Abstract: A method includes receiving status information regarding a plurality of virtual system components. Each of the virtual system components is associated with a respective virtual component category. The method also includes determining a hierarchy of the virtual component categories. The hierarchy includes a plurality of levels, each associated with a respective one of the virtual component categories. The method further includes determining a cluster threshold that defines a maximum number of the virtual system components having equivalent virtual component categories to be associated with a single node of a topology. The method still further includes determining that a subset of the virtual system components having equivalent ones of the virtual component categories exceed the cluster threshold, and generating the topology based upon the hierarchy and the cluster threshold. The method even further includes representing the subset of the virtual system components using a shared node of the topology.