A method comprising: receiving , by a controller device that manages a plurality of network devices described by a data structure, a configlet specifying a set of configuration changes to be applied to a resource of a plurality of resources of the plurality of network devices, the data structure including a plurality of nodes and a plurality of edges, each node of the plurality of nodes being representative of a respective network device of the plurality of network devices and the plurality of edges defining relationships between the plurality of nodes, wherein a low level configuration for each respective owned resource of a set of owned resources of the plurality of resources includes a pointer indicating an owner for the respective owned resources, wherein the set of owned resources comprises one or more resources for which a low level configuration has already been created based on an intent-generated configuration and/or based on a previously-applied configlet, and wherein the owner of a resource in the set of owned resources is respectively the intent-based configuration and/or the previously-applied configlet; determining , by the controller device, the set of configuration changes to be applied to the resource does not conflict with the set of owned resources in response to determining the low level configuration for the resource does not include a pointer indicating the owner for the resource is not the configlet; and applying , by the controller device, the set of configuration changes to the resource in response to determining the set of configuration changes does not conflict with the set of owned resources. receiving , by a controller device that manages a plurality of network devices described by a data structure, a configlet specifying a set of configuration changes to be applied to a resource of a plurality of resources of the plurality of network devices, the data structure including a plurality of nodes and a plurality of edges, each node of the plurality of nodes being representative of a respective network device of the plurality of network devices and the plurality of edges defining relationships between the plurality of nodes, wherein a low level configuration for each respective owned resource of a set of owned resources of the plurality of resources includes a pointer indicating an owner for the respective owned resources, wherein the set of owned resources comprises one or more resources for which a low level configuration has already been created based on an intent-generated configuration and/or based on a previously-applied configlet, and wherein the owner of a resource in the set of owned resources is respectively the intent-based configuration and/or the previously-applied configlet; determining , by the controller device, the set of configuration changes to be applied to the resource does not conflict with the set of owned resources in response to determining the low level configuration for the resource does not include a pointer indicating the owner for the resource is not the configlet; and applying , by the controller device, the set of configuration changes to the resource in response to determining the set of configuration changes does not conflict with the set of owned resources. <EOS>