KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERTISE
Infrastructure Build
Control Engineering/RTU
Data Modeling
ICCP
Archival
SCADA
AGC
Historical and Energy Accounting
Network Modeling
Real-time Data in Sandbox
Environment
Focus on the readiness of servers, storage, backups, network, Firewalls, remote access, monitoring systems
Focus on communication with RTU, DNP3 Polling Strategy, monitor, control, communication path from control system to field
Focus on how the grid components such as breakers, switches, generators, lines, etc get modeled in the control system
Focus on the protocol that helps utilities exchange real time and historical power system information
Focus on storing of SCADA/AGC data into external archival systems like PI, visualization and other applications on PI
Focus on Real-Time Data Acquisition and Processing, Operator and application control on data
processing, Events and Calculations & Tagging
Focus on recording SCADA/AGC in historical database and LTA files for Event reconstruction, Billing, Integration, Retention for online and LTA files
Focus on Automatic Generation control including renewables, ACE Modes, Spin, BAAL, Reserves, Market operations, Schedules, Integration
Focus on Real-time contingency Analysis, Study mode, Alarming, market model
Focus on preparing for the transfer of Real-time SCADA data via a broadcaster or listen mode tool and ICCP data to the Sandbox Environment
ILUMIG SERVICES
PREPARING FOR A CONTROL SYSTEM UPGRADE
BrEAKING DOWN COMPLEXITY INTO INDIVIDUAL WORKSTREAMS
CIP Management & Compliance
Focus on all needs tied to maintaining compliance with NERC, FERC, WECC and other entities
Security
Focus on ensuring all security controls are implemented
Application Build and Patching
Environment Management
System Redundancy
Patch Management
Performance Testing & Tuning
User Access
Monitoring
Integration
Database Health
Backups
Focus on ensuring the build/maintenance of systems from the OS, the Application, the Database, archival, training simulators through DEV/QA/Pre-PROD environments
Focus on Access to users to the various environments as well as transfer of data between them
Focus on redundancy to meet uptime and support needs for mission critical control system
Focus on patching of the various components such as OS, Storage, Network, Firewalls, Databases while maintaining system availability
Focus on testing and tuning system behavior such
as failovers, stress testing with user load, etc.
Focus on ensuring the setup of all users, with least privilege, correct AORs and all security controls are in place
Focus on ensuring that every payload that goes in and out of the control system makes it to the right application within the control system
Focus on ensuring that all components of the control system such as servers, storage, network and the application have robust monitoring
Focus on ensuring the databases of the control system are designed, configured and monitored
Focus on ensuring adequate backups and proven restores are setup for servers, application, databases and any other infrastructure
Greenfield
Focus on parallel Infrastructure that can be used to test newer versions of the software with all the controls in place
Operations Training
Focus on ensuring success of simulator and training for various operational groups
How will you know you got everything you need?
This is determined by Ultimate Traceability, where we work with your various teams and the vendor to map every requirement(Fit/Gap) to one or more test cases, down to eventual test results, down to sign off by a business SME, Support SME and Vendor SME as applicable. To track the Fits that come off the shelf with the product becomes as critical as the Gaps that will be closed in order to built a Best-In-Class Mission Critical Control system of the greatest quality.
Not only can this traceability ensure that you got everything you need for this iteration of the upgrade, but can lay a foundation for future success for the life of this product. For the next iteration of the upgrade with this Ultimate Traceability, you already know everything you have in the system and who needs it. You add the incremental for new emerging requirements and it lays a phenomenal foundation that once built can help this company over and over again. This is extremely powerful but very hard to do well. We can help.
Understanding of Display Needs
Risk Awareness
Current System Cleanup
Implementation Preparedness
Strategy Formulation
Engineer for the Future
The accuracy and quality of the displays that
operations uses is fundamental to their success. In preparation for the upgrade, we can work with
operations in the formulation of Display Style guides that can be used during project run to tune Display Autogeneration tools in the
application
With deep knowledge of the control system,
operations, support team functioning, we can help you maintain heightened risk awareness and
mitigate many risks before they even trigger
aiding a seamless run of the upgrade effort
Alarming and displays can degrade over a period of time. Right before an upgrade is a great time to think about their quality prior to migration into the new system being built
We can aid with planning effort as well as Vendor management as you prepare for Implementation
This focuses on formulation of Strategy around Testing, Release Management, Training, Database Migration and Displays, Organization Change
Management and Cutovers
Since a control system stays in place for many years for each version, it supports a grid that is constantly evolving and growing, it is imperative to think of engineering the system for the future in terms of the hardware and in terms of how the application functions as the grid grows.
With control systems, there tend to be numerous stakeholders such as field engineers, scada techs, communication engineers, Control room operators, transmission engineers, planners, distribution teams, compliance, Billing teams and they can be hard to identify and motivate. It is also very important to understand and categorize the type of stakeholder in terms of - are they a user of the system, do they only rely on archival data or maybe only issue data requests. We can help leave no one behind.
Control system upgrades can be incredibly complex and can span many years. It is really important to have line of sight to current system challenges and think about remediation for the critical ones to ensure system availability as the new system gets ready. We can help with sustainability efforts.
Foundation of success of the effort lies in gaining a deep understanding of what every stakeholder needs in the system for the company to thrive! It also lies in categorizing their needs into buckets identified while breaking down complexity to aid ultimate traceability.
Rarely is a control system able to meet the needs of business off the shelf. We can help shed light starting with what you need to succeed, what part of that is available in the system, what is missing, what changes need to move from the old system to the new, how can the gap be closed, to ensure as a business you have everything you need to succeed.
NO ONE LEFT BEHIND
DOCUMENTATION OF CURRENT SYSTEM CHALLENGES
WhAT DO YOU NEED TO
SUCCEED?
WHAT IS MISSING?
Quality at its core
ILUMIG SERVICES
PREPARING FOR CONTROL SYSTEM UPGRADE
