Understanding VEE Rules

VEE Rules are standard and custom Validation and Estimation rules that perform checking and/or manipulation of initial measurement data. VEE Rules are created for a specific VEE group. For example, if you were configuring two VEE groups and both included a specific VEE Rule, you would need to create two instances of the VEE Rule, one for each group.

The specific validation and estimation processing performed on initial measurement data is defined in individual VEE Rules, each performing a specific set of targeted logic. The base product contains many VEE Rules you can use in your implementation, but you can also create your own custom VEE Rules.

Some VEE Rules generate VEE Exceptions if the initial measurement data fails the conditions specified for the rule. Other rules override measurements, changing measurement values as dictated by the rule's parameters. Some rules can both create exceptions and override the measurement as part of a single process. By convention, VEE Rules change the Post-VEE quantities of initial measurement data, but VEE Rules can change anything on an initial measurement.

Every VEE Rule has an effective period. Rules will only be applied if the initial measurement's start date is within the rule's effective period. For example, an Interval Spike Check rule with a Start Date of 11/15/2010 will only be applied if the start date of the initial measurement is on or after 11/15/2010.

This allows you to update the specifics of a rule without removing the previous version of the rule. For example, you might change the tolerance of an Interval Spike Check rule from 1.2 to 1.5 as of a certain date. However, for initial measurement data for the period prior to the change, you would want to use the tolerance for the original version of the rule (1.2) instead of the new tolerance (1.5).

On almost every VEE Rule, the failure of the rule results in a VEE Exception and the Exception Type for the failure can be configured on the rule. These Exception Types can also be set to a specific Exception Severity:

  • Information: Used to highlight minor issues, but not sufficient to cause the initial measurement data to be put into the exception state. Exceptions of this category can be used to report on the frequency of interesting, but not fatal issues
  • Issues: Used to report a problem that will prevent the initial measurement data from being finalized. Multiple "issue exceptions" can be created during VEE processing. If at least one issue exists after all rules have been applied, the initial measurement data is transitioned to the exception state
  • Terminate: Used to report a severe issue that will cause the VEE process to stop and the initial measurement data to be transitioned immediately to the exception state. Only one terminate exception can be issued (as the first one causes VEE processing to stop on an initial measurement data).

For a deeper functional understanding of VEE, refer to the About VEE section of the Oracle Utilities Meter Solution Business User Guide.