Systems, methods, and devices of the various embodiments enable valid links or nodes between pieces of material handling equipment to be identified based on a physical model of a material handling system in a facility. A model of a material handling system in a facility may indicate data associated with pieces of material handling equipment. Rules for each piece of material handling equipment may be applied to the data and used to identify infeed and/or discharge edges of the pieces of material handling equipment. Valid links between the pieces of material handling equipment may be identified based at least in part on the infeed and/or discharge edges.