This chapter describes new and enhanced features in Oracle Utilities Network Management System Release 25.12.0.0.

This feature enables Grid DERMS to calculate Dynamic Operating Envelopes (DOE) limits that allow Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) to import or export energy to the grid based on dynamic (rather than static) power limits. The DOE feature support compliance with FERC 2222, enabling third party-owned DERs and aggregators to participate in the market without causing grid violations.

DOE calculation is formulated as an optimization problem that considers the forecasted capacity of the distribution network, submitted availability schedules and bids of the DERs, and their sensitivity factors, to determine optimal DOE limits for each DER. The calculation can be scheduled to run for any user-defined DERs over a minimum 24-hour, day-ahead window.

With this feature, utilities can unlock greater network capacity, enabling customers to export and import energy to and from the grid more frequently, without compromising grid stability.

The Grid DERMS Dashboard provides comprehensive situational awareness of Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) by aggregating generation by technology type (e.g., wind, PV, batteries) and load by type (e.g., curtailed, non-curtailed, true, net). It displays combined historical, real-time, and forecasted load and generation across the network’s topological hierarchy, allowing users to view resource availability at the substation, feeder, or territory level. The dashboard also supports drilldown on each DER, opening a detailed tabular view with real-time and forecast data for the selected asset, including current measurements and schedules.

The DERMS Dashboard enables Distribution System Operators (DSOs) to plan contingencies, develop strategies, and optimize DER resources for day-ahead markets. DSOs can also monitor DERs in real time, including output and planned dispatch schedules by control zone.

This Grid DERMS feature enable utilities to incorporate Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) into DMS optimization objectives, such as Volt/VAr Optimization (VVO), and Optimal Power Flow (OPF), without conflicting with DERMS optimization goals, such as Peak Shaving or Economic Dispatch. This applies to both real and reactive power of each DER, allowing for flexible utilization of DERs in various grid services. For example, a DER's real power can be used to support transmission grid services, participate in the market, or be scheduled for peak shaving, while its reactive power can be used in distribution grid services, such as supporting low voltage, unity power factor, or CVR.

The feature will support compliance with various grid services and enable utilities to unlock greater value from their DERs. Users will be able to establish a strategic prioritization framework, allowing them to utilize the same DER for both DMS and DERMS services through an ordered list of optimization objectives, so that if one objective is not active, the DER can be used by the next objective in the list.

This feature enables utilities to optimize their Front-of-the-Meter (FTM) Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) to achieve peak shaving, in addition to flattening or shifting the load demand using Grid DERMS.

The feature generates an optimized dispatch schedule for FTM DERs, based on their cost and contractual information. This will enable utilities to make economically viable decisions, such as charging batteries during low-price periods (before and after peak hours) and discharging them during peak hours (when prices are high) and mitigating peak demand.

This feature is an extension to the Network Capacity Allocation (NCA) tool, enabling users to request a 24-hour DER schedule update from DERMS, considering any changes in load and topology.

The feature allows DERMS to generate updated DER schedules whenever changes occur in the network model that renders the original schedule invalid. Users can disable this feature to maintain a fixed schedule.

This feature enables utilities to manage Front-of-the-Meter (FTM) Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) effectively, considering contractual rules and constraints associated with these resources. This includes rules related to usage frequency, and Last In, First Out (LIFO) curtailment orders. The feature will also allow users to import contractual data within the model import process. By supporting contractual rules for FTM DERs, utilities can ensure compliance with contractual obligations when dispatching DERs.

This feature provides users with the ability to preview the impact of a strategy before creating an event. Users will be able to review available strategies to identify the most suitable one for resolving a network issue, without the need to open each strategy individually. Once a strategy that addresses the current issue is identified, events can be created directly from the preview pane.

Previews are also available for events, enabling users to quickly view key event details without having to open the full Event Details page.

This feature provides users the ability to plan events against both the projected Net System Load, which is the load after contractual obligations are considered, and the Impacted Forecast, which is the load after other events are considered. Using these options to plan events will allow the event to be adapted to the latest knowledge of committed load and proposed events, ensuring a more adequate solution is created.

This feature provides more flexibility in defining stage lengths within an event. The number of hours for each stage of an event will be increased to 6 hours. This will provide an overall event length of 18 hours.

This feature provides more specific Health Check information for individual events. Based on the devices that are selected for an event, the user will be able to identify the available online reduction for the selected devices on a per-aggregator basis.

This feature provides the ability to monitor the real-time SCADA values whilst an event is in progress and alert when these real-time values differ more than a pre-defined value.

This feature provides the ability to support either an event-based opt-out or a time-based opt-out via an API. When the opt-out message is received via the API, it will first be checked to see if the message relates to a particular event. If it does, the event will be updated automatically, removing the device from the relevant stage before alerting the user that the event has been updated. The user can then review the event and confirm whether the removal of the device affects the event enough to make further changes.

