Datapult Central

The foundation of Datapult’s portfolio of services is Datapult Central, a world class computing center specifically built for retrieving and warehousing metered data. Datapult Central is a key and necessary component to all of Datapult’s products and services.

Data • Security • Integrity

Datapult Central is a state-of-the-art back office that shoulders the responsibility of timely data retrieval and the continued integrity thereof for over 12,000 metering devices. Datapult has made tremendous investments in resources and infrastructure to store, back up, encrypt and provide disaster recovery services in a highly scalable manner while supporting a variety of data collection devices. Maintaining trouble-free daily operations while staying on the cutting edge of technology is not a trivial task, but one to which Datapult is completely dedicated.

Data

Obtaining data from multiple points within a site, or multiple sites around the country, can be a difficult and costly task. Datapult is the answer, by providing value as a one-stop solution for flexible, economical interrogation of metering devices. Datapult’s service bureau business model allows clients to outsource the capital and maintenance costs of server farms, databases, communication systems and applications development associated with metered data. By serving thousands of customers, Datapult provides clients with the cost benefits of scale, while maintaining a personal touch on services delivered.

Data Collection and Warehousing

Datapult Central has the flexibility to retrieve data through a variety of the communication media, including telephone, Internet, cellular and LAN/WAN. Additionally, Datapult Central collects data from a variety of field devices such as Datapult’s own DIS panel, utility meter or energy management systems.  

Datapult allows our clients to tailor services around their specific needs. Datapult Central enables clients the flexibility to select the collection frequency of their data, from monthly down to hourly refresh increments. Clients also decide the amount of historical data to be maintained on Datapult Central; on-line access is available for up to several years or more.

Weather Data

Datapult Central provides meteorological data from more than 3,000 weather stations around the world. Metering locations can be matched to weather data from their zip code for normalization and statistical analysis of trends. Weather channels available include ambient air temperature, relative humidity, heat index, wind chill and degree-days.

Data Security

At the heart of Datapult Central is a highly secure, Internet-accessible data warehouse that uses a multi-tiered, scalable architecture employing advanced Internet technologies so our clients’ data can be securely accessed from anywhere in the world.

• All data retrieval is performed using assigned user identifi­cations and passwords.

• All transactions with the Datapult server are logged, and require user authentication for execution.

• Assigned users can be given different levels of usage to prevent them from accessing data for which they do not have access rights.

• Datapult Central can communicate over non-encrypted channels or encrypted channels using SSL.

• All communication between the Datapult applications and Datapult Central utilize the HTTP protocol or its secure variant HTTPS.

• All data is protected behind multiple firewalls, and can only be accessed through protected, middle-tier services.

Data Integrity

Data Privacy — Data collected from a customer’s facility is considered to be the exclusive property of that customer and is handled accordingly. User ID/password schemes are employed to insure that a given customer can only access their unique information.

Data Storage, Backup and Recovery — All data stored in Datapult Central is managed using Oracle Relational Database Management Software and runs on fault-tolerant servers. Various techniques are employed to insure that customer data will not be lost, including:

• Fault tolerant, mirrored server data storage built upon raid array technology

• Redundant hardware for quick recovery from machinery failure

• Three level routine backup and recovery plan for all data and application software including:

  -Online backup

  -Rotating removable media backup

  -Off site backup through rotating removable media and electronic transfer

• Quarterly CD based historical archiving

Web Access Security — Within the Datapult organization, server site security is viewed as a matter of survival — core to our basic business. Best practices are employed, based upon Cisco technology, to secure against both external and internal threats.

Specifications

Accessible Data Devices — Datapult Information Sensor, Datapult Pulse Sensor, MV-90 Compliant Meters, Teldata, Transdata Mark 5, Tridium, Carrier CCN, Johnson Facilitator, Novar, Andover

Data Collection and Warehousing — Standard service includes collection of data once per day and warehousing and access to data collected within the last two years. Data collection frequency may be increased to once every hour or decreased to once every month. Data warehousing duration may be increased by year increments above the standard service.

Service Definitions

Data Channel — A value collected by a meter, electronic file transfer process or manual input on a regular basis that has a single unit of measure and a unique name.

Data Point — A device or collection of devices that are being metered and are assigned a specific name. Data Points include one or more Data Channels and one or more units of measure.  

All specifications are subject to change.

For more information contact Datapult Limited Partnership

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