Automated Dispatch System Query Tool

(1)

Automated Dispatch System Query Tool

User Guide

Version 1.0

December 16, 2007

Revision History

Date Vers ion Description 07/26/2007 0.1 Initial draft

(2)

The Automated Dispatching System (ADS) is a messaging system that replaces the manual, telephone-based method of dispatching Imbalance Energy in the Real Time Market. ADS establishes clear and unambiguous dispatch instructions from the ISO to SCs and/or resources. It is designed to accomplish timely and transparent dispatch, logging, archival and retrieval of information.

The ADS system has provided query functionality to allow users to view historical information such as dispatches and dispatch operating targets (DOT’s). The new Query Tool described in this document is an improvement over the previous query functionality in ADS. Unlike the previous functionality which only allowed views of dispatch information on a batch-by-batch basis, the new Query Tool allows the user to view all historical data within a user-specified date range. The result is a more useful query functionality.

1.2 Audience

1.3 User’s interested in receiving historical dispatch and trajectory data. This may include CAISO and generation plant operators, as well as Scheduling Coordinator staff.

1.4 References

For extensive information on installation, forms, technical information and related documentation, please access the ADS Client Help menu>>ADS Home Page.

ADS Production URL

http://www.caiso.com/clientserv/ads/index.html

2. Getting Started

2.1 ADS MP Client Window

If you have an older version of ADS Client that does not include the new ADS Query function, you will need to reinstall ADS Client in order to have this functionality available.

When you initially log in to the most recent version of the ADS Client, you will see the ADS MP Client Window:

(4)

To access the ADS Query feature:

1. Click the ADS Query Button in the application toolbar. The ADS Query screen will open:

(5)

3. Interface Features

3.1 Menu Items

3.1.1 File Menu Options

Clicking on the File menu will provide the following options: 3.1.1.1 Save As

Clicking the Save As menu item will open the Save Query Result window, allowing you to name the file, browse to a location you wish to place the file, and then save the ADS Query results in XML or CSV file format.

3.1.1.2 Print

The Print menu item automatically opens a Print Preview screen, allowing you to view and alter the format of the printed document if necessary.

3.1.1.3 Exit

The Exit menu item will close the ADS Query window and return you to the original ADS Client window. 3.1.2 Query Menu Options

Clicking the Query menu will provide the following options: 3.1.2.1 Submit Query

Once you have entered the parameters for your query (discussed in Section Xref), click the Submit Query menu item to run your request. You can also click the icon in the tool bar to achieve the same result.

(6)

3.1.2.2 Cancel Query

This option is only activated if you are currently running a Query. Clicking Cancel Query menu item during a Query process will immediately end the process. You can also click the icon in the tool bar to achieve the same result.

3.1.3 View Menu Options

Clicking the View menu will provide the following options: 3.1.3.1 Arrange Left/Right

The Arrange Left/Right menu item will split the viewing frames vertically, so that they appear side-by-side. You can also click the icon in the toolbar to achieve the same result.

3.1.3.2 Arrange Top/Bottom

The Arrange Top/Bottom menu item will split the viewing frames horizontally, so that they appear one on top of the other. You can also click the icon in the toolbar to achieve the same result.

3.1.3.3 Expand All Groups

The Expand All Groups menu item will open all folders in the group navigation tree. Groups are explained in greater detail in Section XREF. You can also click the icon in the tool bar to achieve the same result.

3.1.3.4 Collapse All Groups

The Collapse All Groups menu item will close all folders in the group navigation tree. Groups are

explained in greater detail in Section XREF. You can also click the icon in the tool bar to achieve the same result.

3.1.3.5 Save View Settings

The Save View Settings menu item will save Groupings, Column order etc. (explained in Sections XREF) for use in other queries so that, in effect, your user-defined settings become the new “default.” Custom filters (see Section 3.5.3) can also be saved in this manner and will be applied to all queries submitted until you reset the view settings as described in the following section.

3.1.3.6 Reset View Settings

The Reset View Settings menu item will return all settings to the application defaults.

3.1.4 Help Menu Options

3.1.4.1 About ADS Query

(7)

The ADS Query Tool described in this procedure will only be available in releases later than version 3.1.23.548 3.1.4.2 View Server Information

The View Server Information menu item will produce a window providing basic server information:

3.2 Toolbar

Some of the icons in the ADS Query toolbar are identical in functionality to menu items described throughout Section 3.1, while others are unique to the query process itself.

3.2.1 Save Query Result Icon

(8)

3.2.2 Print Icon

Identical to the functionality described in Section 3.1.1.2. 3.2.3 Arrange Left/Right Icon

Identical to the functionality described in Section 3.1.3.1. 3.2.4 Arrange Top/Bottom Icon

Identical to the functionality described in Section 3.1.3.2. 3.2.5 Expand All Groups Icon

Identical to the functionality described in Section 3.1.3.3. 3.2.6 Collapse All Groups Icon

Identical to the functionality described in Section 3.1.3.4. 3.2.7 Start Date Calendar

This drop-down calendar allows you to select the start date for your Query results. 1. Click the Start Date drop-down arrow.