If the message is for a time range, the system will check and confirm whether the time range includes stages and if so, follows the same process as above. If there are no current events in the time range, the range is saved, and the device will not be used for events created within that range.

This feature provides support for DER devices, principally Energy Storage devices, within Edge DERMS. DER devices can be enrolled into programs in Edge DERMS, and the user will be able to view, group and utilize the devices, as defined by the program rules, within events.

Communication to the device aggregators will be through IEEE2030.5, and users can configure the controls and curves that should be supplied to devices as they are included in an event.

Devices will also be updated with the latest status, measurement, and alarm information through the supported 2030.5 messages and confirm and update the latest device settings.

This feature provides the ability to define preconfigured strategy types as Operating Reserve Strategies. An Operating Reserve strategy will be recalculated on an hourly basis to provide information on the total amount of load that could be called upon to be dropped in the event of a network emergency.

A dedicated screen will be provided to users that they can review the latest Operating Reserve values in. This will provide an overview of the amount of load that could be dropped for the selected Operating Reserve strategy, as well as export the values for use in an external system.

The Edge DERMS dashboard offers DERMS users graphical and tabular data, enabling quick and comprehensive situational awareness of behind-the-meter (BTM) DERs and other devices monitored and controlled via Edge DERMS.

The dashboard presents trends that display historical, near-real-time, and forecasted total system load, as well as the actual or potential impacts of aggregated BTM DERs and devices—such as rooftop solar, HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) systems, energy storage, and electric vehicles—on load, generation, and load flexibility. Users can view these trends by topological hierarchy, with the ability to select specific levels such as system, substation, or feeder.

Tabular views provide detailed data for individual devices, groups of devices, or aggregator/head-end systems (HES), including both individual and aggregated capacity and output.

Additionally, the dashboard displays information on scheduled load flexibility events and smart inverter events.

This feature guides inexperienced Call Center staff through the customer call logging process using a series of configurable questions.

The "guided process" workflow addresses the common problem of inaccurate call logging—which can lead to incorrect outage predictions, unnecessary (and expensive) truck rolls, and longer restoration times.

By leading users through a logical, validated process, we ensure that inexperienced and temporary staff can accurately contribute to effective outage management in blue sky and storm conditions.

This feature augments Flex Operations to provide better window management, including:

This feature enables suitably authorized users to add, edit, and organize filters and folders in the Global and Shared filter structures in Flex Ops, providing equivalent capability to the Web Workspace client.

A new notice board feature is now available for all Flex Ops users.

This feature enables Flex Ops users to search for and display events that are in the Completed state and are otherwise not findable in the Event List filtered views. This matches the functionality currently available in the Web Workspace Work Agenda, of loading in a specific completed event by event ID, or all completed events in a date range.

This feature adds automatic validation of voltage and amp measurements on tripped devices and downstream reclosers during fault events, ensuring all measurements are verified before recommending isolation and restoration actions. Within the FLISR workflow, users can now enable the following thresholds and rules:

Based on these thresholds, FLISR analysis can either proceed with a solution, demote from a single-phase to a three-phase FLISR solution, or abort the process. Abort decisions can be based on voltage, amps, or both, as configured by FLISR_ABORT_ON_BOTH_KV_AMPS. These new rules deliver greater safety and more reliable switching recommendations during FLISR operations.

This feature aims to enhance the Fault Location, Isolation, and Service Restoration (FLISR) solution to handle multiple independent events simultaneously, reducing outage durations and restoring service more quickly, especially during storm conditions.

The feature enables FLISR to process multiple events in parallel. By improving FLISR solution times, utilities can reduce outage durations and restore service more quickly, improving overall grid reliability and customer satisfaction.

This feature enables utilities to trigger a power flow calculation in response to significant changes in load or voltage measurements. This feature would allow utilities to keep their network model up-to-date and enable advanced DMS applications to respond to grid violations more quickly.

The feature will provide a configurable SRS rule to define the percentage of the load or voltage change to trigger power flow. In addition, the trigger of power flow will be only for the affected island, rather than running a bulk power flow for the entire model.

The Distribution State Estimation (DSE) application is a new licensable module that provides utilities with an alternative calculation engine to traditional power flow analysis using a non-linear weighted least squares (WLS) algorithm and statistical bad data detection methods, such as Chi-square.

The DSE can be configured to use all or some of the available measurements and allow utilities to define weights for each measurement based on their accuracy. By considering the accuracy of each measurement, the DSE solver will deliver more precise state estimations.

This feature would provide REST APIs for the IVR flows to submit trouble calls and to query NMS for call history, event history, and planned outages for a customer account. This would be a more secure option for existing PL/SQL-based flows that require direct access to the NMS database.

