Common Information Model

Common Information Model
Name	Common Information Model
Developer	Distributed Management Task Force
Released	1996
Latest release	CIM Schema 2.46 (example)
Programming language	UML, XML
Operating system	Cross-platform
License	Open standard

Common Information Model The Common Information Model is an open standard for describing managed elements in information technology and telecom environments. It provides a common vocabulary and schema for interoperability among management systems, enabling integration between vendors such as Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Microsoft, Cisco Systems, and Intel. The model underpins protocols and tools used by organizations including AT&T, Verizon Communications, Deutsche Telekom, Nokia, and Ericsson to represent devices, services, and policies.

Overview

CIM defines a conceptual framework and a schema expressed in Unified Modeling Language that represents entities like servers, storage arrays, network interfaces, and software components used by products from Oracle Corporation, Red Hat, SAP SE, VMware, and Dell Technologies. It enables management consoles such as SolarWinds, BMC Software, Nagios, Zabbix, and Splunk to exchange information using common classes and associations. Standards bodies like the Distributed Management Task Force and industry consortia such as the Open Group have shaped the model alongside regulators and vendors including Telefónica and SK Telecom.

History and development

The model emerged in the 1990s as vendors including IBM, Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard, and Intel sought interoperability during enterprise deployments at General Electric, Siemens, Siemens AG, and Siemens Healthineers. Early collaboration occurred within the Distributed Management Task Force, influenced by modeling approaches from Object Management Group and practices at Sun Microsystems. Over time, releases incorporated feedback from large-scale operators such as British Telecom and standards from bodies like the International Telecommunication Union and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Major milestones involved mapping to protocol suites used by Sun Microsystems and aligning with management frameworks from HP Enterprise and Cisco Systems.

Architecture and data model

CIM's architecture uses Unified Modeling Language class hierarchies, properties, methods, and associations to model managed resources such as host systems, storage, and network endpoints deployed by enterprises like Amazon Web Services, Google, Microsoft Azure, Alibaba Group, and IBM Cloud. The schema includes core, system, and specialized profiles that facilitate representation for vendors including NetApp, EMC Corporation, Hitachi, Juniper Networks, and Fujitsu. Serialization mechanisms use Extensible Markup Language or Common Information Model Object Manager bindings to integrate with management protocols supported by Windows Server, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, VMware ESXi, and Kubernetes-based platforms. Mapping to protocols such as Simple Network Management Protocol and Web Services-Management enables interoperability with appliances from Fortinet, Palo Alto Networks, and Check Point Software Technologies.

Implementations and standards

Implementations exist across products from Microsoft (WMI), OpenPegasus from The Open Group contributors, and vendor solutions by HPE, IBM Tivoli, BMC Remedy, CA Technologies, and Micro Focus International. Standards and profiles have been published by the Distributed Management Task Force and aligned with initiatives from Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards, World Wide Web Consortium, and International Organization for Standardization. Commercial and open-source adapters connect CIM schemas to orchestration systems such as Ansible, Puppet, Chef (software), SaltStack, and cloud management platforms like OpenStack and CloudStack.

Use cases and applications

CIM is used for automated discovery and inventory at enterprises like Walmart, Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, and Goldman Sachs; for fault, configuration, accounting, performance, and security management in environments run by NASA, European Space Agency, Lockheed Martin, and Boeing; and for telco service orchestration by Vodafone, Orange S.A., Telstra, and SK Telecom. It supports integration of monitoring tools such as Nagios, Zabbix, and Prometheus with configuration management databases (CMDBs) like ServiceNow, Cherwell Software, and BMC Helix. CIM also aids compliance reporting for standards and regulations involving organizations like PCI Security Standards Council, Health Level Seven International, and ISO-aligned auditors.

Criticisms and limitations

Critics from research institutions like Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, Carnegie Mellon University, and industry analysts at Gartner and Forrester Research note CIM's complexity and steep learning curve, citing dense UML schemas and extensive class hierarchies. Interoperability gaps persist among vendors such as Cisco Systems, Juniper Networks, and niche vendors where custom extensions hinder portability. Performance concerns arise in large-scale deployments at hyperscalers like Amazon Web Services and Google due to verbosity of XML-based bindings; practitioners often prefer lightweight alternatives promoted by HashiCorp and Cloud Native Computing Foundation projects. Adoption barriers include governance disputes among stakeholders like Distributed Management Task Force members and differing priorities at corporations such as Microsoft and IBM.

Category:Information technology standards