The present invention relates to an XML based meta-ability managing and configuring method, which comprises following steps: step A, establishing an ontology model for meta-ability; the meta-ability contains transmission service, QoS service, security service, control service, management service and expansion meta-ability; the ontology model of the meta-ability is defined as: AC=< ID, Name, Interfaces, Body, Resources>; step B, conducting formal description with an XML language to the ontology model of meta-ability, first defining the attribute of meta-ability for the type of meta-ability and then defining metadata according to the attribute of meta-ability; step C, arranging a meta-ability managing and configuring module, which describes the meta-ability with the ontology model and the XML language; the meta-ability managing and configuring model contains an adaptability inference engine, an adaptability combination engine, a combination chain manager, a meta-ability configuring unit, a meta-ability managing unit, a meta-ability monitor, a meta-ability library, a rule constraint library and a detector; and step D, managing and configuring meta-ability with the meta-ability managing and configuring module. The present invention realizes the general adaptation of a network to various services and facilitates the function expansion of internet.