Patent ID: 8065397

Claim:
A method, performed at an enterprise, for managing a configuration of a device, comprising: building a defined configuration for a device type, the defined configuration comprising value requirements; comparing an actual configuration of the device to the defined configuration, the actual configuration and the defined configuration being stored in a database of the enterprise, the actual configuration having values associated with the device; determining if the values match corresponding value requirements of the defined configuration; associating the device with a first group of devices based on whether the values match the corresponding value requirements, each device in the first group of devices having at least one characteristic in common, the device being associated with the group automatically; associating the device with at least one second group based on a dynamic group rule, the dynamic group rule instructing creation of the at least one second group in response to information received about the device that is consistent with at least one membership criterion of the dynamic group rule; associating business logic with the device as a result of membership of the device in the first group and the at least one second group; and running the business logic for the device, the business logic for performing functions relative to the device that are specific to the first group and to the at least one second group.