Reliability Messaging ToolAugust 28, 2015

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• Background• Sneak Peak• Technical Requirements• Implementation Schedule• FAQ

Agenda

Background

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• A web-based, real-time application that will be used as the core operations messaging and communication tool.

• Users will be Peak, Balancing Authorities (BA) and Transmission Operators (TOP)

• As soon as RMT is operational, Peak will no longer use WECCNet.

What is the Reliability Messaging Tool (RMT)?

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Problem Statement

• Current WECCNet is a cost barrier for some entities and therefore not all have access

• Current WECCNet relies on manual accounting for receipt verification

• Current WECCNet relies on manual RC logging• Current WECCNet platform does not provide a

path for additional enhancements and features

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• Leverages Peak existing extranet infrastructure to deliver a more unified toolset.

• Provides greater accessibility to users without the need for specialized terminals.

• Provides built in message acknowledgement processing and tracking

• Provide capabilities to interface with Peak tools such as displays and logs

• Provides flexibility for future enhancements and customization

Benefits of RMT

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• Acknowledgment feature:o Identifies clearly messages that must be

acknowledged by recipiento Allows sender to easily track which recipients

have acknowledged messageso Assures that important messages are read

Benefits of RMT (cont.)

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• Other usability features:o Ability to create and use templateso Ability to create and use distribution listso Ability to sort and filtero Ability to archive

Benefits of RMT (cont.)

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• Can be left open and accessible at all times, all day.

• Simple and intuitive to use.• Displays messages simultaneously to all

recipients at once.• Stores messages for a period of 3 years

online (searchable) and 7 years offline.

Other Features of RMT

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• Bulk operational communications• Not used for Directives• Not used as a regular email account.

Expected uses

Sneak Peak

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RMT Home Screen

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Inbox

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Sent

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Waiting for Acknowledgment

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Acknowledging Messages (Cont.)

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• Go to www.peakrc.org website, click on Request Help button at the bottom of the page

How do I get help?

Technical Requirements

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• Requires Windows 7 or greater and Internet Explorer 11 or greater

• Access to www.peakrc.org:o Via Internet with username/password and

second factor of authentication: Digital Certificate or; One-Time Password (via e-mail delivery)

o Via WISP WAN with username/passwordo Your entity’s www.peakrc.org Site

Administrator will grant access

Technical Requirements

Implementation Schedule

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Key Dates:

• October 1 RMT Beta version released• Early Nov. RMT Advanced Webinar (Beta

Participants)• Early 2016 RMT released to all Entities/Users

RMT Implementation Schedule

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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• “When will Peak stop using WECCNet?”o A firm deadline has not been decided.

• “How long will WECCNet messages be available?”o WECCNet messages will remain available for

up to 7 years, per the Peak Reliability Retention Policy.

FAQ - Implementation

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• “What if operator comes on shift and the certificate has expired?”o Peak always sends out new certificates to users 30

days in advance to ensure continuous coverage o If User can’t find the certificate, then Peak has installed

a “one time password” (OTP) system that allows the User to bypass a certificate when a password has not been presented (or expired), and be emailed a password that allows them to enter when prompted to verify their identity

FAQ – User Certificates

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• “If OTP can bypass using a certificate why would I bother with certificate?”o It is not Peak’s intention for the OTP system to be the

primary form of two factor authentication for the extranet

o Your users would have to wait to get the OTP password on every logged in visit which is a hassle that if a certificate is installed would allow immediate access every time. The certificate install process is simple and only takes less than a minute and is done once per year

FAQ – One Time Password (OTP)

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• “What if I forgot my password?:”o An update is planned to implement a new

password reset system prior to beta that: Does not require pre-enrollment Requires a client certificate from the Internet Does not require a client certificate from the WISP

WAN E-mails a temporary password to the user’s e-mail

FAQ – Forgot Password

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• “Can I use a Shared Account for my Operators?”o No. Peak adheres to best practices to protect Member

data. Shared accounts prevent the creation of accountable audit trails.

o Peak provides a simple, entity-controlled sign-up and user account authorization system to ensure the entity is in control of who has access to their data

FAQ – Shared Accounts

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• “What if I create one User account and use it for all my Operators anyway?”o Peak monitors user activity against the Terms of Use

for www.peakrc.org (which prohibits sharing accounts) and the Peak Reliability Certificate Policy and Practice Statement (which prohibits sharing certificates)

o This exposes you to risk: When someone with access to a shared account leaves your organization, they can easily continue to use the account username, password and certificate to access your data

FAQ – Shared Accounts

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• “If the Internet goes down can we still access RMT?”o Peak has redundant geographical infrastructure that

supports RMT deployment via the Internet. Existing infrastructure also allows www.peakrc.org (and thus RMT) to be accessed from the WISP WAN, allowing for additional redundancy on a private network. For more information on setting up a WISP WAN connection, please contact Peak Helpdesk from the website.

FAQ – Internet Access

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• “If I decide to make RMT available to my Operators through the WISP WAN do I still need a certificate?”o No, if accessing the RMT through the WISP WAN the data flowing

across that network is covered by router-to-router encryption. Users would only need to remember their user ID and password.

o Users can also have a PC setup in the control room that routes to the WISP WAN to access www.peakrc.org. This is similar to how most entities have WECCNET setup today.

FAQ – WISP WAN Access

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• “Does Peak have plans to put RMT on the WON?”o Peak does not currently have budget to buy

infrastructure and additional circuits for the WON to manage the traffic. If Users support his as an appropriate expansion path, Peak will include it in its 2017 budget.

o Users would also need to examine their WON links and validate if their links would handle the traffic flows based on plan usage of the overall site.

FAQ - WON

Michelle Mizumorimmizumori@peakrc.com

Questions?