AUTOMATED SERVICE ELEMENTS DISCOVERY USING CORE SERVICE SPECIFIC DISCOVERY TEMPLATES

A method and system for modeling services available via a network include selecting a core service that is to be modeled, forming a discovery template that is specific to the selected core service, and automatically discovering the elements which cooperate to provide the core service. The discovery template includes instructions for implementing automated techniques for discovering service elements, and preferably services, which are anticipated as being cooperative in executing the core service. The system includes a number of discovery modules for generating outputs indicative of the services and service elements. A discovery engine is responsive to the discovery template to invoke the modules that are identified in the template as being relevant to discovering specified services and service elements. The template also identifies dependencies among the modules, so that the proper sequence of processing can be determined. In one embodiment, the discovery template is organized into sections, with each section (1) being specific to a type of service or service element, (2) specifying at least one discovery routine for identifying the specified type of service or service elements, and (3) specifying dependencies of the identified discovery routine on outputs of other discovery routines. Preferably, each section also includes instructions for configuring the data that is output from the identified discovery routine.