Patent ID: 8543611

Claim:
One or more tangible non-transitory computer-readable storage media for storing computer-executable instructions executable by processing logic, the media storing one or more instructions for: providing, using a computing device, a network having elements, where: the network represents a physical system having entities, the elements of the network represent one or more of the entities of the physical system, and the elements are associated with states; acquiring a definition of an operation to be applied to a first state object associated with the network, where: the first state object contains a first set of information including a first value for at least one of the states associated with at least one of the elements of the network, the first set of information includes at least one of: a first scaffold specifying a high-level definition of a desired state for a portion of the network, the first scaffold being associated with the network, or a first target indicating a desired value for the at least one of the states associated with the at least one of the elements of the network, the first target being associated with the network; applying the operation identified in the definition of the operation to the first set of information contained in the first state object; and generating a second set of information for storage in a second state object, the generating based on the applying, where: the second set of information includes a second value for the at least one of the states associated with the at least one of the elements of the network, the second set of information includes the at least one of: a second scaffold associated with the network, where: the second scaffold is different than the first scaffold as identified by the operation, or a second target associated with the network, where: the second target is different than the first target as identified by the operation.