A system management apparatus includes a processor configured to function as a collecting unit that collects communication records of functional components to be managed; an extracting unit that extracts communication links between the functional components from the collected communication records; a closed-path eliminating unit that removes one or more of the communication links to eliminate closed paths from the communication links; and an order determining unit that determines an order in which the functional components are started or stopped based on the communication links from which the closed paths have been eliminated.