在IT术语中，CIM全称为Common Information Model，指IT环境中被管理元素如何作为对象来划分统一的集合，同时描述了对象之间相互关系。CIM能够允许多个团体交换这些被管理IT元素的管理信息。当对IT元素的信息统一建模后，管理软件只需要通过一次的代码编写就可以实现对同一信息模型的多个IT元素进行处理。举例来说，当两台PC里分别安装了不同厂商的硬盘(A机-西数80GB，B机-昆腾120GB)，而在管理软件里他们却对应同一个信息模型：硬盘。

CIM标准是由名为DMTF(Distributed Management Task Force)的组织所制定的，该组织制定的标准主要针对企业及互联网的IT环境下的系统管理。作为一个开放性组织，DMTF成立于1992年，其成员包括企业、其他组织与个人。截止2005年，DMTF包括了200个企业和组织约3500人，其中不乏IBM、Oracle、HP、Cisco、Intel、Microsoft这些IT巨头。

CIM标准包含CIM基础架构规格描述(CIM Infrastructure Specification)和CIM概要描述(CIM Schema)。在Wikipedia上对两者的介绍如下：

* CIM Infrastructure Specification

The CIM Infrastructure Specification defines the architecture and concepts of CIM, including a language by which the CIM Schema (including any extension schema) is defined, and a method for mapping CIM to other information models, such as SNMP. The CIM architecture is based upon UML, so it is object-oriented: The managed elements are represented as CIM classes and any relationships between them are represented as CIM associations. Inheritance allows specialization of common base elements into more specific derived elements.

* CIM Schema

The CIM Schema is a conceptual schema which defines the specific set of objects and relationships between them that represent a common base for the managed elements in an IT environment. The CIM Schema covers most of today’s elements in an IT environment, for example Computer systems, Operating systems, Networks, Middleware, Services and Storage. The CIM Schema defines a common basis for representing these managed elements. Since most managed elements have product and vendor specific behavior, the CIM Schema is extensible in order to allow the producers of these elements to represent their specific features seamlessly together with the common base functionality defined in the CIM Schema.

目前CIM Schema最终版本为2.17，CIM Infrastructure Specification的最终版本为2.3 (PDF文件)。

参考自：Wikipedia - Common Information Model (computing)