A controller device manages a plurality of network devices. The controller device includes a memory configured to store a dependency model representing dependencies between resources provided by the network devices and a programmed merge strategy, and one or more processors implemented in circuitry and configured to: determine the resources provided by the network devices; determine relationships between the resources according to the programmed merge strategy; construct the dependency model using the determined relationships; determine that at least one of the resources has experienced a failure; and perform a root cause analysis using the dependency mathematical model to determine a root cause of the failure of the at least one of the resources.