1. A computer readable media containing code thereon, said code providing instructions to a computer system for executing the steps: creating one or more configuration non-specific representations of types of managed components, creating one or more configuration non-specific representations of problems of said types of managed components, creating configuration non-specific representations of symptoms of said problems, and creating configuration non-specific representations of relations along which the problems or symptoms propagate amongst the types of managed components, said configuration non-specific representations of types of managed components, said configuration non-specific representations of problems of said types of managed components, said configuration non-specific representations of symptoms of said problems, and said configuration non-specific representations of relations along which the problems or symptoms propagate amongst the types of managed components, producing a data structure for diagnosing a problem from the one or more symptoms by combining a plurality of said configuration non-specific representations based on information of specific instances of managed components in the system, and diagnosing a problem of a managed component from the one or more symptoms using the data structure.