  We analyzed 163 observations of the microquasar GRS 1915+105 made with the
Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) in the period 1996-1997. For each
observation, we produced light curves and color-color diagrams. We classified
the observations in 12 separate classes, based on their count rate and color
characteristics. From the analysis of these classes, we reduced the variability
of the source to transitions between three basic states: a hard state
corresponding to the non-observability of the innermost parts of the accretion
disk, and two softer states with a fully observable disk. These two soft states
represent different temperatures of the accretion disk, related to different
local values of the accretion rate. The transitions between these states can be
extremely fast. The source moves between these three states following certain
patterns and avoiding others, giving rise to a relatively large but limited
number of variability classes. These results are the first step towards a
linking of the properties of this exceptional source with standard black-hole
systems and with accretion disk models.
