System and method for performing data transfers in an intelligent electronic device

An electric power meter for responding to user data and information requests regarding power usage and power quality for any metered point within a power distribution system, the electric power meter comprising:

• a first network interface configured to
• i) receive one of a client side information request, data request or configuration request,
• ii) process the request in accordance with one or more network protocols and
• iii) forward the request to a second network interface, via a network socket interface translator,
• the network socket interface translator coupled to the first network interface and configured to
• i) translate management signals between a network interface model of the first network interface and a network interface model of the second network interface to facilitate the transfer of data to/from the electric power meter and a client device, and
• ii) forward the requests from the first network interface to the second network interface;
• protocol routines coupled to the network socket interface translator via the second network interface, the protocol routines configured to
• i) process the client side data requests by identifying the request as one of said information request, data request and configuration request,
• ii) construct an internal data request in the case where the request is identified as one of a data request or a configuration request, and
• iii) forward the internal data request to a data interface, the data interface coupled to the protocol routines and configured to
• i) receive the internal data request,
• ii) translate the internal data request from a protocol routine format to a native database format,
• iii) request data from a native database according to the request;
• and
• the native database coupled to the data interface and configured to
• i) receive the data request from the data interface,
• ii) retrieve the requested data from a measuring unit of the electric power meter, and
• iii) forward the requested data to a requesting client via the data interface, protocol routines, network socket interface translator and network interface,
• wherein at least one protocol routine includes a directory linking data objects defined in at least one protocol to data objects in the native database, the data objects being group into logical nodes by function,
• wherein the data interface calls at least one logical node to process the request for data from the native database.