Creating Aggregators

Automatic Creation of Aggregator Measuring Components

The system automatically creates aggregator measuring components when it detects new instances of the dimension(s) being aggregated. This activity is referred to as dimension scanning. For example, if the system is configured to aggregate individual substations, a user will NOT have to manually set up an aggregator measuring component when a new substation if referenced on a service point. Rather, the system will create the new aggregator when it detects a substation on a service point that doesn't have an aggregator measuring component.

Similarly, if is configured to aggregate distinct combinations of rate class (on usage subscription type) and postal code (on service point), the system will create an aggregator measuring component when it detects new combinations of rate class and postal code.

The periodic monitoring to ensure sufficient aggregation measuring components exist is implemented via monitoring algorithms on a related activity business object that references a corresponding measuring component type. This means that there must be a separate activity type / activity combination for every type of aggregation performed. These monitor algorithms include:

• A Monitor algorithm on the Active state that simply transitions the activity to the transitory Scan state. Users can manually transition the activity to the Scan state by clicking the "Scan" button on the activity.

• An Enter algorithm on the Scan state finds the distinct combinations of dimensional values for this type of aggregation and checks that an aggregator measuring component that references the activity's aggregator measuring component type exists for every instance and creates new aggregator measuring components as appropriate. The algorithm also populates the dimensional values on the new measuring components (mapped to searchable characteristics), and sets the Consumption Aggregated Through Date/Time field on the new aggregator measuring components to the current date and the Aggregation Cut Off Time on the aggregator measuring component type.

Hard-Wiring Service Types for Aggregations

If the dimensions used for aggregation do not include at least one service type-specific dimension (for example, in the case of aggregating by postal code only) AND the aggregation should not commingle measurements of different service types, it's important to:

• Declare the specific service type for the aggregation on the dimension scanner activity instance

• Declare the desired service type-specific measuring component types on the aggregator measuring component type

For example, if an electric and gas implementation aggregates consumption by postal code, they will need 2 activities: one will reference the Electric service type and the desired aggregator measuring component type, the other will reference the Gas service type and its aggregator measuring component type. The aggregator measuring components will have two dimensional attributes: postal code and service type.

Manual Creation Of Aggregator Measuring Components

Users can also create aggregator measuring component manually. This is useful when an ad hoc aggregation for an ad hoc time period is required, or when there is no activity that automatically creates instances of a given combination of dimensions. To do this, the user simply clicks the "Add" link on the Aggregator Search zone title bar. The BPA script:

• Prompts the user to define the type of aggregation (this will present a list of measuring component types whose measuring component category is aggregator)

• Prompts the user to define the dimensional value(s), the desired aggregation time, and if this aggregation should be performed indefinitely or if it is a "one time"