3PAR InForm® OS 2.3.1 Concepts Guide (320-200112 Rev B, February 2010)

15.2
Overview
3PAR InForm OS Concepts Guide InForm OS Version 2.3.1
15.1 Overview
This chapter describes the 3PAR InForm CIM Application Programming Interface (API), 3PAR’s
industry-standard API based on SNIA’s Storage Management Initiative Specification (SMI-S). For
detailed information about the 3PAR InForm CIM API, refer to the 3PAR CIM API Programming
Reference.
15.2 About SMI-S
SMI-S enables management of storage area networks (SANs) in a heterogeneous multi-vendor
environment. SMI-S uses an object-oriented model based on the Common Information Model
(CIM) to define objects and services which comprise a SAN. By leveraging vendor and
technology independent standards, SMI-S allows management application vendors to create
applications that work across products from multiple vendors.
The SMI-S model is divided into several profiles, each of which describes a particular class of
SAN entities (such as disk arrays). These profiles allow for differences in implementations but
provide a consistent approach for clients to discover and manage SAN resources and facilitate
interoperability across vendor products within the SAN.
SMI-S also defines an automated resource discovery process using Service Location Protocol
version 2 (SLPv2). This allows management applications to automatically find SAN resources
and then probe them to determine which of the SMI-S profiles and features they support.
For more information about SMI-S, refer to the Storage Management Initiative web site at
http://www.snia.org/smi/home.