Utility VTN Connections

Step 1. Enroll with the Utility

Contact your local utility to enroll in their OpenADR demand response program.
The utility will provide specific configuration details and credentials required for integration.
These typically include:

VTN URL (service hostname, path, and port)
VTN ID
VEN ID assigned to your GRIDlink

Note: Some utilities may require the use of X.509 certificates issued by Eonti, which must be obtained separately and may incur a cost.

Step 2. Enter Credentials in GRIDview

Access the Configuration File
Log in to GRIDview.

From the Dashboard, open the target GRIDlink device.
Navigate to Device > Files.
Locate and open the file named dras_client.ini (a template should already exist).

Edit the Configuration File
Fill in the required fields using the information provided by the utility:

ven_id=YOUR_VEN_ID
vtn_id=VTN_ID_PROVIDED_BY_UTILITY

# --------------------------- VTN URL components
service_prefix=https
service_hostname=example.vtn.utility.com
service_port=443

Change the Status field (if present) to PENDING.

Click the Save button.

Step 3. Upload X.509 Certificates (If Required)

If the utility requires certificate-based authentication:

Obtain the .pem certificate file from Eonti.

In GRIDview, return to Device > Files.

Edit the binary file client.pem.
Upload the certificate received from Eonti.
Save the file to the path: /nvram/gridlink.
Again, change the Status to PENDING and click Save.

⚠️ Important: After uploading the certificate, send the certificate fingerprint to your utility contact for validation and approval.

Step 4. Reboot the GRIDlink Device

In GRIDview, navigate to Device > Commands.
Select Reboot.
Wait approximately 2–3 minutes for the device to reconnect to the VTN.

Step 5. Verify Connection

To verify successful registration and connection:
Go to View > Status in GRIDview.

Look for the following log entries:

xpathGetDocStr INFO '/oadr:oadrPayload/oadr:oadrSignedObject/*/ei:eiResponse/ei:responseCode' got value '200'
oadrPoll INFO oadrPoll successful, done for now.

These messages indicate a successful handshake with the VTN.

Step 5. Troubleshooting

If you do not see a response code of 200, or if errors appear in the logs, capture the relevant messages and provide them to your utility contact for further assistance.

Common issues include:

Incorrect VEN/VTN IDs
Misconfigured URL or port
Missing or unvalidated certificates