Utility of the Future/R&D

Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) for Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI)

Using analysis, design, and implementation of a proof of concept, Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) meets the unique needs of modern utilities by implementing SOA as the back-end corporate systems architecture and to support their Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) implementations. Design encompasses communications with head-end systems and data concentrators including the coordination, orchestration, and standards-based management of services to perform AMI event management, device management, and near real-time data collection.

SOA Security

Analysis, design, and implementation of a general architecture for SOA Security designed to meet the unique need of modern utilities implementing SOA as a backend corporate systems architecture to support AMI efforts. This includes multi-year and extensive research involving multiple technologies and vendors covering client application authentication, XML Security Appliances, and application server platforms which provides centralized coarse-grained authorization and access control, while implementing fine-grained authorization at the service level.

AMI Security

Investigation of security mechanisms (physical, electronic, and procedural) as well as an evaluation of the current state of vendor implementations to provide a comprehensive, multi-layered security infrastructure capable of withstanding emerging attack vectors to support the security requirements of SAIC's utility customers in an fully networked AMI environment.

Demand Response

Investigative design of key components of the AMI value chain including the SAIC AMI Reference Architecture and Demand Response system designs to manage enrollment, program execution, and real-time communications enabling the automatic load shed required for Peak Demand management.