A method, apparatus and computer-program product for determining the status of a connection among a plurality of elements in a distributed system is disclosed. The method comprising the steps of determining an initial configuration of the connections among selected ones of the plurality of elements as a relationship of one of said selected elements to another of said elements, wherein at least one of said relationships is associated with a root element of an associated connection, responsive to a stimulus, determining a second configuration of the connections among the selected elements, determining a current condition of the connections among the selected elements is based on at least the second configuration; and providing an indication when at least a significant change has occurred. The device discloses, in one aspect, a processor executing code for implementing the method steps described and the computer product providing code to a processor for implementing the method steps described.