Section O: Communications under the Code |
Simple Guide |
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Section O of the BSC primarily addresses data communications and sets out:
an outline of the arrangements for Communications under the BSC;
requirements to be complied with by Parties and Party Agents to be able to send certain Communications to BSC Agents and ensure that certain Communications are received;
requirements for the form of certain Communications between Parties or Party Agents and BSC Agents;
the basis upon which certain Communications will be treated as received by a Party or a BSC Agent for the purposes of the BSC.
In this Section O references to a Party do not include BSCCo or BSC Clearer. In this Section O references to a party Agent do not include SVA Meter Operator Agents.
Section O also cross-references arrangements and requirements in relation to
Communications which are specified elsewhere in the BSC or in other documentation as follows:
Communications between any Party and either the Panel and/or Elexon Clear and/or Elexon (covered in Section H);
Communications between NETSO and a Party relating to matters arising under Section Q (i.e. in relation to balancing mechanism activities) (covered in the Grid Code) ;
Communications between BSC Agents and / or between BSC Agents and Market index Data Providers (covered in BSC Service Descriptions, BSC Agent Contracts, Market Index Data Provider Contracts and/or BSC Procedures (BSCPs));
any other Communications not covered in Section O (covered in Section H unless explicitly covered elsewhere in the BSC).
In addition, Section O identifies
SVA Communications as those communications sent and received by SVA data parties using the
Managed Data Network, or an alternative method of data transfer approved by the
Panel. These can be approved as long as the charges for using the alternative transfer method are lower than those for using the
Managed Data Network.
Section O does not cover
SVA Communications using the
Managed Data Network; however it does cover
SVA Communications using another approved method of SVA data transfer.
Generally in
Section O, where the phrase '
Party' is used, it does not include Elexon.
A Communication includes notifications, applications, requests, approvals, acceptances, rejections, reports or other data submission or data transfer which is sent or received under the BSC and includes the data flow and content contained within the communication. A Communications Medium is a particular method of transmitting Communications, for example, fax, e- mail, telephone or other electronic communications systems.
A
Communication can be made by being posted on the
BMRS (
www.bmreports.com) or the
BSC website when the BSC explicitly provides for this. Unless the
Panel states otherwise, any
Communication which is specified in a
Data Catalogue must be sent in the form and format and using the
Communications Medium specified in the
Data Catalogue.
Communications Requirements Document
Section O establishes the
Communication Requirements Document, which is a
Code Subsidiary Document. It contains a description and specification of the each available
Communications Medium, information relating to requirements and testing of
Party Systems, security requirements, the basis on which it is determined when
Communications sent using a particular
Communications Medium are deemed to have been received and arrangements for recording, logging and acknowledging the sending and receipt of communications.
Each Party has to have the use of a system (or systems) that interfaces with the BSC Agents and enables it to send and receive Communications in accordance with the requirements in the Communications Requirements Document. These systems (‘Party Systems’) do not have to be used exclusively for the purposes of Communications under the BSC, so long as their other uses do not affect the Party's ability to send and receive Communications in accordance with the requirements of the BSC.
Party Systems have to undertake "network access tests" (NATs) and "business process integration tests" (BPITs), further details of which are specified in the Communication Requirements Document. The purpose of these tests is to ensure that the Party System is compatible with, and capable of sending and receiving Communications using the relevant Communications Medium. A Party might also be required to undertake further testing if its Communications if its equipment changes.
The requirement to have a Party System that has passed the relevant communications tests is a pre-requisite to the Party's Registration in the Central Registration System (CRS). Modifications to Party Systems can be undertaken so long as notice of this is provided to Elexon (if required to do so by the Communication Requirements Document), and the modification is properly tested to ensure it does not affect the Party's ability to receive and send other Communications.
Parties must also modify their Party Systems if it is required as a result of any change in a Data File Catalogue or Communication Requirements Document.
As well as the security requirements specified in the Communication Requirements Document, Parties must prevent unauthorised access to a Communication or Communications Medium and prevent unauthorised use of passwords and security keys. If a Party becomes aware of a breach of security, it must notify Elexon and the relevant BSC Agent and take other steps required of it in the Communication Requirements Document.
Rules as to Communications
Parties must send Communications using the Communications Medium and in the format specified in the CVA Data Catalogue, SVA Data Catalogue or Communication Requirements Document. A communication made in accordance with the BSC and Code Subsidiary Documents is considered to be a valid and effective Communication and will have legal effect. If a Party attempts a Communication which is not compliant with the applicable requirements, it is treated as having not been sent and will not have any effect under the BSC.
Any person using a Party's System and using any relevant ID, password, security key or authorisation is assumed to be authorised to use the Party's System and any Communication sent or received is considered to be sent or received by that Party.
The Communication Requirements Document specifies the time at which a Communication is treated as received for the purposes of the BSC. This includes, for Communications Mediums that are electronic forms of communication:
the equipment for logging and recording the sending and receiving of communications;
whether a Communication is treated as received under the BSC when logged as sent by the sender's system or received by the receiver's system;
whether an acknowledgement of receipt is sent;
requirements applying where a message is not properly received or accessible by the receiver; and
the basis on which the sending or receipt (as applicable) of a Communication will be logged and the relevant Time Standard to apply.
Where a Party has not complied with the relevant communication requirements but a Communication has been sent to the Party in accordance with the relevant requirements, that Communication is treated as properly sent and received by the Party (even though in practice, the Party may not have been able to receive or access that Communication).
The Communication Requirements Document sets out the basis upon which a BSC Agent System or Communications Medium can be withdrawn from operation, along with the requirements to give notice of the withdrawal of the BSC Agent System or Communications Medium and the likely duration of the withdrawal. During this ‘planned BSC Agent downtime’, Parties cannot send or receive Communications to or from the relevant BSC Agent.
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