1z0-996-22 Practice Exam Questions with Answers Oracle Utilities Customer Cloud Service 2022 Implementation Professional Certification

 A bill factor is a value that is used to group bill lines for a rate component within a bill calculation header1. A bill factor can be derived from various sources, such as the usage subscription, the service agreement, the service point, the device, the measuring component, the rate schedule, the rate component, or a custom algorithm2. If the bill factor changes during the bill calculation period, the system will produce multiple bill lines for the same rate component, each with a different bill factor value1. Therefore, the correct answer is C. change in Bill Factor. References:

• About Bill Factors
• Configuring Bill Factors

•  A change in rate schedule does not cause price proration, but rather calculation period proration, which is a different process that splits the bill segment into sub-segments based on the effective dates of the rate versions. A change in bill factor alone does not cause price proration, unless it is associated with a calculation rule that also changes during the bill period.
• Change in Rate Schedule only: A change in rate schedule does not cause price proration, but rather calculation period proration, which is a different process that splits the bill segment into sub-segments based on the effective dates of the rate versions.

References:

• Effective Dates and Price Proration
• Calculation Period Proration
• Consumption Period Proration

According to the Oracle Utilities Customer Cloud Service User Guides, the application includes the following service order activity types12:

• Enable Service: This activity type is used to activate a service point or a device that is currently inactive or disabled.
• Disable Service: This activity type is used to deactivate a service point or a device that is currently active or enabled.
• Install Meter: This activity type is used to install a new meter at a service point or replace an existing meter with a different one.
• Remove Meter: This activity type is used to remove a meter from a service point or replace it with a dummy device.
• Exchange Meter: This activity type is used to exchange a meter with another meter of the same type at a service point.
• Back-to-Back Service: This activity type is used to perform a series of service order activities in a single transaction, such as moving out a customer and moving in another customer at the same service point.

References: Understanding Service Order Field Activity Types, Understanding Service Order Activity Types, Oracle Utilities Customer Cloud Service - Get Started

In Oracle Utilities Customer Cloud Service, proration can be disabled on three key entities: the Calculation Rule Business Object, Bill Factor, and Rate Version Calculation Group. Proration is a method used to adjust charges or quantities based on the portion of the billing period or rate version effective period that they cover. Disabling proration on these entities allows for greater control over how charges are calculated and applied, ensuring that they align with the specific billing and rate strategies of the utility company. This is particularly important in scenarios where fixed charges or quantities are applied irrespective of the portion of the period they cover??.

References:

• Oracle documentation on Service Quantity Proration: Service Quantity Proration??.

In Oracle Utilities Customer Cloud Service, the logic for handling customer overpayments is contained within the Customer Class. When a customer makes a payment exceeding the amount due, the system's handling of this overpayment is governed by the settings and algorithms associated with the customer's class. This can include actions such as transferring overpayment amounts to a separate service agreement specifically for excess credits, which are then applied to future bills or other accounts as needed. The Customer Class determines how these overpayments are distributed and managed within the system?89†source??90†source?.

References:

• Oracle documentation on Over Payments: Over Payments?89†source?.
• Oracle documentation on Overpayments: Overpayments?90†source?

 According to the Oracle Utilities Customer Cloud Service User Guides, the D1-IMDSeeder business object is responsible for performing critical validations whenever initial measurements are loaded into the system1. The D1-IMDSeeder business object validates the following aspects of the initial measurement data (IMD):

• The IMD is not a duplicate of an existing IMD.
• The IMD is not overlapping with another IMD for the same measuring component and service quantity identifier.
• The IMD is not missing any required fields, such as the measuring component identifier, the service quantity identifier, the unit of measure, the start date, and the end date.
• The IMD has a valid measuring component identifier that matches an existing measuring component in the system.
• The IMD has a valid service quantity identifier that matches the service quantity identifier of the measuring component.
• The IMD has a valid unit of measure that matches the unit of measure of the measuring component.
• The IMD has a valid condition code that matches one of the predefined condition codes in the system.
• The IMD has a valid start date and end date that are within the range of the measuring component’s effective dates.
• The IMD has a valid interval length that matches the interval length of the measuring component.

If any of these validations fail, the D1-IMDSeeder business object rejects the IMD and logs an error message. The rejected IMD can be viewed and corrected using the Initial Measurement Data Errors screen1.

The other business objects listed in the question are not involved in the validation of the IMD. They have different functions, such as:

• D1-IMDRetry: This business object is used to retry the processing of the IMD that was previously rejected by the D1-IMDSeeder business object2.
• D1-GenericIMDMain: This business object is used to load the IMD from a generic XML file into the system3.
• D1-IMDPreVEE: This business object is used to perform the pre-validation, editing, and estimation (VEE) process on the IMD before transforming it into final measurements.
• D1-IMDPeriod: This business object is used to store the period information of the IMD, such as the start date, the end date, and the interval length.

