These recommendations are for Chief Information Offices to
encourage the development of systems architecture as a philosophy for ensuring
reliability and safety throughout the power network and efficient,
cost-effective operations within the organization.
Use open
system standards. Despite the best efforts of many within the industry,
there is still a tendency in some power system organizations to use proprietary
technologies in their networks. Standards are the building blocks of a
common architecture, and if they are not used, the benefits of an integrated
network will never be realized.
Use
emerging standards. The power system has traditionally resisted adopting
new technologies because of the cost of deployment and the strict environmental
requirements of the industry. However, to meet the needs of the digital
society, the power industry must learn to become first adopters and share the
cost across the industry if necessary.
Create
systems architect positions. All organizations within the power industry
should have at least one person whose is a designated ‘Automation Systems
Architect’. This staff position should be responsible for ensuring that
protection, monitoring, control, and maintenance of the
power system are integrated with the information technology, network security,
and enterprise management of the organization. This architect will also
encourage integration with external organizations.
Develop
common ways of doing things. The power industry must learn to think of
itself as a single shared infrastructure. Industry participants must develop
common policies on security, common object models, common reference designs,
and use common technologies. Only then will the power system be able to heal,
optimize, and protect itself.
Think in
architectures, not projects. Too often, power system automation development
is based around the ‘project’. Someone champions a project, builds a business
case, convinces management, and builds the project. Whether the project
succeeds or fails, another project later takes its place at the focus of the
organization’s efforts. Too often, no one ensures continuity between one
project and the next, interoperability between the project and the outside
world, or even integration of the project with what came before. Utilities and
other industry organizations must learn to think in terms of common components
and interfaces that can be re-used.
Use
architecture tools. In the past few decades, whole separate industries have
sprung up to develop tools for requirements analysis, network design, risk
assessment, and data management. With a few exceptions, these tools are rarely
used in the power industry. Once organizations have created architects, they
must deploy the tools to make them reducers of cost and risk within the
organization.
Encourage
new standards. Unfortunately, cost pressures have reduced the participation
of power industry organizations in the development of new standards. It is
vital that the people who are deploying technology have a say in the
requirements for its development. Ways must be found to encourage
participation. For example, some countries provide subsidies to organizations
that participate in standards development; this model should be considered in
the United States.
Integrate
the standards that exist. This document makes specific recommendations for
harmonizing standards and technologies that currently exist in the power
industry. A more general culture must be developed, however, around the concept
that fewer standards are better. There should not be so much truth in the old
industry joke, “The great thing about common standards is that there are so
many of them to choose from”.
Keep the
work going. IntelliGrid Architecture is a start in defining the concepts and models that will
be needed to integrate the industry. However, cross-industry organizations must
support the idea of a common architecture, and continue to feed input back into
IntelliGrid Architecture structure so it can grow richer and more powerful.
