Patent ID: 7831960

Claim:
A method for configuration of a single program with a plurality of configuration variables to operate on a computer system comprising: identifying a first plurality of configuration variable levels from a configuration variable repository corresponding to the single program, wherein each of the first plurality of configuration variable levels is associated with a location of a possible value for a first configuration variable of the plurality of configuration variables, and wherein the first plurality of configuration variable levels defines a first priority semantic for locations of possible values for the first configuration variable; identifying a second plurality of configuration variable levels from the configuration variable repository, wherein each of the second plurality of configuration variable levels is associated with a location of a possible value for a second configuration variable of the plurality of configuration variables, and wherein the second plurality of configuration variable levels defines a second priority semantic for locations of possible values for the second configuration variable, and wherein the first priority semantic and the second priority semantic are different; assigning, using a first configuration variable level of the first plurality of configuration variable levels, a first value to the first configuration variable based on the first priority semantic; assigning, using a second configuration variable level of the second plurality of configuration variable levels, a second value to the second configuration variable based on the second priority semantic; and configuring the program using the first value and the second value to operate on the computer system.