Harmonization of the Common Information Model and Multispeak®

One of the key goals of the GridWise Architecture Council that is clearly identified in its interoperability framework is the ability to “bridge between communities with independently evolved understandings”. Perhaps there is no better example of the need for such a bridge than between the two most widely implemented enterprise data models in the electric utility industry, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Common Information Model (CIM) and MultiSpeak®. Both standards provide critical foundations and guidance for electric utilities in developing application integration strategies. Unfortunately, the two standards have independently developed that guidance, with the goals to serve the differing needs of large and small utilities respectively. Over the last several years there has been an accelerating effort to harmonize the two standards through collaboration between the MultiSpeak Initiative and the IEC Technical Committee 57, Working Group 14 (WG14). This collaboration is given additional impetus by the work of the Smart Grid Interoperability Panel's Priority Action Plans (PAPs) 8 and 14. The intent of this work is develop a bridge between the two standards with the eventual goal of permitting interoperation among MultiSpeak — and CIM-compliant applications. Such interoperation will make it easier for electric utilities to build integrated automation systems that make use of the best of both standards. The first step toward this goal is to create a mapping between the data and messaging models so that a two-way electronic conversion can be created between CIM messages with appropriate CIM payloads and MultiSpeak web service method calls with corresponding MultiSpeak data payloads. A set of IEC standards will be issued to document the mapping. The second step in the collaboration will be the creation of a set of CIM profiles for small utilities that will implement the capabilities inherent in MultiSpeak. The authors will discuss the approach to harmonization that is planned and the progress that has been made towards completion of this important effort.