Patent ID: 8370462

Claim:
A computer-implemented method comprising: retrieving service information for a network device from a service-provisioning inventory system, the service information comprising one or more service definitions for the network device, the network device characterized by a device type; generating one or more expected service configuration items for the network device based at least in part on the retrieved service information; merging the expected service configuration items to compile an expected device configuration model for the network device; identifying service-related service configuration items in the current device configuration; merging the identified service configuration items to compile the actual device configuration model of the network device; comparing the expected device configuration model with the actual device configuration model by: for at least one service provided by the network device, tagging expected service configuration items that realize the service with a service identifier for the service; matching tagged expected service configuration items with configuration items in the actual device configuration model; applying the service identifier tags from expected service configuration items to matching configuration items in the actual device configuration model; identifying a configuration item in the actual device configuration model that includes a service identifier tag and for which there is no corresponding expected service configuration item; tagging the identified configuration item with service identifiers for expected service configuration items that define a context for the identified configuration item; and communicating the identified configuration item and the service identifier tags to the user.