Power Tools for Windows

General Information

Technologies must be operated and maintained in accordance with Federal and Department security and privacy policies and guidelines. More information on the proper use of the TRM can be found on the TRM Proper Use Tab/Section.

Website:	Go to site
Description:	Power Tools for Windows is an electrical engineering analysis software that provides power systems analysis and design software for fault calculations, load flow, coordination, arc flash hazards, motor starting, transient stability, reliability, harmonics, grounding, and cable pulling. This entry covers the Desktop Edition of this technology and not any mobile versions. See Category tab/Comparable for the corresponding Mobile entry. Note: The implementation of mobile technology applications that operate on Mobile Operating Systems must be reviewed and approved by the Mobile Technology and Endpoint Security Engineering Team: http://vaww.eie.va.gov/SysDesign/CS/MT/default.aspx The TRM decisions in this entry only apply to technologies and versions owned, operated, managed, patched, and version-controlled by VA. This includes technologies deployed as software installations on VMs within VA-controlled cloud environments (e.g., VA Enterprise Cloud (VAEC)). Cloud services provided by the VAEC, which are listed in the VAEC Service Catalog, and those controlled and managed by an external Cloud Service Provider (i.e., SaaS) are not in the purview of the TRM. For more information on the use of cloud services and cloud-based products within VA, including VA private clouds, please see the Enterprise Cloud Solutions Office (ECSO) Portal at: https://dvagov.sharepoint.com/sites/OITECSO
Technology/Standard Usage Requirements:	Users must ensure their use of this technology/standard is consistent with VA policies and standards, including, but not limited to, VA Handbooks 6102 and 6500; VA Directives 6004, 6513, and 6517; and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards, including Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS). Users must ensure sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. Prior to use of this technology, users should check with their supervisor, Information Security Officer (ISO), Facility Chief Information Officer (CIO), or local Office of Information and Technology (OI&T) representative to ensure that all actions are consistent with current VA policies and procedures prior to implementation.
Section 508 Information:	This technology has not been assessed by the Section 508 Office. The Implementer of this technology has the responsibility to ensure the version deployed is 508-compliant. Section 508 compliance may be reviewed by the Section 508 Office and appropriate remedial action required if necessary. For additional information or assistance regarding Section 508, please contact the Section 508 Office at Section508@va.gov.
Decision:	View Decisions

Decision Source:	TRM Mgmt Group
Decision Process:	One-VA TRM v23.11
Decision Date:	11/17/2023 at 03:57:59 UTC
Aliases:	Power*Tools for Windows
Introduced By:	TRM Request
Vendor Name:	SKM Systems Analysis, Inc

Vendor Release Information

The Vendor Release table provides the known releases for the TRM Technology, obtained from the vendor (or from the release source).

Version	Release Date	Vendor End of Life Date	Vendor Desupport Date
6.0
6.5
7.0.x	01/28/2015
8.0.x	07/12/2017
9.0.x	05/20/2020
10.x
11.x	09/22/2023

Current Decision Matrix (11/15/2023)

Users must ensure their use of this technology/standard is consistent with VA policies and standards, including, but not limited to, VA Handbooks 6102 and 6500; VA Directives 6004, 6513, and 6517; and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards, including Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS). Users must ensure sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. Prior to use of this technology, users should check with their supervisor, Information Security Officer (ISO), Facility Chief Information Officer (CIO), or local Office of Information and Technology (OI&T) representative to ensure that all actions are consistent with current VA policies and procedures prior to implementation.

The VA Decision Matrix displays the current and future VA IT position regarding different releases of a TRM entry. These decisions are based upon the best information available as of the most current date. The consumer of this information has the responsibility to consult the organizations responsible for the desktop, testing, and/or production environments to ensure that the target version of the technology will be supported. Any major.minor version that is not listed in the VA Decision Matrix is considered unapproved for use.