The Start Date drop-down calendar will appear:

2. Toggle to the correct Start Date month using the forward-backward arrows at the top of the calendar.

3. Click to select the appropriate date

NOTE: You can quickly select the current date by clicking the Today button at the bottom of

the screen. 3.2.8 End Date Calendar

This drop-down calendar allows you to select the end date for your Query results. Its functionality is identical to that described in Section 3.2.7.

(9)

The Batch Types drop-down menu allows you to select some or all of the batch type available for querying. 1. Click the Batch Types drop-down arrow.

The list of available batch types will appear:

2. Click to select some or all of the available choices. Selection is indicated by a checkmark to the left of the batch type.

3.2.10 Resources Drop-Down Menu

The Resources drop-down menu allows you to select some or all of the resources available for querying. 1. If you wish to select all resources, simply click the All button next to the Resources text box

(Note that All resources is the default setting, as well). OR

Click the Resources ellipses button ( ) to access the drop-down list. The list of available resources will appear:

2. Make your selection of resources in one of the following manners: 1. To select a singe resource, simply click to highlight it.

(10)

2. To select a contiguous group of resources, click to highlight the first resource, scroll to the last resource and use SHIFT+Click to highlight all resources from the first to the last

3. To select a non-contiguous group of resources, use CTRL+Click to highlight each of the resources you want submitted in your query.

3. Click the OK button when you have finished making your selections. 3.2.11 Submit Query Icon

Identical to the functionality described in Section 3.1.2.1. 3.2.12 Cancel Query Icon

Identical to the functionality described in Section 3.1.2.2.

3.3 Query Navigation

To navigate through the full list of query results, you can always use the standard scrollbar on the right side of the screen. However the following buttons, found at the bottom of the query results table, have also been added for your convenience:

First Record Button—Jumps you to the first record in the query results table. Prior Page Button—Jumps you one full page backward in the query results table. Prior Record Button—Jumps you one record backward in the query results table. Next Record Button— Jumps you one record forward in the query results table. Next Page Button— Jumps you one full page forward in the query results table. First Record Button—Jumps you to the first record in the query results table.

Save Bookmark Button—Establishes a bookmark for a single record that can be jumped to using the following button.

Goto Bookmark Button—Jumps to a single record bookmarked by use of the previous button.

3.4 Sorting Query Results

You can sort the query results by any column in either ascending or descending order by simply clicking on the column heading (not the drop-down arrow):

(11)

3.5.1 Simple Filters

Simple filters are available by using the drop-down arrows next to the column titles at the top o fthe query results table:

On any given column, clicking the drop-down arrow will produce a list of all available values for that column. For example, clicking the Opr Hour drop-down arrow will produce a scrolling list of all operational hours that meet the criteria of your initial query:

NOTE: Clicking on a single value will filter your query results to only those records matching the single value. You

can also select All column values (this is the default). Additionally, you can design custom filters by clicking the

(Custom) option. For more information on custom filters, see Section 3.5.3.

3.5.2 Complex Filters

You can use a variety of column filters to create a more narrowly defined list of query results. For example, you could filter for only records with an Operational Hour value of 4 and an Operational Interval Value of 12 by selecting each of these values from their respective column title drop-down lists as described in Section 3.5.1 3.5.3 Custom Filters

To create custom filters:

1. From any of the Column heading drop-downs (as described in Section 3.5.1), select the

(Custom…) option.

(12)

NOTE: The default settings of this dialog will depend on the specific column for which you are building the

Custom Filter Features:

2. The drop-down list allows you to select from the following filter choices:

NOTE: Not all filtering options make logical sense for every column. For example, the option “is greater than”

would have no value for the Resource Id Column, as this column contains no numerical values. Select your filtering criteria according to the intrinsic logic of the column values.

3. Boolean logic—You can use “Both/And” or “Either/Or” logic by clicking the appropriate radio button and entering an additional value in the lower drop-down and text box. For example:

(13)

NOTE: Once you have created a Custom Filter for a given column, that Custom Filter will always be available

unless you change the Custom Filter settings by repeating the steps above, or delete the filter from the Filter

builder dialog described in the following section.

3.5.4 Filter Builder

The Filter builder tool is used to create very specific filtering properties using more complex criteria than are available simply through the Custom Filter functions described in Section 3.5.3

To use Filter builder:

1. From the Navigation bar at the bottom of the query results table, as described in Section 3.3, click the Filter data icon .

The Filter builder dialog will open:

4. Other Notes

4.1 Current parameter constraints

In order to ensure reliability for the ADS application, the following constraints were applied to version 3.1.23.548. These configurable parameters may be modified in the future.

1. All batch types can be queried for a maximum of eight days. 2. Trajectory data can only be queried for a single resource.

(14)

4.2 Known issues

1. The Reset View Settings menu must be utilized prior to submitting a query. If you attempt to

Automated Dispatch System Query Tool