Real-time, distributed administration of information describing dependency relationships among configuration items in a data center

In a data center, real-time, distributed administration of information describing dependency relationships among configuration items may be carried out. In such a data center, each configuration item is associated with an independent agent that is coupled to other agents and maintains a record of dependencies amongst the configuration item associated with the agent and other configuration items. Administration of dependency information includes: detecting, by an independent agent associated with a particular configuration item, a change in the item's dependency; providing information describing the change in the particular configuration item's dependency to all other independent agents associated with configuration items that are in a dependency relationship with the particular configuration item; and, for each of the other independent agents associated with configuration items that are in a dependency relationship with the particular configuration item: updating the record of dependences for the configuration item associated with the independent agent.