30. The one or more tangible computer-readable media of claim 1 , further having encoded thereon a data structure for defining the user interface surface having elements to be selectively shown according to the current context, wherein the data structure is loadable into a user interface system, the data structure comprising: a definition of one or more user interface zones for the user interface surface; at least two specifications of context factors to be included in the current context when filtering user interface elements to be shown at runtime of the user interface system, wherein at least one of the context factors is a problem status of a managed item; and at least two sets of user interface element definitions associated with the context factors, wherein one of the sets of user interface element definitions comprises trouble ticket functionality for the managed item, and wherein only the user interface element definitions that occur in each of the sets of user interface element definitions are selected to be shown according to the current context and using one or more management element definitions comprising logic for retrieving data to be displayed on the user interface surface.
30. The one or more tangible computer-readable media of claim 1 , further having encoded thereon a data structure for defining the user interface surface having elements to be selectively shown according to the current context, wherein the data structure is loadable into a user interface system, the data structure comprising: a definition of one or more user interface zones for the user interface surface; at least two specifications of context factors to be included in the current context when filtering user interface elements to be shown at runtime of the user interface system, wherein at least one of the context factors is a problem status of a managed item; and at least two sets of user interface element definitions associated with the context factors, wherein one of the sets of user interface element definitions comprises trouble ticket functionality for the managed item, and wherein only the user interface element definitions that occur in each of the sets of user interface element definitions are selected to be shown according to the current context and using one or more management element definitions comprising logic for retrieving data to be displayed on the user interface surface. 33. The one or more tangible computer-readable media of claim 30 wherein the user interface surface is defined via XML.