Development of ez2view version 8 (released from Monday 22nd February 2021) has revolved around the following two streams of work:
|
Enhancements to do with the way the software works |
Enhancements to do with understandability of AEMO data |
|---|---|
A major part of the development effort with version 8 have been several changes to the way in which the software works, including these:
|
Depending on the specific permutation of version 7 you have been using most recently you will notice different enhancements when you start using version 8.
We’d just like to highlight these 3 – which are discussed further below:
|
What follows are detail on each of the enhancements noted above:
Enhancements to do with the way the Software works
1a) New Licence System
With version 7, there were two different licensing systems used for the two access points to the software – the legacy (‘gr-ID’ based) system for the installed software, and the newer licence system online:
|
Installed Software |
ez2view Online |
|
|---|---|---|
| Version 7 | The installed software was activated using a gr-ID account system that was unique to an organisation:
|
When ez2view online was developed, it used a different account system that identified people via their work email address (and the organisation they worked with by that email domain):
|
| Version 8 | With v8 we have retired the legacy (gr-ID based) licence system and rolled in the authentication system used in ez2view online:
|
No change from v7 |
| Version 9 | No change from v8 | No change from v8 |
1b) Merging of trends created online, and in the installed software
Because of the different licence systems used for ez2view version 7, frequent users of the ‘Trends Editor’ widget will have noticed that they have accumulated a different list of configured trends online compared to those in the installed software.
That’s because we needed to treat you (when using the installed software) as a different user, as we did not know who you were. The specifics are here:
|
Installed Software |
ez2view Online |
|
|---|---|---|
| Trends Created in Version 7 | We modelled a gr-ID account as a single (anonymous) user, separate from all individual users of the online software.
That’s why you (and everyone else) will have been able to see (and edit, and delete) all the trends created with ‘Trends Editor’ within the installed software This shortcoming caused problems for a number of our clients in the past (e.g. with trends being inadvertently deleted and so on). |
When ez2view online was developed, it used a different account system that identified people via their work email address (and the organisation they worked with by that email domain):
Because this new licence system identifies you as an individual, we are able to store ‘artefacts’ you create against your name. |
| Trends Created in Version 8 | When you first start version 8, you will be asked to ‘claim ownership’ of trends created the (now retired) gr-ID account system:
However you can then publish trends and (using bookmarks) share the configured ‘Trend Widgets’ with other users. |
No change to functionality – though you will see a longer list of trends if you have claimed trends formerly created with the v7 installed software under the (now retired) legacy gr-ID account system. |
The Widget Guide for the ‘Trends Editor’ provides more information.
1c) Shared Settings in the Cloud
Also based on customer requests, we have established a Cloud-based repository of other User Settings (more than just Trends) that we suggest is used as default moving forwards:
This will make it easier for you when you reinstall your software (e.g. when you get a new PC) or if you want to share your settings with other users.
Use the ‘Settings Migration’ function to complete the process.
1d) New Help Site online
As you might have noticed, we’ve upgraded the amount of information published about ez2view (for licensed users) online at this address:
help.ez2viewaustralia.info/
This site is not yet fully complete, but we did not want to delay the release of v8 any further by waiting until this site was fully finished. We anticipate that:
- what is there already will prove useful, and
- that you will let us know if you can’t find the information that you are looking for?
Enhancements to do with AEMO and Market Data
What follows are some of the enhancements recently added to ez2view, and accessible in
2a) New ‘MT PASA DUID Availability’ widget
In the second half of the 2020 (following two ERM-initiated rule changes at the AEMC) the AEMO begun publishing unit-level daily forecast availability figures for all Scheduled* DUIDs (Generators and Loads) in the NEM.
* It is our view that the rule change would have delivered more transparency if the requirement also included forecast physical availability of Semi-Scheduled assets, but that is a separate story.
We have built the new ‘MT PASA DUID Availability’ widget into version 8 to provide clients with visibility of this new data set. The Widget Guide for the ‘MT PASA DUID Availability’ widget is here.
Earlier versions of the (in development) widget were used in WattClarity® articles such as on 3rd January 2021 for coal units per region, and on 15th December 2020 for NSW coal units.
2b) Upgraded ‘Price Table’ widget
Based on several requests from clients there have been several enhancements made to the Trading Price Table widget:
The Widget Guide to the ‘Trading Price Table’ widget provides more details.
2c) Updated ‘Regional Schematics’ widgets
Given the significant number of additions of new registered assets to the NEM in recent months, we have iterated through new versions of the Regional Schematics quite regularly.
Get the most recent versions of the Regional Schematics widgets at this time in ez2view version 8. The Widget Guide for the ‘Regional Schematics’ provides more information.
2d) Enhancements to ‘Trends Engine’
Also worth noting that there have been enhancements made to the ‘Trends Engine’ that sits behind the ‘Trends Editor’ widget in addition to the changes noted above with respect to managing of trends.
One of the changes made that you might have already noticed was the relaxation of the ‘20,000-point limit’ on data series used in your creation of trends.
The Widget Guide for the ‘Trend Editor’ provides more information.
2e) Updated Network diagrams
Provided with the ‘Station Details’ widgets are (with permission) AEMO single line diagram representations of the network location to which the station is connected. These network diagrams were updated late in 2020 with the most recent AEMO drawings:
Easiest way to find the relevant one is to search for a station name in the ‘ez2view Explorer’.
The Widget Guide for the ‘Station Details’ widget provides more information.
2f) Asset Catalog
As noted in this broader company status updated on 30th December 2020, through 2020 we continued to develop the new ‘Asset Catalog’ service as a web-based service that will augment
Currently the ‘Asset Catalog’ is located separately here:
assets.global-roam.com
As a licensed ez2view user, you should have access to this … and you might have seen a ‘Weekly News Update from the Asset Catalog’ on Friday afternoons designed to:
- Deliver an update on news and other publications that had been identified in the past week relevant to Assets in the Catalog; whilst also
- Facilitating engagement with our clients, some of whom have been providing us with input into the ongoing development of the service.
—–
With the release of version 8, we are immediately progressing onto the development of version 9 to support Five Minute Settlement.