HP 3PAR StoreServ Concepts Guide: HP 3PAR OS 3.1.3

14 The HP 3PAR CIM API
Overview
This chapter describes the HP 3PAR Common Information Model Application Programming Interface
(CIM API), the HP industry-standard API based on the SNIA Storage Management Initiative
Specification (SMI-S). For detailed information about the HP 3PAR CIM API, see the HP 3PAR CIM
API Programming Reference.
About SMI-S
SMI-S enables management of SANs in a heterogeneous multi-vendor environment. SMI-S uses an
object-oriented model based on the 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, see the SMI website:
http://www.snia.org/smi/home
About the WBEM Initiative
SMI-S is based on the Web-Based Enterprise Management (WBEM) initiative, which is defined by
the Distributed Management Task Force (DMTF). WBEM is a set of management and Internet
standard technologies developed to unify the management of distributed computing environments.
The DMTF has developed a core set of standards that make up WBEM:
• The CIM standard
The CIM standard is the data model for WBEM. CIM provides a conceptual framework for
describing management data for systems, networks, applications and services, and allows for
vendor extensions. SMI-S uses CIM to model those objects and relationships that comprise a SAN.
• CIM-XML
CIM-XML is a method of exchanging CIM management data. CIM-XML uses an xmlCIM payload
and HTTP (or HTTPS) as the transport mechanism.
This protocol is defined by the following specifications:
• Specification for the Representation of CIM in XML
Defines a standard for the representation of CIM elements and messages in XML, written in Document
Type Definition (DTD).
• CIM Operations over HTTP
Defines a mapping of CIM Messages onto HTTP that allows implementations of CIM to interoperate
in an open, standardized manner. It uses the CIM XML DTD that defines the XML Schema for CIM
objects and messages.
• WBEM Discovery using SLP
WBEM discovery using SLP is a method for applications to identify WBEM-based management
systems.
Overview 81