SCANCOM Manual Import Service

Overview

The SCANCOM Manual Import Service is a service that is designed to take manually collected historical data from a Scancom device and import it into the ACM database as if it were collected by ACM. This is required when communications to the end device are not available. The service periodically checks a configurable folder for SCM files received from field devices and parses these files to create history records in the ACM database. The service uses the ACM Configuration interface to identify the device, meter and archive objects to use for creating historical records from the imported file. This service only processes history records from SCM files specific to Scancom devices.

Service Location

The service consists of two files. asiScancomManualImportService.exe and asiScancomManualImportService.exe.config. The recommended location for these files is in the ACM server installation folder so that the required DLL's the service needs to interface with ACM will already be present and registered. A typical location for this folder is: C:\Program Files (x86)\AutoSol\Communication Manager\Server. The service can be enabled and disabled from the ACM Monitor.

How the Service Works

SCM files are generated by ScanWin while connected to a device via serial connection and saved on a local drive. These files are placed into the Parser Service import directory. Every few seconds, the Parser Service will scan this directory for new files. Once a file has been detected, the service will read it and verify its format beginning with the header. Once the service encounters a record message of type "Configuration", it uses the ACM Configuration interface to search for a device that matches the Node Name or Station Number configured for that device. If this information cannot be resolved, the process is terminated and the record is skipped. If the configuration is found, the service makes note of the objects needed to create history records and proceeds to parse the rest of the messages for that record that contain history records and meter configuration information. Archive records generated are placed in the archive records table via the Bulk Import Service in ACM. Once completed, the file is moved to the folder configured for successful processing. 

The types of history records that are processed from the SCM file and archived in ACM are:

• Hourly Records
• Event Records
• Alarm Records
• User Change Log Records
• Meter Configuration Records (Needed to publish out of ACM)

ACM Configuration

In order for history records to be archived from an SCM file, a minimal configuration for that device must be present in ACM to process them. If a device has already been configured and can poll for history, it will have the required configuration objects necessary to process records from the SCM files. If this device is not configured in ACM, the following objects are required for the service:

• Scancom protocol Device object
• Configurable Archive object(s) (for each type of archive data to be collected)
• Meter object(s) (for each meter of data to be processed)

Please refer to the configuration page for instructions on how to configure the required objects for EFM history retrieval.

Service Configuration  

The service uses a configuration file to set the options available for use of the service. This file is called asiScancomManualImportService.exe.config. It is formatted as an XML file with the following section holding the configurable parameters for this service:

<appSettings>

    <add key="ImportFolder" value="C:/SCM/Import" />

    <add key="FailedFolder" value=" C:/SCM/Failed " />

    <add key="CompletedFolder" value=" C:/SCM/Completed " />

    <add key="WarnOnlyOnCRCErrors" value="True" />

    <add key="ArchiveProcessedRecords" value="True" />

  </appSettings>

ImportFolder  The value element contains the location the service will use to look for new SCM files to process.

FailedFolder  The value element contains the location the service will use to move  SCM files that failed to process. 

CompletedFolder  The value element contains the location the service will use to move SCM that processed successfully.

WarnOnlyOnCRCErrors  The value element contains True. This feature is not implemented.

ArchiveProcessedRecords The value element contains True or False. If True SCM files are moved to Failed or Successful folders when processing is complete. A value of False will result in the file being deleted once processing is completed or failed.

SCM Files

SCM files are formatted with a header section followed by one or more records and footer. The header contains information about the file including how many records are present. Records contain messages in Hexadecimal format similar to the device response to ACM via polling. Each record has CRC error correction present and the Parser Service checks this before proceeding. The footer contains the end of file marker.