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2.2.53 InstanceType

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The InstanceType block is used to encode a CIM instance of a CIM class. 

 InstanceType = CurrentClass EncodingLength InstanceFlags
      InstanceClassName NdTable InstanceData 
         InstanceQualifierSet InstanceHeap

As indicated in the encoding rule, a CIM instance is prefixed by the CIM class definition to which it belongs.

The EncodingLength field specifies the length, in octets, of itself and all the following fields. This field is equivalent to the length of the InstanceType block, excluding the CurrentClass block.

InstanceFlags is a reserved octet and MUST be zero.

The CIM class name to which the CIM instance belongs is referenced by InstanceClassName.

The actual instance-level data is in NdTable and InstanceData; any instance-level qualifiers are in InstanceQualifierSet. Because default values from CIM class definitions might be used in a CIM instance, as specified in [DMTF-DSP0004], the NdTable bits are set to indicate whether NULL or a default value is in use for each property.

The values for any referenced items anywhere in the InstanceType encoding block MUST be contained in the InstanceHeap.