Patent ID: 8612486

Claim:
A method comprising: receiving, from a requestor, a request for a configuration item graph visualization, the request including an identifier of at least one focus configuration item from which to generate a configuration item graph visualization; retrieving, from a configuration management database, configuration item data of configuration items related to the focus configuration item, the data including configuration item identifiers; executing, on at least processor, a process for each retrieved configuration item identifier to: receive a configuration item identifier; prior to retrieving data of a configuration item: checking a cache for existence of node and edge representations needed to fulfill the configuration item graph visualization request with regard to the received configuration item identifier; and when node and edge representations needed for the configuration item exist in the cache, retrieving the cached node and edge representations without rebuilding the node and edge representations; for node and edge representations of retrieved configuration items not present in the cache, build, based on respective retrieved configuration item data, and cache a node representation of the configuration item and an edge representation of how the configuration item is related to a parent configuration item, when there is such a relation; and aggregating the node and edge representations retrieved from the cache and as built into a configuration item graph visualization; transmitting the configuration item graph visualization to the requestor.