A common information model (CIM) toolkit framework implemented in Java

Summary form only given. The common information model (CIM) is an object-oriented representation of a power system and is used primarily as a data exchange format for power system operational control systems. CIM has the potential to be used as much more than an intermediary exchange language. This paper explores the possible use of CIM as the core of a power systems analytical toolkit for storing, processing, extracting and exchanging data directly from CIM objects. To this end, the paper discusses solutions to some of the challenges in storing and processing large power system network models as native Java objects without sacrificing reliability and robustness. The paper highlights the advantages provided by such a system when dealing with extensions to the CIM standard and overcoming the problems posed with simultaneously maintaining backwards compatibility without sacrificing a higher level of detail. The paper also addresses the issue of data processing performance in contrast to other approaches.