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A method for validating a specific device configuration when the set of all valid configurations is too large to practically enumerate. The method comprises the steps of selecting a set of components to be included in the device configuration, wherein the set has a single sink component in the set w

A method for validating a specific device configuration when the set of all valid configurations is too large to practically enumerate. The method comprises the steps of selecting a set of components to be included in the device configuration, wherein the set has a single sink component in the set with only sink interfaces; defining an interface for each component, wherein each component is characterized as having a source or a sink property; and establishing connections between components based on the interface of each component. Connections are validated by ensuring that source and sink components have the same property values. Connections are established by verifying that the capacity of the sink is greater than or equal to the capacity of the source, and determining that for each source property there is one sink property with the same value and for each source property that there is one sink property with the same value.

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1. A method for validating a specific device configuration when a set of all valid configurations is unknown, comprising the steps of:selecting a set of components to be included in the device configuration, wherein the set of components has a single base component having only sink interfaces;defini

1. A method for validating a specific device configuration when a set of all valid configurations is unknown, comprising the steps of:selecting a set of components to be included in the device configuration, wherein the set of components has a single base component having only sink interfaces;defining an interface for each component, wherein each component is characterized as having a source or a sink interface and properties associated with the interface; andestablishing connections between components having source and sink interfaces with matching properties, wherein the properties comprise a direction, a capacity, and a characterization properties. 2. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the direction property characterizes an interface as a source or sink interface. 3. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the capacity property is represented as a cardinality associated with a number of sink connection instances it supports or source instances it requires. 4. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the capacity property is represented as a continuous quantity that may be apportioned among connected interfaces. 5. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the characterization property defines a purpose and operation of the interface. 6. The method recited in claim 5, wherein the characterization property includes values associated with the interface. 7. A method for validating a specific device configuration when a set of all valid configurations is unknown, comprising the steps of:selecting a set of components to be included in the device configuration, wherein the set of components has a single base component having only sink interfaces;defining an interface for each component, wherein each component is characterized as having a source or a sink interface and properties associated with the interface;establishing connections between components having source and sink interfaces with matching properties; andvalidating connections between components, wherein the step of validating comprises the steps of:verifying that the sink capacity is greater than or equal to the source capacity;verifying that for each source property there is one sink property with the same value; andverifying that for each sink property there is one source property with the same value. 8. A method for validating a specific device configuration when a set of all valid configurations is unknown, comprising the steps of:selecting a set of components to be included in the device configuration, wherein the set of components has a single base component having only sink interfaces;defining an interface for each component, wherein each component is characterized as having a source or a sink interface and properties associated with the interface;establishing connections between components having source and sink interfaces with matching properties, wherein a connection between source and sink components remains valid if one of the components has either a capacity property or a characterization property, and the corresponding interface component does not have a corresponding capacity property or characterization property; andvalidating connections between components. 9. A method for validating a specific device configuration when a set of all valid configurations is unknown, comprising the steps of:selecting a set of components to be included in the device configuration, wherein the set of components has a single base component having only sink interfaces;defining an interface for each component, wherein each component is characterized as having a source or a sink interface and properties associated with the interface; andestablishing connections between components having source and sink interfaces with matching properties, wherein the step of selecting comprises the steps of:identifying the base component in the set with only sink interfaces;searching the set for a component whose source interfaces match an open sink interface;creating a connection between the ma tching interfaces of the sink component and the component found in the searching step;searching the set for a component having an open source interface and, if found, searching the set for a component having a matching sink interface and, if found, creating a connection between the component having the open source interface and the component having the matching sink interface; andrepeating the steps of creating and searching until either there are no components left in the set or there are no source interfaces in the set that match a sink interface. 10. The method as recited in claim 9, further comprising the step validating the configuration, wherein the configuration is valid if there are no components left in the set and there are no open source interfaces. 11. A method for validating a specific device configuration when a set of all valid configurations is unknown, comprising the steps of:selecting a set of components to be included in the device configuration, wherein the set of components has a single base component having only sink interfaces;defining an interface for each component, wherein each component is characterized as having a source or a sink interface and properties associated with the interface; andestablishing connections between components having source and sink interfaces with matching properties, wherein a partial configuration of the specific device is defined as an open source or sink interface, further comprising the step of introducing into the device configuration an environment component that defines an intended environment of the configuration through a set of interfaces. 12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the partial configuration of the specific device is an open source interface and the environment component includes a matching sink interface. 13. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the partial configuration of the specific device is an open sink interface and the environment component includes a matching source interface. 14. A method for validating a specific device configuration when a set of all valid configurations is unknown, comprising the steps of:selecting a set of components to be included in the device configuration, wherein the set of components has a single base component having only sink interfaces;defining an interface for each component, wherein each component is characterized as having a source or a sink interface and properties associated with the interface; andestablishing connections between components having source and sink interfaces with matching properties, wherein a component of the specific device is a logical component that defines an external specification of a configuration when the specification refers to objective, measurable properties of the configuration. 15. The method as recited in clam 14 , wherein the logical component comprises at least one sink interface that, in a valid configuration, will be connected to a logical or functional source interface of some other component within the device configuration.