Distributed Management Task Force Releases Final CIM Schema v2.6; Newest Version of the Common Information Model Standard Supports UNIX and Linux.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 10, 2002

Distributed Management Task Force, Inc. (DMTF) today announced the release of the final version of the Common Information Model (CIM) Schema Version 2, Release 6.

This release advances DMTF's mission to offer industry standards that assist in the development and deployment of interoperable networked hardware and software. CIM 2.6 includes models to administer Web-Based Enterprise Management (WBEM) infrastructures and manage UNIX platforms. The preliminary models were first introduced at DMTF's Developers' Conference last June, in San Jose, Calif.

CIM v2.6 includes UNIX-specific concepts and subclasses and maps to the Open Group's Single UNIX Specification standard. Various management aspects common to most UNIX-based operating systems are modeled. For example, management data of UNIX processes, threads and file systems are supported. The UNIX model can be used in Solaris, Linux, HP-UX and other UNIX environments.

"The introduction of the new UNIX and WBEM infrastructure models is a great milestone for DMTF as it aligns the CIM Schema with existing standards and advances the CIM Schema into more well defined areas," said Jim Davis, systems management architect for Sun Microsystems. "These new models, along with the work completed in the storage and application areas, will strengthen the level of interoperability and integration between vendors and systems. As the industry moves forward with Web services and services on demand, WBEM/CIM is well positioned to manage these environments."

CIM v2.6 also improves manageability and enhances interoperability by defining CIM classes to manage a WBEM/CIM environment. This interoperability model is necessary to discover management services, define how to access those services, and define what data views (namespaces) are available. Putting this model into a directory is recommended by the Directory Enabled Network (DEN) initiative. This permits the directory to function in the overall management architecture, directing users and applications to the "right" Object Managers and namespaces to access the "right" data.

"HP is excited to implement the WBEM standard to bring to our customers not only improved interoperability and portability of management applications in a heterogeneous IT environment, but also the cost benefit through significantly increased operational efficiency," said Nick van der Zweep, director of the marketing infrastructure solutions division at Hewlett-Packard. "Our implementation of the CIM v2.6 Model for UNIX enables HP-UX and Linux platforms to be managed by any UNIX or Linux WBEM tool. This type of standards-based architecture is key to our multi-platform, multi-OS strategy."

"The pieces of the management puzzle are beginning to fall into place," said Andrea Westerinen, of Cisco, vice president of technology for DMTF. "You can use CIM when managing UNIX and Windows systems, as well as administering the overall management infrastructure. All this is accomplished by the addition of tens of classes to the existing schema -- instead of starting from scratch over and over again."

CIM provides a common definition of management information for systems, devices, applications, or services and allows for vendor extensions. This common definition enables vendors to exchange management information between different management systems throughout the network. CIM serves as the information model for DMTF's WBEM and DEN initiatives to enable applications to manage a networked environment end-to-end.

About DMTF

Distributed Management Task Force, Inc. (DMTF) is the industry organization leading the development, adoption and interoperability of management standards and initiatives for desktop, enterprise and Internet environments. DMTF is chartered to adopt, create and maintain the specifications and technologies that provide management tools with the ability to discover, deploy and control management data in a standard way. Working with key technology vendors and affiliated standards groups, DMTF is enabling a more integrated, cost-effective and less crisis-driven approach to management.

Companies interested in joining DMTF or obtaining more information about DMTF standards and activities of DMTF working committees should call 503/225-0725 or visit the DMTF Web site at www.dmtf.org.

Distributed Management Task Force, Inc. is a non-profit 501 c (6) corporation dedicated to developing, promoting, and facilitating collaborative industry technical standards and interoperability in desktop and enterprise management for hardware and software.