References:

• About Initial Measurement Data
• Retrying Initial Measurement Data Processing
• Loading Initial Measurement Data from a Generic XML File
• [About Pre-Validation, Editing, and Estimation (VEE)]
• [D1-IMDPeriod Business Object]

In Oracle Utilities Customer Cloud Service, the valid asset dispositions reflect the various stages an asset undergoes throughout its lifecycle. The correct answer, "C. In Receipt; Installed; In Stores; Retired", represents these stages. These dispositions indicate the status and location of assets as they move in and out of service or undergo maintenance or repair. For example, 'In Receipt' may indicate an asset newly received and not yet deployed, 'Installed' represents assets actively in use, 'In Stores' for assets held in storage, and 'Retired' for assets that are no longer in service????.

References:

• Oracle documentation on About Assets: About Assets??.
• Oracle documentation on Asset Locations: Asset Locations??.

According to the Oracle Utilities Customer Cloud Service User Guides, a device type is a configuration entity that defines the properties and behaviors of a device, such as what service it measures, what business object it uses, what characteristics it has, and what measuring components it supports1. Therefore, the following device type attributes are required to identify these device types:

• A. Device Business Object. A device business object is a mandatory attribute that specifies the business object that is used to store and process the device data in the system1. Different device business objects have different fields, validations, and algorithms to handle different types of devices1. For example, the D1-ScalarDevice business object is used for scalar devices that measure a single quantity, such as a gas manual meter2, while the D1-IntervalDevice business object is used for interval devices that measure multiple quantities at regular intervals, such as an electric smart meter3.
• B. Service Type. A service type is a mandatory attribute that specifies the type of service that the device measures, such as electricity, gas, water, or sewerage1. A service type also defines the characteristics and measurements of the service, such as the unit of measure, the measuring component type, and the service quantity identifier. For example, an electric smart meter can measure electricity service with kWh as the unit of measure, D1-ScalarMC as the measuring component type, and D1-Consumption as the service quantity identifier3, while a gas manual meter can measure gas service with m3 as the unit of measure, D1-ScalarMC as the measuring component type, and D1-Consumption as the service quantity identifier2.

The following device type attributes are not required to identify these device types:

• C. Valid Measuring Component Types. Valid measuring component types are optional attributes that specify the measuring component types that can be associated with the device type1. A measuring component type defines the most important properties of a measuring component, such as what it measures, how regularly it measures it, and whether it should be connected to a physical device. If valid measuring component types are not specified for a device type, then any measuring component type can be associated with the device type1.
• D. Manufacturer. Manufacturer is an optional attribute that specifies the name of the manufacturer of the device type1. This attribute can be used to filter or group device types by manufacturer, but it is not essential to identify the device type1.
• E. Serial Number. Serial number is not an attribute of the device type, but an attribute of the device instance1. A serial number is a unique identifier that is assigned to each device by the manufacturer or the utility1. A serial number can be used to identify a specific device, but not a device type1.

References:

• Configuring Device Types
• D1-ScalarDevice Business Object
• D1-IntervalDevice Business Object
• [Understanding Service Types]
• [Understanding Measuring Component Types]

Measuring components are the parts of a device that record measurements of usage or demand. There are four types of measuring components: physical, standalone, scratchpad, and TOU. Physical measuring components are associated with a physical device and reference a device configuration. Standalone measuring components are not associated with a physical device and do not reference a device configuration. Scratchpad measuring components are used to store intermediate or temporary measurements that are not intended for billing or analysis. TOU measuring components are used to store time-of-use measurements that are derived from other measuring components. Scalar measuring components are a subtype of physical or standalone measuring components that contain a single measurement for an arbitrary period of time. They have attributes such as seconds-per-interval (SPI), which defines the duration of each interval in seconds, and auto-read, which indicates whether the measuring component is read automatically or manually. The terms register and channel are synonyms for measuring component and are used interchangeably in the application and documentation. References: Measuring Components, About Measuring Components, Scalar Measuring Components

 An account’s balance is the total amount of money that the account owes or is owed by the utility1. An account’s balance is determined by the sum of all the financial transactions linked directly to the account2. Financial transactions are records of monetary events that affect an account, such as charges, payments, adjustments, or refunds3. Financial transactions can be linked to an account directly or indirectly through a service agreement. However, only the financial transactions that are linked directly to the account are used to calculate the account’s balance2. Therefore, the correct answer is E. the sum of all the Financial Transactions linked directly to the account. References:

