A system adapted to configure a network (100, 600, 700, 602, 702, 714, 1200), the network (100, 600, 700, 602, 702, 714, 1200) having network elements including a plurality of network nodes (1-22, 710.1-710.n) and host computers communicably connected to corresponding ones of the network nodes (1-22, 710.1-710.n), pairs of the plurality of network nodes (1-22, 710.1-710.n) being interconnected by network links (NL1-NL4), the network (100, 600, 700, 602, 702, 714, 1200) having an associated network topology and a current network state, the system comprising: a modeling component (102, 200) operative to: obtain the network topology associated with the network (100, 600, 700, 602, 702, 714, 1200), the network topology identifying at least the plurality of network nodes (1-22, 710.1-710.n) and the network links (502, 504, 506); obtain an affinity topology associated with the network (100, 600, 700, 602, 702, 714, 1200), the affinity topology identifying a plurality of affinity elements (A1, A2, A3, A4) that represent application components, each application component being executable on at least one of the host computers, the affinity topology specifying policies and attributes that describe communications between the application components; and create an affinity-network topology (500, 1400, 1500, 1600, 1700) that represents a logical combination of the network topology and the affinity topology by binding individual affinity elements (A1, A2, A3, A4) to associated network nodes (1-22, 710.1-710.n); a central controller (C3, 108, 110, 112, 214, 708) operative to compute a forwarding topology based at least in part on the affinity-network topology (500, 1400, 1500, 1600, 1700), the forwarding topology identifying one or more of the network links (502, 504, 506) for forwarding traffic through the network (100, 600, 700, 602, 702, 714, 1200); and a local controller (C2, J-C2) associated with at least one of the network nodes (1-22, 710.1-710.n), the local controller (C2, J-C2) operative to configure the associated at least one of the network nodes (1-22, 710.1-710.n) to deterministically arrive at a consistent end-to-end forwarding configuration for the network (100, 600, 700, 602, 702, 714, 1200) as a function of the current network state based at least in part on the forwarding topology. a modeling component (102, 200) operative to: obtain the network topology associated with the network (100, 600, 700, 602, 702, 714, 1200), the network topology identifying at least the plurality of network nodes (1-22, 710.1-710.n) and the network links (502, 504, 506); obtain an affinity topology associated with the network (100, 600, 700, 602, 702, 714, 1200), the affinity topology identifying a plurality of affinity elements (A1, A2, A3, A4) that represent application components, each application component being executable on at least one of the host computers, the affinity topology specifying policies and attributes that describe communications between the application components; and create an affinity-network topology (500, 1400, 1500, 1600, 1700) that represents a logical combination of the network topology and the affinity topology by binding individual affinity elements (A1, A2, A3, A4) to associated network nodes (1-22, 710.1-710.n); obtain the network topology associated with the network (100, 600, 700, 602, 702, 714, 1200), the network topology identifying at least the plurality of network nodes (1-22, 710.1-710.n) and the network links (502, 504, 506); obtain an affinity topology associated with the network (100, 600, 700, 602, 702, 714, 1200), the affinity topology identifying a plurality of affinity elements (A1, A2, A3, A4) that represent application components, each application component being executable on at least one of the host computers, the affinity topology specifying policies and attributes that describe communications between the application components; and create an affinity-network topology (500, 1400, 1500, 1600, 1700) that represents a logical combination of the network topology and the affinity topology by binding individual affinity elements (A1, A2, A3, A4) to associated network nodes (1-22, 710.1-710.n); a central controller (C3, 108, 110, 112, 214, 708) operative to compute a forwarding topology based at least in part on the affinity-network topology (500, 1400, 1500, 1600, 1700), the forwarding topology identifying one or more of the network links (502, 504, 506) for forwarding traffic through the network (100, 600, 700, 602, 702, 714, 1200); and a local controller (C2, J-C2) associated with at least one of the network nodes (1-22, 710.1-710.n), the local controller (C2, J-C2) operative to configure the associated at least one of the network nodes (1-22, 710.1-710.n) to deterministically arrive at a consistent end-to-end forwarding configuration for the network (100, 600, 700, 602, 702, 714, 1200) as a function of the current network state based at least in part on the forwarding topology.