Three years into the project to replace its market platform, MISO is now set to begin moving information to its new private cloud to begin testing.

MISO Director of Digital Delivery Foundations Kevin Larson said the RTO has completed much of the platform design work this year and will next year focus on upgrading technology infrastructure. He said it is making sure the platform is adaptable.

“We’re focused on the performance of the day-ahead clearing of the market engines: How fast can we do that with all the new [market] products and services?” Larson told stakeholders at a Market Subcommittee meeting Thursday.

He said MISO’s motto regarding the new cloud-based platform is “continuous integration, continuous delivery,” allowing for more regular improvements instead of “a few big deployments infrequently” using the existing server-based platform.

“As we look into 2020, we’re going to start migrating applications to the MISO private cloud,” Larson said. (See New MISO Platform Headed to the Cloud.)

MISO still expects to announce its preferred vendors on the platform build by the end of the year. So far, General Electric is still the major vendor.

“We’ve now had some early software deliveries for testing, and it’s been solid,” Executive Director of Digital Strategy Jeff Bladen told the Board of Directors in September.

Bladen said the quality of the software was up to MISO standards, and GE’s performance was much improved from its earlier delays. Board members at the time were pleased with the turnaround. (See “Vendor Delay on Market Platform Replacement,” MISO Board of Director Briefs: June 20, 2019.)

“We’re pleased to say early results are quite positive and encouraging,” CEO John Bear reported at the Oct. 22 Informational Forum.

MISO executives will deliver another market platform update at the Dec. 12 board meeting in Indianapolis.

— Amanda Durish Cook