• About Accounts
• About Account Balances
• About Financial Transactions
• [Understanding Financial Transaction Linkage]

Bill segments are the entities that contain the details of how a bill was calculated and how it will be printed on a bill. A bill typically contains one bill segment for every active service agreement linked to its account. A bill segment contains information showing how the segment was calculated and how it should be printed on the customer’s bill. The actions taken to create a bill segment are dependent on the service agreement’s SA type. For example, a service agreement that charges for metered service is produced as follows:

• The system requests for the amount or usage consumed (or billing determinants) from Oracle Utilities Meter Data Management (e.g., the number of lamps, the number of gallons of water, the peak kW, etc.).
• The service agreement’s rate is applied to the amount consumed to calculate how much the customer owes for the service. A bill segment and a financial transaction are generated to reflect the results of this calculation. The system has different bill segment creation algorithms for different types of service agreements, such as deposits, adjustments, or flat fees. The bill segment type on the service agreement’s SA type determines which algorithm to use. Bill segments are linked to the source information (e.g., service agreement, rate, meter read) and can be modified by changing the source information and regenerating the bill segment. References: Maintaining Bill Segments, Bill - Bill Segments

Whenever a device is installed or removed at a service point, an installation event is created. Installation events capture the history of the devices that have been installed at a service point and link a specific device configuration to the service point. There are different types of installation events for different types of devices, such as smart meters, manual meters, items, and communication components. In this case, since there has been a meter exchange at a service point in the past year, there must be two installation events: one for the removal of the old meter and one for the installation of the new meter. Both installation events will have the same service point ID, but different device configuration IDs and dates/times. References: About Install Events, Maintaining Install Events

 The base functions that you should use to meet your client’s requirements are the following:

• Apply validations on meter reads coming from the Data Collectors: You can use the Oracle Utilities Meter Data Management (MDM) Cloud Service to perform validation, editing, and estimation (VEE) on the initial measurement data (IMD) that is loaded from the Head End system or other source. MDM has a set of predefined VEE rules that can be configured and customized to check the accuracy and completeness of the meter reads. You can also define your own VEE rules using the VEE Rule Maintenance feature. MDM applies the VEE rules to the IMD based on the VEE Group and the VEE Execution Type that are associated with the device configuration and the service point. MDM also supports manual VEE for users to review and edit the IMD.
• If a meter read does not pass the validation, an error will be generated and assigned to a user: You can use the To Do feature to create and assign tasks for users to resolve the VEE exceptions that are generated when the IMD fails the validation. You can configure the system to automatically create a To Do entry for each VEE exception or for a group of VEE exceptions based on the To Do Creation Algorithm on the VEE Rule. You can also specify the To Do Type, the To Do Status, the To Do Priority, and the To Do Assignee for the To Do entry. The To Do entry will contain the details of the VEE exception, such as the IMD ID, the VEE Rule ID, the VEE Group ID, and the VEE Execution Type ID. The user can access the To Do entry from the To Do List or the 360 Degree View device portal and take the appropriate action to correct the IMD or the VEE rule.
• Retry the validation every 30 minutes for the errors in case the issue is related to configuration: You can use the IMD Retry feature to automatically reprocess the IMD that has VEE exceptions after a specified interval. You can configure the system to set the Next Retry Date/Time on the IMD to 30 minutes after the VEE exception is generated. You can also specify the Maximum Number of Retries and the Retry Interval Algorithm on the VEE Rule. The system will run the algorithm D1-IMD-RETRY (Retry Initial Measurement Data Processing) periodically to identify the IMD that has a Next Retry Date/Time that is less than or equal to the current date and time. The algorithm will then reapply the VEE rules to the IMD and update the VEE results. If the IMD passes the validation, the VEE exception and the To Do entry will be cleared. If the IMD still fails the validation, the Next Retry Date/Time will be updated and the To Do entry will remain open until the user resolves the issue or the maximum number of retries is reached. References: Oracle Utilities Meter Data Management Overview, VEE Rule Maintenance, [To Do], [IMD Retry]

The IMD Seeder BO (D1-IMDSeeder) is used to create and update initial measurement data (IMD) records. It has a system event called “Validation” that specifies the algorithm to perform critical validations on the IMD records. If an implementation needs to add new critical validations, they can either modify the existing algorithm or create a new algorithm and assign it to the “Validation” system event. This way, the new validations will be executed whenever the IMD Seeder BO is invoked. References: Oracle Utilities Customer Cloud Service User Guide, Calculation Rule Validation, Cloud Services Implementation Guide