The methodology

The data management level constitutes the interface of the InterSCADA platform with the grid devices and components. This facilitates the interoperable interconnection with the external devices and systems installed in the electrical grid. Essentially functioning as dedicated software adapters, the data acquisition and interoperability components handle a variety of communication protocols and operate as translators (converting data from its original structure to the data model and format used within the platform, or vice versa). The pivotal component enabling (near) real-time communication through the publish/subscribe mechanism is the message broker. Functioning as a router, it receives messages from publishers and directs them to one or more subscribers. The routing process is guided by message topics, as data from publishers is consistently tagged with specific topics. Moreover, security is ensured across the entire platform and the communication channels, through efficient cybersecurity mechanisms to cover preventive and corrective security methods, including a virtual redundancy approach.

The application level refers to the software components, deployed as microservices, for analysing and controlling the system of mixed, hybrid AC/DC grids. In the InterSCADA system architecture, real-time applications exchange data flows through the message broker, which is part of the knowledge management component. This encompasses continuous operations supporting AC/DC grid management and event-based applications (e.g., optimal power flow and state estimation) that must promptly respond to specific triggers. Different services, such as WAMPAC, exemplify an event-based application that remains inactive for most of the time, but must react swiftly to power system issues, such as voltage instabilities, power oscillations, and excessive frequency variations. Consequently, these applications will be equipped with a publish/subscribe interface for communication with the message broker. Databases play a central role in the data management module, similar to the message broker, and they are implemented in a distributed manner for scalability. Thus, beyond offering storage functionalities, the data management service also includes tools for access control, data reception from the message broker, data aggregation/maintenance, and it ensures data persistence.

The interface level refers to the integration of the InterSCADA platform with the existing systems of DSOs and TSOs, as well as the interface with the users via dedicated graphical tools. It establishes connections with other pertinent IT systems, such as market platforms (e.g., for the execution of ancillary services), weather/forecast providers (e.g., to determine load and generation power injections) and existing SCADA and energy management systems of TSOs and DSOs. Analogous to the components in the data management level, the components indicated as interface to external systems/platforms serve a dual role: facilitating communication with partner systems and executing the necessary data translation to convert external data into the platform's internal data model/format. At the upper echelon of the architecture, the presentation interface supplies tools and graphical user interfaces (GUI) to present data to grid operators. GUI will furnish real-time updates on the network's states and deliver information concerning essential actions for grid control. This includes details on automated operations, whether completed or forthcoming, as well as manual operations that necessitate the operator's intervention. The GUIs access data through the API gateway, enabling easy customisation of visualised data by adjusting queries accordingly.