Patent ID: 7987444

Claim:
A non-transitory computer-accessible memory medium storing program instructions for merging configuration diagrams, wherein the program instructions are executable by a processor to perform: receiving first information regarding a first configuration diagram, wherein the first configuration diagram comprises a first plurality of nodes, wherein the first configuration diagram graphically represents a first system, wherein two or more of the first plurality of nodes represent hardware devices in the first system, wherein the first configuration diagram further comprises links between the two or more nodes representing hardware devices, and wherein the links represent types of physical connections between the hardware devices in the first system, wherein the first configuration diagram further comprises one or more program nodes that correspond to programs in the first system, and wherein the program nodes in the first configuration diagram are displayed proximate to nodes representing hardware devices on which the corresponding programs are stored to indicate that the corresponding programs are stored on the respective hardware devices, wherein the first system does not correspond to an actual system; receiving second information regarding a second configuration diagram, wherein the second configuration diagram comprises a second plurality of nodes, wherein the second configuration diagram graphically represents a second system, wherein two or more of the second plurality of nodes represent hardware devices in the second system, wherein the second configuration diagram further comprises links between the two or more nodes representing hardware devices, wherein the links represent types of physical connections between the hardware devices in the second system, and wherein the second configuration diagram further comprises one or more program nodes that correspond to programs in the second system, and wherein the program nodes in the second configuration diagram are displayed proximate to nodes representing hardware devices on which the corresponding programs are stored to indicate that the corresponding programs are stored on the respective hardware devices; wherein the second system comprises an actual system that includes a plurality of components, and wherein said receiving second information regarding the second system comprises: querying the second system to determine the plurality of components; and receiving the second information regarding the second system in response to said querying; analyzing the first and second information to merge the first configuration diagram and the second configuration diagram, thereby generating a merged configuration diagram; and displaying the merged configuration diagram on a display device.