Resolve network errors

Data integrity directly affects the performance and reliability of your utility network. Whenever you move data between models, there is always a risk of introducing errors that impact data quality. In this workflow, you will use the utility network topology to assess and enhance the data quality and address errors. This process will help minimize disruption and maintain network data accuracy.

Prepare to correct utility network errors

You will be correcting errors specific to the utility network. Before you can inspect and evaluate these errors, you must enable topology and set up your error inspector environment for the utility network.

Enable network topology

Every utility network includes a network topology. The primary function of this topology is to oversee object information and uphold connectivity among these objects. To enable the topology in the utility network, complete the following steps:

1. In the Utility Network toolbox, expand the Administration toolset, and click the Enable Network Topology tool.
2. For Input Utility Network, browse to Working_Data > UtilityNetwork_GDB > ElectricUnbalancedDistributionEssentials_UtilityNetwork.gdb > UtilityNetwork > Network and click OK.

   

3. Click Run.

   Note:

   When working with your own data and a large number of errors are suspected, enable topology with the Only generate errors parameter turned on. This can be found in the Advanced Options section. This will generate errors that can be corrected without enabling the topology. See the Enable Network Topology help topic for more information.

Set up the utility network error environment

Generating the topology creates new errors that affect the utility network. Therefore, you must address all errors for the network to be fully functional. To set up the Error Inspector pane to explore the errors, complete the following steps:

1. If necessary, open the Electric Network Asset Type map.
2. Zoom to the extent of the data.
3. On the Utility Network tab, in the Network Topology group, click Error Inspector .

   The Error Inspector pane appears.

   Multiple errors are listed. Next, you will fix these errors.

Correct utility network errors

The errors that you just discovered are errors that you will correct through the utility network topology.

Add missing junction

Connectivity in the utility network is defined by a set of connectivity rules. However, there are built-in feature restrictions that are applied by the network topology without a user-defined rule. An example of this restriction is connecting two line features without a junction. When two line features meet without a junction, the network topology will connect the two line features if their asset group and asset types match. However, whenever the asset group and asset types do not match, it will result in two error features with a code of 10.

To explore these errors and determine why they are occurring and how to fix them, complete the following steps:

1. Zoom to the extent of the data.
2. On the Utility Network tab, in the Network Topology group, click Error Inspector .
3. In the Error Inspector pane, select the first 10: Invalid connectivity error.
4. Click the Zoom to Error button .

   The map zooms to the feature that caused the error.

5. Explore these errors to look for a common issue.

   You will notice that both errors are concentrated within a specific area. One error pertains to a Medium Voltage Overhead Conductor (Overhead Single Phase) asset type, while the other relates to a connecting Medium Voltage Overhead Conductor (Overhead Three Phase) asset type. The issue arises from the direct connection between these conductors without an intermediary junction point. To rectify this error, it is necessary to introduce a junction point between the two lines.

6. On the Edit tab, in the Features group, click Create.

   The Create Features pane appears.

7. In the Search box, type Overhead Tap.
8. Scroll to Electric Junction : Medium Voltage Connection Point and click Overhead Tap.
9. On the map, click to place a tap where the two lines connect.
10. Click the Finish button on the editing taskbar.
11. Using the scale box in the lower left of the map, zoom to 1:3,000 so that both dirty areas for the 10: Invalid connectivity error are visible.
12. Click the Utility Network tab, and then in the Network Topology group, click Validate .
13. On the Edit tab, in the Manage Edits group, click Save .

Add missing rule

The 8: Invalid connectivity - No junction edge rule error is one of the more common errors that you will see, especially after a migration. It indicates the network topology found a point feature snapped to a mid or end-line feature, but there was no valid rule that allowed them to connect. You can fix this error in two ways: Add a new rule allowing the connectivity or modify the data to match an existing rule.

Four of the errors listed in the Error Inspector pane are invalid connectivity errors. To understand where and why these errors are occurring, complete the following steps:

1. Zoom to the extent of the data.
2. In the Error Inspector pane, click the first 8: Invalid connectivity - No junction edge rule error.
3. Click the Zoom to Error button .
   The map zooms to the feature that caused the error.
4. Explore these errors to look for a common issue.

   You will notice that these errors occur where Medium Voltage Busbar (Cabinet Three Phase) connect to the Fuse (Overhead Bank), which indicates that there may be a rule missing. Next, you will confirm that a rule is missing.

5. Right-click the Network Utility Network layer on the map and click Properties .
6. Browse to the Network Properties section.
7. Expand Rules, and then expand Junction-Edge Connectivity.
8. Sort by From Class/Asset Group/Asset Type Ascending.
9. Explore the table.

   You will notice that there are no entries allowing a Medium Voltage Busbar (Cabinet Three Phase) connect to a Fuse (Overhead Bank).

10. Close the Layer Properties dialog box.

Now that you have confirmed that the cause of the errors is a missing rule, you will add that rule to eliminate these errors.

Disable the network topology

To add a new rule, you must first disable the network topology. To disable the topology, complete the following steps:

1. In the Utility Network toolbox, expand the Administration toolset, and click the Disable Network Topology tool.
2. In the tool, for Input Utility Network, select Network Utility Network.

   

3. Click Run.

Add the missing rule

Now that the network topology has been disabled, you can add the missing rule. To add the missing rule, complete the following steps:

1. In the Utility Network toolbox, expand the Administration toolset, and click the Add Rule tool.
2. In the tool, set the following parameters:
   1. For Input Utility Network, choose Network Utility Network.
   2. For Rule Type, choose Junction-edge connectivity.
   3. For From Table, choose ElectricDevice.
   4. For From Asset Group, choose Fuse.
   5. For From Asset Type, choose Overhead Bank.
   6. For From Terminal, choose SS:S2.
   7. For To Table, choose ElectricLine.
   8. For To Asset Group, choose Medium Voltage Busbar.
   9. For To Asset Type, choose Cabinet Three Phase.

      

3. Click Run.

Re-enable network topology

Now, you can re-enable the topology and check if the errors are gone. To enable the topology, complete the following steps:

1. In the Utility Network toolbox, expand the Administration toolset, and click the Enable Network Topology tool.
2. In the tool, for Input Utility Network, choose Network Utility Network.

   

3. Click Run.
4. Zoom to the extent of the data.
5. In the Error Inspector pane, inspect the errors that are present.

The error messages 8: Invalid connectivity - No junction edge rule have been resolved. The fix was achieved by introducing a new rule that permits the connection between the Fuse (Overhead Bank) and the Medium Voltage Busbar (Cabinet Three Phase).

You can now continue to the Enable subnetworks workflow.