A method for controlling devices in a system, comprising: generating a command for an operation to be carried out by a device in the system; forwarding the command to a permit issuing agent that has access to a plurality of business logic modules stored in a memory, wherein each business logic module has a respectively different set of business rules associated with it; within the permit issuing agent, performing the following operations by a programmed processor: identifying each of a plurality of business logic modules that is pertinent to the command, based upon at least one of (a) the entity that generates the command, (b) the operation to be performed in accordance with the command, (c) the type of device to which the command is to be sent, and (d) the group of devices to which the commanded device belongs; for each business logic module that is identified as being pertinent to the command, determining whether the command complies with the business rules associated with that module; if the command is determined to comply with the business rules of all of the identified business logic modules, issuing a permit for the command; sending the permit for the command to at least one device in the system, for execution of the command; receiving a signed receipt pertaining to the transmitted permit, the signed receipt comprising information pertaining to execution of the command; verifying whether the signed receipt is associated with the device to which the permit was transmitted; and verifying whether the command was properly executed by accessing an appropriate business logic module associated with the operation that is to be performed in accordance with the command, and determining whether the information meets certain conditions; wherein the signed receipt comprises information that is derived from the permit, and that is signed in accordance with a key associated with the device that executed the command. generating a command for an operation to be carried out by a device in the system; forwarding the command to a permit issuing agent that has access to a plurality of business logic modules stored in a memory, wherein each business logic module has a respectively different set of business rules associated with it; within the permit issuing agent, performing the following operations by a programmed processor: identifying each of a plurality of business logic modules that is pertinent to the command, based upon at least one of (a) the entity that generates the command, (b) the operation to be performed in accordance with the command, (c) the type of device to which the command is to be sent, and (d) the group of devices to which the commanded device belongs; for each business logic module that is identified as being pertinent to the command, determining whether the command complies with the business rules associated with that module; if the command is determined to comply with the business rules of all of the identified business logic modules, issuing a permit for the command; identifying each of a plurality of business logic modules that is pertinent to the command, based upon at least one of (a) the entity that generates the command, (b) the operation to be performed in accordance with the command, (c) the type of device to which the command is to be sent, and (d) the group of devices to which the commanded device belongs; for each business logic module that is identified as being pertinent to the command, determining whether the command complies with the business rules associated with that module; if the command is determined to comply with the business rules of all of the identified business logic modules, issuing a permit for the command; sending the permit for the command to at least one device in the system, for execution of the command; receiving a signed receipt pertaining to the transmitted permit, the signed receipt comprising information pertaining to execution of the command; verifying whether the signed receipt is associated with the device to which the permit was transmitted; and verifying whether the command was properly executed by accessing an appropriate business logic module associated with the operation that is to be performed in accordance with the command, and determining whether the information meets certain conditions; wherein the signed receipt comprises information that is derived from the permit, and that is signed in accordance with a key associated with the device that executed the command.