A method comprising: receiving, at a management server for a cloud that includes a first group of physical computing resources, a message comprising an indication that a second group of physical computing resources has been connected to the cloud, each physical computing resource capable of running an operating system; assigning, at the management server, a disabled state to the second group of physical computing resources and, responsive to the disabled state being assigned to the second group, the management server allowing access to the second group of physical computing resources only by a predefined set of administrators; in response to input from one of the administrators, assigning an enabled state to the second group of physical computing resources, and, responsive to the enabled state being assigned to the second group, the management server allowing access by additional users to the second group of physical computing resources; measuring a performance of the second group of physical computing resources; determining that the measured performance of the second group of physical computing resources falls below a first threshold; and assigning a restricted state to the second group of physical computing resources in response to determining that the measured performance of the second group of physical computing resources falls below a first threshold, and, responsive to the restricted state being assigned to the second group of physical computing resources, the management server permitting user access to existing instances of operating systems running on the second group of physical computing resources and preventing user-directed creation of additional instances of operating systems on the second group of physical computing resources. receiving, at a management server for a cloud that includes a first group of physical computing resources, a message comprising an indication that a second group of physical computing resources has been connected to the cloud, each physical computing resource capable of running an operating system; assigning, at the management server, a disabled state to the second group of physical computing resources and, responsive to the disabled state being assigned to the second group, the management server allowing access to the second group of physical computing resources only by a predefined set of administrators; in response to input from one of the administrators, assigning an enabled state to the second group of physical computing resources, and, responsive to the enabled state being assigned to the second group, the management server allowing access by additional users to the second group of physical computing resources; measuring a performance of the second group of physical computing resources; determining that the measured performance of the second group of physical computing resources falls below a first threshold; and assigning a restricted state to the second group of physical computing resources in response to determining that the measured performance of the second group of physical computing resources falls below a first threshold, and, responsive to the restricted state being assigned to the second group of physical computing resources, the management server permitting user access to existing instances of operating systems running on the second group of physical computing resources and preventing user-directed creation of additional instances of operating systems on the second group of physical computing resources.