Abstract: A method for managing an asset includes identifying an asset type of the asset, identifying a plurality of categories of the asset type, assembling a plurality of primitive definitions into a native asset interface definition according to the plurality of categories, where the plurality of primitive definitions are stored in a library, where the native asset interface definition is bound to a data acquisition (DAQ) definition, and where the DAQ definition is an interface between a protocol handler and an information model, and adding the native asset interface definition to a DAQ runtime, where the DAQ runtime uses the DAQ definition to manage the asset.