# Concepts

Throughout the Switch user guide and developer documentation, there are different concepts, variables, and terms used. 

Below you can find more information about these concepts and where to find them in the Switch app.

## `<organizationId>` <a href="#organizationid" id="organizationid"></a>

A unique identifier of an Organization in the Switch platform. To find the organization ID, open the Switch app, select the organization for which you want to see the ID (for how to select organization see the Switch User Guide), click on the `Settings/My organization` top-right menu link and then in the left side menu click on the `API/Integration testing` tab.

<figure><img src="/files/tjJBj5XNT1obhjv0Ws3v" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

The organization identifier is needed by most of the Switch API endpoints, either passed as a query parameter or part of the request payload.

## `<userId>` <a href="#userid" id="userid"></a>

A unique identifier of a User in Switch. You can find your User ID or see every organization user ID in the users list under `Settings/Administer my organization/Users` page.

{% hint style="success" %}
Switch platform differentiates between two types of users, *Human* and *Application*. Real persons are represented as users of type *Human*. The Switch API clients such as [Organization Clients](broken://pages/Jr5B0xoE96lB5HwicTjt) and [VTN Credentials](broken://pages/LoSLQ4c0nlugSKovAsrJ) are represented as users of type *Application*.
{% endhint %}

## `<resourceId>`

A unique identifier of a Resource in Switch. You can find your organization resources and their IDs under `Settings/Administer my organization/Resources` page.

## `Meter`

A meter represents any kind of metering device or system used by a utility, which is capable of measuring or recording the quantity of services delivered or received by a customer.

Each meter is defined by:

<table><thead><tr><th width="162">Attribute</th><th>Description</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Name</td><td>The name of the meter. Required attribute.</td></tr><tr><td>Type</td><td>The type of the meter which most of the time is the <em>Default</em>. Required attribute.</td></tr><tr><td>External ID</td><td>Platform unique identifier for the meter. Required attribute.</td></tr><tr><td>Coordinates</td><td>Optional coordinates where the meter is placed.</td></tr><tr><td>Registers</td><td>A meter contains one or multiple registers. See <a href="#register">Register</a>.</td></tr></tbody></table>

A meter can be configured to belong to one or multiple organizations in the Switch platform.

### `Register`

A register represents a part of the meter which can measure or record only one type of measurement, such as power, voltage, current, pressure etc.

Each register is defined by:

<table><thead><tr><th width="223">Attribute</th><th>Description</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Name</td><td>The name of the register. Required attribute.</td></tr><tr><td>External ID</td><td>Unique identifier of the register in the scope of a meter. Required attribute.</td></tr><tr><td>Default resolution</td><td>The default resolution in seconds of the measurements provided by the register, e.g. hourly measurements. Required attribute.</td></tr><tr><td>Measurement type</td><td>The type of measurements provided by the register, e.g. active power. Required attribute.</td></tr><tr><td>Measurement prefix</td><td>The measurement prefix of the measurements provided by the register, e.g. if the register provides measurements for active power in kW then the measurement prefix will be <em>Kilo</em>. Required attribute.</td></tr><tr><td>Readings</td><td>A register provides measurements which are called readings. See <a href="#reading">Reading</a>.</td></tr></tbody></table>

There are special types of registers called `virtual registers`. These registers generate virtual readings based on readings from other source registers and the selected calculation type.

## `Reading`

A reading represents one measurement from register.

Each reading is defined by:

| Attribute                     | Description                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |
| ----------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| PeriodFrom (former Timestamp) | The timestamp when the reading value was measured. It is represented using ISO 8601 format and is always in UTC time, e.g. midnight UTC on Jan 1, 2014 would look like this: '2014-01-01T00:00:00Z'.                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| PeriodTo                      | The timestamp until when the measured reading value is valid. If the reading is a momentaneous value, the `Timestamp` and `PeriodTo` should be set to the same value. If set to null or omitted from the payload, the register configured resolution will be used. It is represented using ISO 8601 format and is always in UTC time, e.g. midnight UTC on Jan 1, 2014 would look like this: '2014-01-01T00:00:00Z'. |
| Value                         | The measured value of the reading.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |

More information about sending readings to the Switchmarket platform can be found on our [Guides](/getting-started/guides.md) page.


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