A computer-implemented method and mechanism represents system management information for components of a system as instances of managed object classes. A plurality of tables are provided with at least one table including instance entries for instances of physical object classes representing physical entities. Attribute entries for attributes of the physical object classes are mapped to instance entries in the tables. The allocation of attributes to attribute entries can be effected so as to mirror a class inheritance hierarchy. Also, attributes of logical object classes representing logical entities are mapped to the tables to represent associations between the physical object classes and the logical object classes.