VirtuozLab: an advanced testing platform for virtual IED and PAC functions

This paper deals with the application of virtualization and containerization technologies applied to Protection, Automation and Control systems in primary power substations. Required to react within milliseconds and with high reliability to effectively manage risks, these tasks are handled nowadays by a network of multiple Intelligent Electronic Devices working together. Virtualization and containerization of these functions would enable the merge of these multiple IEDs into fewer physical devices, optimizing hardware usage and reducing the physical footprint of the substation. This paper presents the design and implementation of VirtuozLab, a state-of-the-art platform dedicated to verifying the capacity of virtualized IEDs to meet the domain requirements of their physical counterparts, as well as enabling new IED lifecycle management. The platform is then used to study a use-case of centralization of protection functions, where we examine the performance of multiple containerized protection IEDs deployed in a single server. More than just hardware optimization, these technologies are promising to separate the hardware and software layers, allowing for more frequent maintenance and updates of the applications with less dependence on any single hardware supplier.