An architecture for flexible and autonomous network management systems

This paper presents the architecture of AuRA-NMS, an autonomous regional active network management system currently being developed in the UK through a partnership between several UK universities, two distribution network operators (DNO) and ABB. The AuRA-NMS architecture has two central facets: a number of software elements which provide the data gathering and novel decision-making functionality within AuRA-NMS; and the hardware platform, comprising: off-the-shelf substation computing and automation equipment; and an existing, possibly augmented, communication infrastructure, on which that software is deployed. In this paper the authors describe the design philosophy which determines where both software and hardware is located on a distribution network based on the utilities´ existing communications infrastructure and their active network management needs. Case studies illustrating the architectural philosophy applied to two different networks operated by different DNOs with differing requirements are presented. The evaluation and testing of the current implementations of AuRA-NMS, based on this architecture, as well as the challenges still outstanding will also be discussed.