Legend:

White	Approved: The technology/standard has been approved for use.
Yellow	Approved w/Constraints: The technology/standard can be used within the specified constraints located below the decision matrix in the footnote[1] and on the General tab.
Gray	Unapproved: This technology or standard can be used only if a POA&M review is conducted and signed by the Authorizing Official Designated Representative (AODR) as designated by the Authorizing Official (AO) or designee and based upon a recommendation from the POA&M Compliance Enforcement, has been granted to the project team or organization that wishes to use the technology.
Orange	Divest: VA has decided to divest itself on the use of the technology/standard. As a result, all projects currently utilizing the technology/standard must plan to eliminate their use of the technology/standard. Additional information on when the entry is projected to become unapproved may be found on the Decision tab for the specific entry.
Black	Prohibited: The technology/standard is not (currently) permitted to be used under any circumstances.
Blue	Planning/Evaluation Constraint:The period of time this technology is currently being evaluated, reviewed, and tested in controlled environments. Use of this technology is strictly controlled and not available for use within the general population. If a customer would like to use this technology, please work with your local or Regional OI&T office and contact the appropriate evaluation office displayed in the notes below the decision matrix. The Local or Regional OI&T office should submit an inquiry to the TRM if they require further assistance or if the evaluating office is not listed in the notes below.

Release/Version Information:

VA decisions for specific versions may include a ‘.x’ wildcard, which denotes a decision that pertains to a range of multiple versions.

For example, a technology approved with a decision for 7.x would cover any version of 7.(Anything) - 7.(Anything). However, a 7.4.x decision would cover any version of 7.4.(Anything), but would not cover any version of 7.5.x or 7.6.x on the TRM.

VA decisions for specific versions may include ‘+’ symbols; which denotes that the decision for the version specified also includes versions greater than what is specified but is not to exceed or affect previous decimal places.

For example, a technology approved with a decision for 12.6.4+ would cover any version that is greater than 12.6.4, but would not exceed the .6 decimal ie: 12.6.401 is ok, 12.6.5 is ok, 12.6.9 is ok, however 12.7.0 or 13.0 is not.

<Past

CY2021

CY2022

CY2023

Future>

Release

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

7.0.x

Unapproved

8.0.x

Divest

Unapproved

9.0.x

Approved

Divest
[1]

Divest
[1, 2, 3, 4]

10.x

Unapproved

Approved w/Constraints
[1]

Divest
[1, 2, 3, 4]

11.x

Unapproved

Approved w/Constraints
[1, 2, 3, 4]

Decision Constraints


[1]	Technology must remain patched and operated in accordance with Federal and Department security policies and guidelines in order to mitigate known and future security vulnerabilities.

[2]	This technology requires using a Universal Service Bus (USB) technology to transfer data into the records. As such, proper precautions need to be taken to protect data.

[3]	Due to potential information security risks for cloud-based technologies, users should coordinate closely with their facility ISSO for guidance and assistance on cloud products. If further guidance is needed contact the Enterprise Cloud Solution Office (ECSO), which is the body responsible for new software development in and migration of existing systems to the VA Enterprise Cloud (VAEC) and ensuring organizational information, Personally Identifiable Information (PII), Protected Health Information (PHI), and VA sensitive data are not compromised within the VAEC. For information about Software as a Service (SaaS) products or to submit a SaaS product request with the VA OIT Product Engineering team, please use their online form. (Ref: VA Directive 6004, VA Directive 6517, VA Directive 6513 and VA Directive 6102).

[4]	The Federal Information Processing standards (FIPS) 140-2 certification status of this technology was not able to be verified. This technology will require a 3rd party FIPS 140-2 or 140-3 certified solution for any data containing PHI/PII or VA sensitive information, where applicable. More information regarding the Cryptographic Module Validation Program (CMVP) can be found on the NIST website.

Note:

At the time of this writing, version 11.0.0.1 is the most current version, released 09/22/2023.

References

The following reference(s) are associated with this entry:
Type	Name	Source	Description
Vendor Provided*	Frequently Asked Questions About SKM Power Tools Software		This link provides answers to frequently asked technical questions about the Power Tools for Windows software.
*NOTE: Vendor provided information is subject to the accuracy of the manufacturer.

