1. A method for initiating routines that control device activities on a system based on device status information stored in a central location comprising the steps of: defining a condition in which the operation of a device is to be automatically controlled; defining a set of one or more devices that will have status data that will impact the defined condition; defining a set of attributes for each of the set of defined devices that will be used to impact the defined condition; determining when the defining condition has been met; and initializing one or more routines to effect the operation of one or devices in the network.