Patent ID: 8612574

Claim:
A method of managing a plurality of configuration items, the method comprising: storing, at a repository, for each particular configuration item of a plurality of configuration items, a set of data indicating at least one predetennined attribute of the particular configuration item and a relationship with another configuration item; detecting first information associated with a first configuration item having a first function and second information associated with a second configuration item having a second function; determining whether the first information associated with the first configuration item fulfills a predetermined condition with respect to the second information associated with the second configuration item; when the predetermined condition is fulfilled, managing a combination of the first configuration item and the second configuration item as a single virtual configuration item, wherein the predetermined condition is based on a third function of the combination of the first configuration item and the second configuration item and wherein the third function is different from the first function and the second function; and enabling subsequent detection of information associated with the single virtual configuration item based on at least one of a predetermined attribute and a relationship in a new set of data created based on the single virtual configuration item.