Technology Components

Note: This list may not be complete. No component, listed or unlisted, may be used outside of the technology in which it is released. The usage decision for a component is found in the Decision and Decision Constraints.
Name	Description
A_Fault (ANSI)	A_Fault includes calculations in full compliance with the ANSI C37 standards.
Arc Flash Evaluation	Arc Flash Evaluation calculates the incident energy & arc flash boundary for each location.
Auto Coordination & Eval	Auto Coordination & Eval instantly identifies coordination and protection issues.
Cable Ampacity	Cable Ampacity calculates ampacity and temperature rise in various installations.
Captor	Captor produces Time versus Current Coordination drawings.
Data Exchange	Data Exchange automates work processes between SKM and Smart Plant Electrical (SPEL).
Direct Current (DC) System Analysis	DC System Analysis deals with Battery Sizing, DC Load Flow, DC Short Circuit (ANSI & IEC).
Distribution Reliability	Distribution Reliability calculates reliability indices & cost effects for alternative system designs.
Equipment Evaluation	Equipment Evaluation compares protective device ratings with short-circuit calculations.
HI_WAVE	HI_WAVE simulates resonance and harmonic distortion in industrial, commercial, and utility power systems.
I*SIM	I*SIM is used to simulate system response during & after transient disturbances such as faults, load changes, switching, etc.
Institution of Electronic Engineers (IEE) Wiring	IEE Wiring is cable sizing based on B.S 7671 Wiring Regulations.
International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 60909 Fault	IEC 60909 Fault calculates short-circuit currents using the equivalent voltage source as required by the IEC 60909 standard.
International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 61363 Fault	IEC 61363 calculates short-circuit currents for marine or offshore installations as required by the IEC 61363 standard.
TMS (Transient Motor Starting Analysis module)	TMS analyzes all aspects of motor starting problems accurately.
Unbalanced/Single Phase	Unbalanced/Single phase includes systems with single-phase, two-phase and unbalanced three-phase load conditions.

VA Categories View the VA Categorization Framework

Domain Area	Category	Customer Guidance	Category Locked By ELT Date
Systems Management Facilities and Infrastructure Management	Power Management

Operating Systems Supported by the Technology

Windows Client - Approved w/Constraints

Technologies/Standards Relationships

Runtime Dependencies:

Microsoft .NET

Comparable Technologies:

Companion Technologies/Supported Standards:

General Analysis

Adoption Benefits

This technology may improve productivity for specific staff through improvements to specialized tasks related to electrical engineering power system design, analysis and planning.
At the time of writing, no National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) vulnerabilities had been reported and no VA Cyber Security Operations Center (CSOC) bulletins had been issued for the latest versions of this technology.
This technology supports several industry standard file formats.
This is a well-documented technology.

Adoption Risks

This technology involves the use Universal Serial Bus (USB) connections and proper security precautions must be taken when used.
There is no indication based on available vendor documentation that this technology is Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 140-2 compliant.
The potential of vendor lock exists when utilizing proprietary vendor technology.
Other approved solutions that provide similar functionality are available on the TRM. The use of several similar solutions may increase organization requirements for support and maintenance.
Due to the rapid release schedule of this technology, the VA may be unable to update to the most recent patch and may require a deployment model requiring the use of specific versions.

Architectural Risks

This technology is not portable as it runs only on Windows platforms.
This technology includes cloud-based functionality which has potential information security risks.

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Current Decision Matrix (11/15/2023)

Decision Constraints

References

Technology Components

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VA Technical Reference Model v 24.7

General Information

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Current Decision Matrix (11/15/2023)

Decision Constraints

References

Technology Components

VA Categories View the VA Categorization Framework

Operating Systems Supported by the Technology

Technologies/Standards Relationships

Runtime Dependencies:

Comparable Technologies:

Companion Technologies/Supported Standards:

General Analysis

Adoption Benefits

Adoption Risks

Architectural Risks

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