Project Description
The openPG is a synchrophasor data gateway that can securely and efficiently distribute and consume streaming high-resolution (e.g., 60 sample-per-second) time-series data from multiple parties in real-time. The openPG is purpose built as a edge device for an electric utility's security perimeter. It has been developed using the proven time-series framework architecture incorporated in GPA’s openPDC.

The openPG creates a security buffer between critical internal infrastructure and external systems to protect reliability and market sensitive data. The openPG also reduces the cost of phasor data exchange through ease-of-configuration.

The openPG implements a true publish-subscribe architecture where the sending gatgeway owner authorizes phasor data points as available for subscription by specific consuming gateways. Once authorized, the consuming gateway automatically discovers the phasor measurements that have been made available to it by other openPGs and allows the selective subscription to these measurement points.

The openPG can receive multiple input data streams and forward this phasor data to the specified gateways without the need for a phasor data concentrator (PDC) and their associated data concentration delays.


March 27, 2012 The official 1.0 version of the open phasor gateway has been released - click here to download.

Typical openPG Installation


High Level openPG Requirements

• Reliably exchange high-sample rate signal values and timestamps (measurements) with other gateways so that this information moves between each owner’s Phasor Data Concentrators with minimum time delay.
• Enable gateway administrators to easily select the measurement points which are to be made available to owners of other gateways.
• Enable gateway administrators to easily select the points that they chose to consume (i.e., the subset of the points made available to them) from other gateways.
• Detect, log and alarm on communications issues.
• Be implementable as a high-availability solution that can meet NERC CIP compliance requirements.
• Support encrypted communication among gateways as well as minimize bandwidth requirements for gateway-to-gateway data exchange.
• Utilize standard communications, networking and server hardware.
• Be easily extensible to support the development of custom interfaces to the gateway owner’s internal infrastructure and/or new phasor data protocols.

The openPG meets 6 of the 7 high level NASPInet requirements. See: NASPInet_Allignment.pdf

The Gateway Exchange Protocol
The openPG uses the Gateway Exchange Protocol (GEP) to move data among gateways. This protocol has been optimized to minimize bandwidth as the gateway flexibly implements publish-subscribe with individual pahsor measurement point granularity. See: The GEP Protocol.pdf

The Business Case for Phasor Gateways
A phasor gateway:

• Creates a hardened security buffer between critical internal systems and external ones
• Protects the confidentiality and integrity of reliability and market sensitive bulk electric system data
• Facilitates and reduces the cost of phasor data exchange -- both the phasor data itself and the supporting metadata information for this data

See: openPG Business Case.pdf


openPG Release Schedule

• openPG – Alpha Version (June 2011) - Core functionality
• openPG – Beta Version (October 2011) - UI Improvements, better functionality testing
• openPG 1.0 (March 2012) - Production ready version
• openPG 1.1 (June 2012) - Comprehensive security testing by UIUC, 61850-90-5 support
• openPG 1.2 (January 2013) - Additional protocol and feature improvements