1. A method to represent a network using a programmable graph model, comprising: generating, by operation of one or more computer processors, a directed graph to represent a topology of the network, wherein each of a plurality of network elements in the network are represented, in the directed graph, by one of the plurality of nodes; identifying, through the directed graph, a subset of network elements, of the plurality of network elements, upon which to apply a requested operation; and applying the requested operation to the subset of network elements in a distributed manner through the directed graph.