What do you mean by "the variable it was called with"?

Either $configs is a hashref or it's an object. If it's a hashref, you can tie it. If it's an object, you should be controlling the accesses into the data using some set of methods. In fact, all tie does is give you the same control over access you have with objects and let you use that control with "normal" variable types like scalars and hashes.

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We are the carpenters and bricklayers of the Information Age.

Don't go borrowing trouble. For programmers, this means Worry only about what you need to implement.