Patent ID: 7921203

Claim:
A computer-implemented method of specifying associations among attributes of entities in a data center, the data center comprising a facility that houses computers and equipment supporting computer operations, the entities comprising the computers and equipment, at least some of the attributes associated with a resource domain, the resource domain comprising a physical characteristic shared by at least some of the computers and equipment, the method comprising: inducing, by a management module within the data center, a change in a value of a first attribute of a first entity, wherein the first entity is a physical machine and the first attribute represents a physical characteristic of the first entity; monitoring, by the management module within the data center, a change in a value of a second attribute of a second entity, wherein the second entity is a physical machine and the second attribute represents a physical characteristic of the second entity; determining whether the monitored change in the second attribute correlates with the induced change in the first attribute; and if the monitored change in the second attribute correlates with the induced change in the first attribute, specifying an association among the first attribute, the second attribute, and the resource domain.