This feature streamlines the process of recording damaged assets, enabling OMA users to easily select multiple assets from the Map before adding them to a damage report, in a single action.

This feature enables OMA to use the hosting device’s GPS to send regular location updates to NMS. This enables the OMA device’s location and other attributes to be displayed on the NMS map (like the Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) functionality).

Knowing the OMA device’s real-time location has enabled the implementation of OMA geo-fencing capabilities, including the ability to:

This feature automatically validates Operations Mobile Application (OMA) on a tablet if the user was already signed into Oracle Field Service (OFS) and launches OMA from OFS.

This feature enhances existing functionality related to tracing and auto-generating switch plan steps based on a template. It no longer requires a switching sheet to have been created and recorded. It also adds the “go-back” steps to the sheet to revert the distribution network and add other options to increase user efficiency.

Previously, during partial restorations, customers could receive multiple "Outage Began" notifications if they were part of the original outage but not included in the initial restoration step. Each new outage event created during subsequent partial restoration steps for a new subset of customers would trigger an additional, redundant "Outage Began" notification.

With this new capability, the system ensures that only the first "Outage Began" notification is sent to customers affected by partial restorations.

This feature enables users to view crew information for an event, even after the crew has been released from the event.

In the Event Details display, a new “Release Date” column has been added to the Crews table. When a crew is released from an event, the Release Date column is populated, but the crew information is not removed from the table.

In the Crew Info display, users can view recent assignments for a crew. This view includes a configurable "look back" period, defaulted to 24 hours, and does not display recently completed assignments by default.

NMS V25.12.0.0 provides many significant enhancements around SCADA. The main enhancements are described below.

This feature allows non-device related alarms, such as Fire or Door Alarms, associated with a substation to be configured in a simpler manner. A substation object will be made available within Flex SCADA that will allow measurements created on them to be associated with SCADA Input points. This will allow alarms to be raised directly from the measurement points on the substation object.

This feature adds the ability to support DNP3 communications where multiple RTUs are configured on the same channel. RTUs on the channel will be polled in sequence to allow the capturing of events from the RTU before moving on to the next RTU.

This feature extends the ability to set a timer on shelved alarm events to individually shelved or nuisance alarms. Configurable delay durations will be associated with alarm definitions and, where these exist, will allow users to shelve either a single or a selection of alarms for a pre-defined time. Users will also be able to extend the time of the shelved alarms before they are returned automatically to the alarm list when the time expires.

This feature enhances the error information displayed to users from the error/line logs. Users will have access to more detailed information when issues occur with RTU connections or when control requests fail.

This feature enhances the common statistical information captured for a communication channel to an RTU. It will provide more information on polling periods and statistics with the ability to identify when a channel has failed. Statistical history will be captured and available to view in a dedicated dialog.

This feature provides the ability to define measurements within NMS to be sent to an AVEVA PI Historian. Users will be able to define which values to send to the Historian and can define when the values will be saved, such as On Change and periodically. The update to the PI Historian will also include the quality of the measurement. The SCADA Trends feature will also be extended to support retrieving measurement information from the PI Historian.

This feature adds the ability to store historical digital values and make them available for display in the SCADA Trends application.

This feature enhances the inhibit functionality of SCADA points so that they can have their controls and alarms inhibited independently.

The Common Network Viewer (CNV) is replacing the legacy Viewer. Users can now manage most of their tasks using the CNV, except for a few minor functional gaps (listed below). While the CNV is the recommended option, the legacy Viewer remains available to help NMS users transition smoothly until all gaps are closed in upcoming future updates.

Functionality which is still needs to be implemented in the Common Network Viewer is listed here:

The new nms_monitor tool provides a graphical interface for monitoring and managing main, standby and Disaster Recovery sites. The tool is designed to run on an additional WebLogic server to ensure it continues to provide an overview even on the rare occasions any servers become unavailable. The GUI provides the user with visibility of the currently running system and the active services on it as well as the services running in warm mode on the backup system.

Access can be granted both for full and read-only users. Full access users can also initiate a swap over between systems directly from within the tool itself, utilizing, configurable scripts to support customizable processes.

The concept of warm services has been introduced that will allow these services to run, and stay current, on the standby servers. Several services have been adapted to allow them to be started on the standby server and are kept up to date through the updating of the shared memory files. This will reduce the amount of time it takes for these services to become active when NMS fails over to this instance.

A new multi-threaded service has been introduced which combines PFService, FLMService, FLTService, VVOService, DERMSService and EMService into single DMSService executable. The improved use of threading for this service ensures that the service can run with reduced RAM when compared to running the services individually, whilst also improving the performance overall of these functions.