XC, DMTZ, ED300L, VARIOMUC, VARIOSAFE

Enermet: E600

EnergyICT: EnergyICT-MUC, RTU+V6

Elster: DL220, DL240, EK260, EK280, AS1440, A1500, gas-net Z1,F2 WMZ

GMC: U160x

GÖRLITZ: ENC4xx, ENC3xx, Skalar

Hydrometer: IZARCenter, Sharky

Iskrameco: MT831, MT37x, ME37x, P2CA, MT681, MT174, MT175, MT831, MT37x, P2CA, MT681, MT174, MT175

Itron: Sparkline, Sparklog, DC3, DC4, Corus, Cyble M-Bus

Janitza: UMG 507/UMG 604/UMG 104

Kamstrup: 351, 382J, Multical, Multiport 250D

Landis+Gyr: ZMD3xx, ZMD4xx, ZMF120, ZMQ, E750, E35C (GSM/GPRS, LAN), E75C, FAF, FAG, FCL, METCOM, UH50

Honeywell/RMG/Wieser: EC900, MRG2200, MRG2203, Flow Computer series ERZ 2000, MRG910

Theben: Conexa

Tritschler: VC2/VC3 and much more

The list of supported communication modules, meters and protocols is extended continuously which is also impacted by market stimulations and/or requirements from projects.

* in implementation

Software mit Energie.Software with energy.

Technical backup of communication processes

In addition to the ability efficiently processing large datasets there are many more requirements for an Advanced Meter Reading module to comply with. These are completely covered with robotron*ecollect:

�� In case of connection problems with the device:

– Repetition of cycles

– Processing after connection loss

– Overview mask to show device status/ read-out status per order and period

�� In case of breakdown of the communication server (RCS) or the connection between robotron*ecollect and communication server

– Meter data can be stored in a data file and this way may not get lost

– Cached reading orders will be automatically processed after restart

– System permanently records the status of the communication server and reports breakdowns

�� In case of breakdown of robotron*ecollect server

– Reading orders known by the communication server are further processes, feedback to be sent to robotron*ecollect is collected and automatically loaded and processed by robotron*ecollect

�� For a failsafe performance – Primary and secondary data collection

– Setup of redundant systems to increase reliability

– Different maintenance cycles as well as planning of maintenance of parallel operating systems

Possible failure queries can be stored within the incoming order directory to be processed at a later stage. This way all system parts can be subject of different maintenance cycles without interfering with other system components.

Besides the possibility of device parameterization specific security measures and/or results in terms of unauthorized access to gateways/communication systems can be determined. Additional monitoring and analyzing activities of the individual devices together with the collected processed and analyzed parameter data are vital to this process. As a result robotron*ecollect takes over the task of an “intrusion detection system”.

Software with energy.

Integrated device management

Besides settings for meter data reading in terms of pull, push and polling operation the storage of fundamental device information within integrated device management is possible. In addition technical device information (proper-ty number, server ID, device type, passwords, telephone numbers, communication parame-ters etc.) can be linked with changing process-relevant device information (device category, manufacturer, type of mounting, calibration information, property rights, prices, year of manufacture etc.) and may be applied for fully automated metering change processes.

Integrated device management fully describes meter and communication infrastructure (meters, communication devices, additional equipment) together with individual connections of the components. Automated import of master data (e.g. via electronic delivery note), synchronization of master data with internal administrative systems as well as automated data exchange via integrated market communication simplify data administration.

Historicized administration illustrates the life cycle of devices beginning with the preparation up to the installation and disassembly as well as final disposal. It also forms the basis for the support of device processes on-site through a service technician. These processes may be especially designed with regard to mass roll-out through direct communication with the metering system and interfaces to external workforce management systems (WFM).

Additionally device management includes highly efficient functionalities for remote parameterization of devices. Besides typical functionalities such as time synchronization or reset of the meter register even administration and vendor-independent upload of device firmware is supported. Released firmware statuses are imported via interfaces and they can be transferred to devices in stand-alone batch runs with appropriate authorization. If required this information can be activated either immediately or at a designated point in time. Tariff structures which are directly created within the system or imported from an external source can be similarly transferred to devices.

Support of today’s security requirements

Latest security requirements with encrypted transmission of meter data and corresponding connection of Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) are provided through the universal head-end-system robotron*SwitchingServer. As central data hub the Robotron head-end-system enables automated distribution of meter and control data between different systems and/or market participants and therefore supports the application of Smart Meters in Smart Grid operations.

robotron*SwitchingServer takes the role of an M2M communication center which acts as TLS endpoint in the demilitarized zone (DMZ) of the IT network. It is also designed as scalable failure-safe component.

