Abstract: A method for operating a product configuration service, wherein the method comprises: receiving a query pertaining to a scope of searching for a configuration of a product; retrieving, based on the query, information from a self-referencing data model that stores the information as items having item types, wherein the information comprises: variables associated with an entity and values for the variables defined by files of the entity, wherein variables are defined by features that are linked to a source of the files, rules that specify compatibility constraints between the variables, and the information is used during runtime and not persisted to memory; generating, based on the rules and the variables, a solution space comprising the values; and presenting the solution space in a user interface of a computing device of a user.