Overview - IEC TS 62056-9-1:2016 (DLMS/COSEM Web‑services profile)
IEC TS 62056-9-1:2016 defines a communication profile using web‑services to access a DLMS/COSEM server via an intermediate COSEM Access Service (CAS). It standardizes the Web services (G2 interface per IEC 62056-1-0) between a COSEM Access Client and a CAS, enabling electricity metering data exchange using the DLMS/COSEM suite. This Technical Specification describes message structures, XML schemas and the SOAP/WSDL bindings needed to perform Device Access, Device Group management and event/notification flows.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Scope: How DLMS/COSEM servers are accessed by clients through a CAS exposing Web services; underlying CAS↔server transport is out of scope.
- Use cases: On‑demand Device Access, Scheduled Device Access, Device Access with Data‑Notification and Device Groups.
- Message model: Defines IEC 62056 messages with verbs and nouns, a common message envelope, and structures for Request, Response, Event and Fault messages.
- Payloads and data models: XML schema representations (Annex A) for COSEMpdu, DeviceAccess, DeviceGroup and result/error structures.
- Interface bindings: SOAP-based interface with WSDL definitions and XML Schema for the web‑service contract.
- Headers & metadata: Standardized message header structure for routing, authentication and transaction correlation.
- Error handling & events: Structured fault messages and event messages for status changes and data‑notification.
Practical applications and who uses it
This specification is aimed at implementers and integrators in the smart metering and utility domains, including:
- Utility IT architects and head-end system vendors implementing meter data acquisition over DLMS/COSEM.
- Middleware and CAS providers exposing meter data using SOAP/WSDL web services.
- Meter vendors and firmware developers ensuring their DLMS/COSEM servers can be reached via a CAS.
- System integrators, smart grid platform teams and AMI/MDM solution providers who need standardized interfaces for interoperability.
Practical uses include remote meter readout, scheduled polling, event-driven data delivery (alarms, tamper notifications), and managing meter groups for bulk operations.
Related standards
- IEC 62056‑1‑0 (smart metering architecture / G2 interface)
- IEC 62056‑6‑1 / 6‑2 (COSEM object model and data model)
- IEC 62056‑5‑3 (application layer / DLMS)
These related parts define the data and application layers that IEC TS 62056‑9‑1 uses to build its Web services profile.
Keywords: IEC TS 62056-9-1:2016, DLMS/COSEM, COSEM Access Service, CAS, web services, SOAP, WSDL, XML schema, electricity metering data exchange, DeviceAccess, smart metering.