Overview
ISO/IEC 24775-1:2021 - Information technology - Storage management - Part 1: Overview defines a standardized interface for the secure, extensible and interoperable management of distributed, heterogeneous storage systems. Prepared by SNIA and adopted as an ISO/IEC standard, it describes an object‑oriented, XML‑based, messaging protocol that exposes the information a WBEM client can obtain from an SMI‑S compliant WBEM server. The part also includes an SMI‑S Information Model annex and references CIM‑XML schema versions used in the specification.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Interface scope: Specification of an API interface to manage devices and subsystems across multi‑vendor SANs and networked storage.
- Protocol characteristics: Object‑oriented modeling with XML messaging (CIM‑XML is referenced) to support device, subsystem and storage management semantics.
- WBEM / SMI‑S interaction: Describes what a WBEM client can expect from an SMI‑S compliant WBEM server (information model, message exchange patterns).
- Architecture and objectives: Guidance on management environment, architectural goals, and technology trends driving storage management interoperability.
- Functionality matrix & FCAPS: Coverage of capability mapping across levels of storage management (including Fault, Configuration, Accounting, Performance, Security contexts - FCAPS is included in the table of contents).
- Profiles and maturity model: Uses profiles to group management capabilities and defines maturity levels - Experimental, Implemented, Stable and Finalized - to guide adoption and indicate implementation readiness.
- Change control: Clear versioning model (major/minor/update) and backward‑compatibility rules for the SMI‑S specification lifecycle.
Applications and who uses this standard
- Storage system and SAN vendors implementing SMI‑S provider interfaces to ensure multi‑vendor interoperability.
- Management software developers building WBEM clients, orchestration tools, or storage management consoles that consume SMI‑S information.
- System integrators and IT architects designing heterogeneous storage deployments requiring unified management.
- Enterprise storage administrators and operations teams seeking standards‑based monitoring, configuration and automation across devices.
- Standards bodies and testing labs validating conformance to SMI‑S and CIM‑XML interactions.
Related standards and ecosystem
- SNIA Storage Management Technical Specification (SMI‑S) - core specification implemented and referenced by this ISO/IEC part.
- WBEM and CIM/CIM‑XML related standards (referenced for schema and messaging).
- ISO/IEC JTC 1 and other parts of the ISO/IEC 24775 series that cover additional storage management topics and profiles.
This overview helps implementers, vendors and architects understand the practical role of ISO/IEC 24775-1:2021 in enabling interoperable, standards‑based storage management across distributed and heterogeneous environments.