Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for generating data structure to maintain error and connection information on components and use the data structure to determine an error correction operation. For each of a plurality of first level components in enclosures connected to second level components, errors at the first level component and a connection between the first level component to one of the second level components are determined and error variables are set to indicate whether an error was reported at the first level component. A data structure is generated indicating connections among the first level components and the second level components. The error variable values and the data structure are used to determine an error correction operation with respect to at least one of the first level component and the connected second level component.