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Case study

Smart Energy Firm's Meter Data Management System Improves with Performance Lab

Energy and Resources
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Challenge

Our client found that the changes it made to the MDMS would sometimes impact productivity. It also found it hard to analyze scale and performance related problems.

Outcome

Endava set up two systems and a set of practices and procedures. Now the client can determine if new features and configuration changes are ready for release. It guarantees that its customers have optimal system performance and reliability.  

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A loss of income and productivity

As energy and water industries continue introducing automation into meter data collection, high-performance Meter Data Management Systems (MDMS) have become a necessity to handle the large amounts of data generated. A typical large-scale MDMS processes hundreds of gigabytes each day which can take long time to process. Even a minor decrease in MDMS performance can lead to some readings not being processed that day, which can cause a loss of income. Our client found that changes they made to the MDMS would sometimes impact productivity. For one, it became more difficult to analyse problems different implementations of the system faced in real production environments. Furthermore, it was particularly challenging to analyse scale and performance related problems as they typically occur in situations where huge volumes of data are loaded and processed in the MDMS.

New systems and processes

To help enhance the speed and reliability of our client’s MDMS solution, Endava set up two separate systems:

 

  • A component-testing system where new components and features were tested in relative isolation for scalability, performance, and behaviour under stress
  • A long-running system simulating all usual daily processes at scale, to observe for general performance degradation through time, and possible data corruption effects between upgrades to newer versions

 

Typically, the most standard issues which arose were unnoticeable at small volumes or short testing times but became obvious once the system was in operation for several months.

 

Apart from that, we introduced a set of processes and procedures to improve performance. Following the implementation of a new feature, a test performance plan was written along with a set of test cases. 

Then, to adequately simulate real environments, large amounts of very complex test data were generated with performance metrics monitored as the cases were executed.  A report was prepared afterward with input on how to optimise the system for maximum performance and reliability, facilitating the potential for greater sustainability.

 

The technology used included:

 

  • A performance monitor for CPU and memory benchmarks
  • Manufacturer tools for managing, monitoring disk drives
  • Oracle RDBMS
  • TeamTrack

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A trusted partner

Our client is a leading provider of intelligent metering, data collection, and utility software solutions for energy and water industries. They sought assistance from a trusted IT firm to support the thousands of utilities worldwide relying on their technology for optimised delivery and use of energy and water. With our domain experience and capabilities, the client engaged Endava to establish a performance lab for large data processing and run performance tests prior to new feature releases. By running tests, the client obtained results that were used for improvements to system performance and reliability.

Optimal performance and reliability

Our close partnership facilitated the client’s ability to determine if new features and configuration changes were ready for release. This helped guarantee their customers would have optimal system performance and reliability. Not only did our performance lab provide clearer overviews and reporting, but also it ensured the client’s MDMS was faster and more reliable. Moreover, the smart energy firm can continue contributing to a more sustainable future by employing the most optimal MDMS processes possible.

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