Virtual modular relay device

A method of generating a virtual modular relay device for a computerized power management control system having an modular relay device, the method comprising:

• selecting a virtual modular relay device template;
• initiating a utility for configuring a virtual modular relay device;
• selecting a communication protocol type indicative of a communication protocol used on a network between said virtual modular relay device and an inter-process communications server and entering network identification data for an actual modular relay device, thereby allowing said virtual modular relay device to be configured for installation on a server computer, a local client computer, and a remote client computer;
• selecting a model of modular relay device from a list including a plurality of models of modular relay devices;
• providing a list of a plurality of functions provided by said model of modular relay device;
• selecting a function to be provided by said virtual modular relay device representative of one of said plurality of functions provided by said model of modular relay device;
• and
• providing a number of tags required by said function mapped to a number of registers in said actual modular relay device.

A method of generating a virtual modular relay device for a computerized power management control system having an actual modular relay device, the method comprising:

• selecting an un-configured virtual modular relay device by activating an associated virtual modular relay device template;
• initiating a utility for configuring the un-configured virtual modular relay device;
• entering network identification data for an actual modular relay device;
• selecting a first function to be provided by said virtual modular relay device representative of one of a plurality of functions provided by said actual modular relay device;
• and
• providing a first number of tags required by said first function mapped to a first number of registers in said actual modular relay device;
• wherein said selecting a first function allows said virtual modular relay device to be configurable and said actual modular relay device to be generic.