1. A computer-implemented method performed by a central management system for configuring a plurality of network devices, the method comprising: storing a plurality of shared configuration objects in a central configuration database for the central management system, where each shared configuration object is associated with at least one network device; receiving a first request to update a respective value of a first shared configuration object in the central configuration database with a first new value and updating the respective value of the first shared configuration object in the central configuration database with the first new value; responsive to the first request: selecting the plurality of network devices, each storing a configuration object corresponding to the first shared configuration object of the central configuration database in a local configuration database, and each being associated with the first shared configuration object, where the updated configuration object is used by the network device to configure how the network device processes a plurality of packets; sending the first new value to the selected plurality of network devices where each network device updates a respective value of the network device's configuration object corresponding to the first shared configuration object in the network device's local configuration database with the first new value; determining that a first network device of the plurality of network devices has received a second request to update the respective value of the first network device's configuration object corresponding to the first shared configuration object with a second new value, where the second request did not originate from the central management system; responsive to determining that the first network device received the second request: creating a second configuration object in the central configuration database; updating the respective value of the second configuration object with the second new value; associating the second configuration object with the first network device; and disassociating the first shared configuration object with the first network device.