The following services are supported:

��WebServices (SOAP and RESTful), IP telemetry acc. to DIN 43863-4, TSC protocol

��Dial-Up and leased line operation, push operation, point-to-point/point-to-multipoint

��Routing of meter data to external market partners („Y-communication“)Pseudonymization of meter data

�� Pseudonymization of meter data and communication to external market partner

��Routing of CLS – control signals acc. to BSI TR-03109 for secure Smart Grid/SCADA control

CLSControllable local system

Software mit Energie.Software with energy.

Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) integration

Optionally the system offers an integrated PKI with certification and key management for signed and encrypted communication including signature verification as well as decryption of meter values. The following objects and functionalities are integrated to communicate with Smart Meter gateways:

��Administration of all BSI-TR-03109 relevant certificates (especially X.509)�� Integration of various certified hardware-security-modules (HSM) of different manufacturers for private key management

��Administration of all individual certificates, all certificates of relevant external market participants and all Smart Meter gateways including date of generation, economic life (term of life) and final validity

��Administration of additional keys, e.g. for inline signatures

��Cyclical comparison of certification validity through the directory service of the sub-CA (Certificate Revocation List – CRL) and automated upgrade of Smart Meter gateways if applicable

Universal head-end-system for Smart Metering and Smart Grid

The Robotron head-end-system serves as a router/switch of meter and control data. Supporting Smart Grid and demand side management operations control commands and status information can be exchanged between SCADA control of external market partner and controllable local device.

In this case the controlling component can be classical SCADA systems because of the integrated automated conversion between

various communication protocols of metering and smart grid area (e.g. acc.to IEC60870-5-104, XML/CMS, SML, and IEC61107/IEC62056-21).

The conversation is an ongoing process parallel to the receiving of data and may also be applied bidirectional. As a result the determination current grid status as well as the control of grid components (e.g. feeders) and loads can be easily realized with existing infrastructure.

Overall system performance as competitive advantageIn the context of a scalability test it was possible to demonstrate the mass data capability of an entire system. Meter data of 12 million meters each with 96 meter readings were collected and processed within less than 24 hours via free scalable integration of communication server.

At the same time corresponding work values (quarter-hourly difference of meter readings) were calculated and imported to the system. In total 24 million time series with altogether 2.3 billion meter readings and work values were processed.

Software with energy.Concentrated and secure - Robotron faces challenges

Germany

Robotron Datenbank-Soft ware GmbHHeadquarters

Stutt garter Straße 2901189 Dresden

Tel: +49 351 25859-0www.robotron.eu

Robotron Datenbank-Soft ware GmbHTraining Center

Heilbronner Straße 2101189 Dresden

Tel: +49 351 25859-2660www.robotron.eu/training

Robotron|ECG solutions GmbH

Stutt garter Straße 2901189 Dresden

Tel: +49 351 25859-0www.robotron-ecg.de

SASKIA® Informations-Systeme GmbH

An den Teichen 509224 Chemnitz

Tel: +49 371 8088-444www.saskia.de

Robotron Datenbank-Soft ware GmbH Branch Offi ce Berlin

Albert-Einstein-Straße 1612489 Berlin

Tel: +49 30 263929-2449

Robotron Datenbank-Soft ware GmbHBranch Offi ce Hamburg

Wendenstraße 37920537 Hamburg

Tel: +49 40 6442-2449

Robotron Datenbank-Soft ware GmbH Branch Offi ce Rhein-Main

Oberliederbacher Weg 2565483 Sulzbach/Ts.

Tel: +49 6196 76844-2928

Robotron Datenbank-Soft ware GmbH Branch Offi ce Regensburg

Im Gewerbepark C3093059 Regensburg

Tel: +49 941 28037-2480

Switzerland

Robotron Schweiz GmbH

Zürcherstrasse 659500 Wil

Tel: +41 71 2557600www.robotron.ch

Austria

Robotron Austria GmbH

Lemböckgasse 611230 Wien

Tel: +43 1 8157980-100www.robotron.at

Czech Republic

Robotron Database Solutions s. r. o.

Jiřiny Štěpničkové 1483156 00 Praha 5

www.robotron.cz

Russia

OOO “Robotron Rus“

Russia, Moscow 125009Tverskaya st. 16, building 1 Offi ce 901B, 7th fl oorwww.robotron-rus.ru

Status: 10/2015