Foundations of a Metamodel Repository for Use With the IEC Common Information Model

The development of the smart grid calls for enhanced power system application interoperability and knowledge management. The IEC Common Information Model (CIM) supports semantic interoperability but multiple identities attributed to common power system resources present challenges to unambiguous metadata model merging within a repository. This paper describes an original methodology for the building of a novel metadata model repository that concentrates our knowledge of enterprise power system resources. We leverage the value of model namespaces and resource description framework (RDF) technology in providing contexts for multiple identities referring to common power system resources. This novel approach aims to develop a more realistic understanding of network reality than repositories depending on a single CIM XML namespace and contributes to engineering an “enterprise ontology” supporting interoperability and business intelligence. We demonstrate this novel approach with reference to National Grid use cases for network operation and planning model management roles.