How To Obtain Official Conformance for SMI Enabled Products

Release Work Status

The most recent version of the SMI Conformance Test that is available is for testing provider implementations against verion 1.4 of the SMI-S.

The conformance test for testing provider implementations against version 1.5 of the SMI-S is currently being developed.  The first official release of this test should become available during the first half of 2011.  We encourage you to participate in development of this version thorugh participation in the SMI Lab program.

Click here to see a list of all versions of the test for testing provider implementations that have been released so far.

The testing for client implementations has been suspended until further notice.

Submit Application and Agreement

(Mandatory) - Submit a "SNIA-CTP Application And Agreement" form to the CTP Program. This is a legal agreement which defines the conditions under which the test needs to be run and how the test is to be administered. This form can be obtained from the SNIA CTP Program Manager.  This agreement is "evergreen" in that a new agreement is usually not required for each test.  Completion of this agreement may require participation from your company's legal department as this is a legal agreement.

Submit Request for Conformance

(Mandatory) - Submit a "SNIA CTP Request for Conformance Testing" form.  This is an order form which defines the type of test you are going to want to run.  CTP offers options for testing a specific release of the SMI-S or the ability, through an annual testing order, to test all releases of the SMI-S.  A company can select options against either of the2 aforementioned options to test one software product multiple times or test multiple software products multiple times.  This form can be obtained from the SNIA CTP Program Manager.

The program manager may also require the Hardware Product Details list which outlines specifics about hardware products which can be managed by a tested provider.

These forms are generally completed by a combination of your company's product marketing and engineering team.

Install Equipment At the SNIA Technology Center

This Is A Special Note For Those Wishing To Place Equipment At The SNIA Technology Center For Conformance Testing And/Or Those Wishing To Participate In The SMI Lab Program

(Optional) - The SNIA maintains a high-technology computing center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.  The center is known as the Storage Technology Center.  The facility hosts the SMI Lab, various training courses and various lectures in a lab and classroom environment.  The center is a vendor neutral environment thus certain rules apply to its use.

Complete the Storage Technology Center's "General Terms and Conditions" agreement if you choose to run a test at the SNIA Storage Technology Center. This agreement outlines the expectations of both parties when using the STC facilities.  Note that your company would have had to complete this agreement if they have already joined the SMI Lab and placed equipment at the Technology Center for use in SMI Lab.

Completion of this agreement may require participation from your company's legal department as this is a legal agreement.

Run Test And Submit Results

(Mandatory) - Run the appropriate "Official" version of the test which applies to the SMI-S version you wish to conform to.  The official versions are listed on this page.  Only the verions listed on the SNIA's SMI-Provider Test Releases page can be used for official conformance.

Submit the zip file created by the test harness to the Conformance Testing Programs Manger.  This person will validate the results and take the appropriate steps to post the test results.  Requests are more than gladly accepted to keep the results private, thus not post them, until a later date.  Such requests will requre a formal e-mail from your company to post the results on or after the date of requested posting.  The program will NOT accept an e-mail to post on a date in the future as the program does not want to be responsible for an accidental product announcement prior to your company's announcement.

Upgrade Testing To Add Functionality

(Optional) - Situations exist where a product may have added functionality, reflected in SNIA-CTP test profile, since submission of a previous test.

Your company may also release a patch to a provider which requires you to retest.

This submission can be handled by just running the test with the additional profiles enabled, if required, and submitting the results to the Conformance testing Programs Manager.

SNIA Web Site Product Posting

The SNIA-CTP will add the products which passed the testing to their web site if so desired. The options to do so and the timing of such is outlined in the Request For Conformance Testing form.

Note that the manufacturer/vendor is responsible to notify the SNIA-CTP as to when it is OK to list products on the web site which were originally requested to have their posting delayed. This precaution is taken so that the SNIA-CTP does not announce a product before you do.