CIM XML - UIB

Legacy applications represent data as a set of flat tags. In order to access data, the user (or application) must know the tag name for each data value they access. Users have typically developed their own proprietary tag naming conventions to add some context to these arcane tag names. These tag name conventions are unique to each user. Applications that need this data must either be programmed to understand these proprietary tags or must use data transformation tools that transform the data for each application-to-application data path. As the system changes over time due to new data points being added, data moving from one application to another, or new applications being added, each individual data transformation mapping must be continuously maintained to reflect the changes in the underlying application data representations.

With a common model-driven approach, applications exchange data in the context of a unified model that hides the details of how data is stored internally in individual applications. The use of a common model allows data from multiple applications to be merged into a set of unified views. Even if the model changes, as long as the relationships between objects in the model remain consistent, applications can still find the data they need by traversing the model. Users benefit because they no longer need to maintain proprietary arcane tag naming conventions. And, by using standardized models for data exchange, such as CIM, users have access to off-the-shelf applications instead of having to write their own or payvendors to customize their applications to accommodate proprietary data conventions.

Extensive support for international standards means less reliance on proprietary technology and enables use of off-the-shelf applications:

• IEC61970 and IEC61968 Common Information Model (CIM) including CIM XML full, incremental, and partial model transfer formats.
• IEC61970 Component Interface Specification (CIS) API (or Generic Interface Definition – GID)
  OLE for Process Control (OPC)
• eXtensible Markup Language (XML)
• Object Management Group (OMG)

Model-driven ESB-based architecture minimizes application adapter costs:

• Common data exchange model minimizes data transformations and provides global context for information.
• Isolates integration adapters from application data storage and representation enabling incremental integration of systems.
• Enables merging of application data to create unified views of utility operations.
• Eliminates application specific dependencies that isolate integration adapters from changes in other system components.
• Reduces integration configuration by enabling application adapters to discover data without requiring knowledge of each data source.
  

The system shown above right is taken from an actual implementation for a southern U.S. utility. They had several proprietary applications that they needed to integrate with their existing EMS and wanted to integrate new advanced power applications with their system. Their current system was difficult for them to maintain because each revision of the EMS required them to change their own applications in order to maintain interoperability. Moreover, because the power system modeling function was buried in the EMS, they could not share the power system models with other applications. With the UIB model-driven approach and an off-the-shelf model management system, they are able to maintain the power system models outside of the EMS and share the models with other applications. When changes are made to the power system model, all applications are notified via model change messages distributed by the UIB. With all the modeling information exposed, the ICCP interfaces are able to configure all the ICCP data values automatically and to maintain their configuration over time greatly reducing the maintenance effort by the system engineers.

The products are:

• UIB Toolkit. Provides everything the application developer needs to build and test application adapters supporting the standardized UIB APIs.
• UIB Deployment License. Includes all the run-time components needed to deploy a UIB enabled application. Available with or without the programming APIs.
• UIB Adapter for ICCP. Provides a model-driven UIB compatible interface to the ICCP-TASE.2 protocols.
• UIB Adapter for PI. Enables data in the popular PI System from OSIsoft to be viewed and accessed within the context of a data exchange model.
• UIB Adapter for OPC Server. Interfaces any offthe-shelf OPC DA server to any OPC DA or HSDA client application over the UIB. Provides UIB access to the hundreds of communications protocols for which an OPC DA server exists.
• UIB Adapter for OPC Client. Interfaces any offthe-shelf OPC DA client application to any OPC DA or HSDA server application over the UIB. Allows the use of existing OPC enabled clients in a modeldriven enterprise integration architecture.
• UIB Virtual Data Warehouse. The VDW enables legacy data sources based on RDBMS to be migrated to a CIM based environment that can be distributed over the UIB using standard interfaces.