Merging IEC CIM and DMTF CIM - A Step Towards an Improved Smart Grid Information Model

In the envisioned future Smart Grid, ICT will be incorporated into the power system at all domains in order to improve the operation and management. The incorporation of ICT must be systematic and incremental. One enabler of this is a well-designed and shared information model. IEC61970-301 Common Information Model (CIM) standard exists for the power system. However, it has some drawbacks that decrease the potential adoption benefits and create the barrier of adoption. We explore this standard along with the DMTF CIM standard used in network management and discusses how the principles in the DMTF CIM can be used to extend the IEC CIM in order to address the aforementioned drawbacks.