public ConfigurationDefinitionUpdateReport updateConfigurationDefinition(
      ConfigurationDefinition newDefinition, ConfigurationDefinition existingDefinition) {

    ConfigurationDefinitionUpdateReport updateReport =
        new ConfigurationDefinitionUpdateReport(existingDefinition);

    /*
     * handle grouped and ungrouped properties separately. for ungrouped, we don't need to care about the group, but
     * for the grouped ones we need to start at group level and then look at the properties. This is done below.
     *
     * First look at the ungrouped ones.
     */

    List<PropertyDefinition> existingPropertyDefinitions =
        existingDefinition.getNonGroupedProperties();
    List<PropertyDefinition> newPropertyDefinitions = newDefinition.getNonGroupedProperties();
    if (existingPropertyDefinitions != null) {
      for (PropertyDefinition newProperty : newPropertyDefinitions) {
        PropertyDefinition existingProp = existingDefinition.get(newProperty.getName());
        if (existingProp != null) {
          log.debug("Updating nonGrouped property [" + existingProp + "]");

          updatePropertyDefinition(existingProp, newProperty);
          updateReport.addUpdatedPropertyDefinition(newProperty);
        } else {
          log.debug("Adding nonGrouped property [" + newProperty + "]");

          existingDefinition.put(newProperty);
          updateReport.addNewPropertyDefinition(newProperty);
        }
      }

      existingDefinition =
          removeNoLongerUsedProperties(
              newDefinition, existingDefinition, existingPropertyDefinitions);

    } else {
      // TODO what if existingDefinitions is null?
      // we probably don't run in here, as the initial persisting is done
      // somewhere else.
    }

    /*
     * Now update / delete contained groups We need to be careful here, as groups are present in PropertyDefinition
     * as "backlink" from PropertyDefinition to group
     */
    List<PropertyGroupDefinition> existingGroups = existingDefinition.getGroupDefinitions();
    List<PropertyGroupDefinition> newGroups = newDefinition.getGroupDefinitions();

    List<PropertyGroupDefinition> toPersist = missingInFirstList(existingGroups, newGroups);
    List<PropertyGroupDefinition> toDelete = missingInFirstList(newGroups, existingGroups);
    List<PropertyGroupDefinition> toUpdate = intersection(existingGroups, newGroups);

    // delete groups no longer present
    for (PropertyGroupDefinition group : toDelete) {
      List<PropertyDefinition> groupedDefinitions =
          existingDefinition.getPropertiesInGroup(group.getName());

      // first look for contained stuff
      for (PropertyDefinition def : groupedDefinitions) {
        log.debug("Removing property [" + def + "] from group [" + group + "]");

        existingPropertyDefinitions.remove(def);
        existingDefinition.getPropertyDefinitions().remove(def.getName());
        def.setPropertyGroupDefinition(null);
        entityManager.remove(def);
      }

      // then remove the definition itself
      log.debug("Removing group [" + group + "]");

      existingGroups.remove(group);
      entityManager.remove(group);
    }

    // update existing groups that stay
    for (PropertyGroupDefinition group : toUpdate) {
      String groupName = group.getName();

      List<PropertyDefinition> newGroupedDefinitions =
          newDefinition.getPropertiesInGroup(groupName);
      for (PropertyDefinition nDef : newGroupedDefinitions) {
        PropertyDefinition existingProperty =
            existingDefinition.getPropertyDefinitions().get(nDef.getName());
        if (existingProperty != null) {
          log.debug("Updating property [" + nDef + "] in group [" + group + "]");

          updatePropertyDefinition(existingProperty, nDef);
          updateReport.addUpdatedPropertyDefinition(nDef);

        } else {
          log.debug("Adding property [" + nDef + "] to group [" + group + "]");

          existingDefinition.put(nDef);
          updateReport.addNewPropertyDefinition(nDef);
        }
      }

      // delete outdated properties of this group
      existingDefinition =
          removeNoLongerUsedProperties(
              newDefinition,
              existingDefinition,
              existingDefinition.getPropertiesInGroup(groupName));
    }

    // persist new groups
    for (PropertyGroupDefinition group : toPersist) {

      // First persist a new group definition and then link the properties to it
      log.debug("Persisting new group [" + group + "]");

      entityManager.persist(group);
      existingGroups.add(group); // iterating over this does not update the underlying crap

      List<PropertyDefinition> defs = newDefinition.getPropertiesInGroup(group.getName());
      Map<String, PropertyDefinition> exPDefs = existingDefinition.getPropertyDefinitions();
      for (PropertyDefinition def : defs) {
        entityManager.persist(def);
        def.setPropertyGroupDefinition(group);
        def.setConfigurationDefinition(existingDefinition);

        if (!exPDefs.containsKey(def.getName())) {
          updateReport.addNewPropertyDefinition(def);
        }

        exPDefs.put(def.getName(), def);
      }
    }

    /*
     * Now work on the templates.
     */
    Map<String, ConfigurationTemplate> existingTemplates = existingDefinition.getTemplates();
    Map<String, ConfigurationTemplate> newTemplates = newDefinition.getTemplates();
    List<String> toRemove = new ArrayList<String>();
    List<String> templatesToUpdate = new ArrayList<String>();

    for (String name : existingTemplates.keySet()) {
      if (newTemplates.containsKey(name)) {
        templatesToUpdate.add(name);
      } else {
        toRemove.add(name);
      }
    }

    for (String name : toRemove) {
      log.debug("Removing template [" + name + "]");

      ConfigurationTemplate template = existingTemplates.remove(name);
      entityManager.remove(template);
    }

    for (String name : templatesToUpdate) {
      log.debug("Updating template [" + name + "]");

      updateTemplate(existingDefinition.getTemplate(name), newTemplates.get(name));
    }

    for (String name : newTemplates.keySet()) {
      // add completely new templates
      if (!existingTemplates.containsKey(name)) {
        log.debug("Adding template [" + name + "]");

        ConfigurationTemplate newTemplate = newTemplates.get(name);

        // we need to set a valid configurationDefinition, where we will live on.
        newTemplate.setConfigurationDefinition(existingDefinition);

        entityManager.persist(newTemplate);
        existingTemplates.put(name, newTemplate);
      }
    }

    return updateReport;
  }