Patent ID: 8306996

Claim:
A method, implemented at computer system that includes a plurality of executive services and a repository that stores models, for distributing the implementation of a command, the method comprising: an act of a first executive service receiving a model-based command request for a particular distributed application, the first executive service being configured to refine declarative application models, which include one or more sets of high-level instructions expressing application intent for distributed applications, into detailed application models for translation by technology-specific drivers, the model-based command request including a command reference to a particular command definition model defining a corresponding command, the model-based command request also including a reference to a particular declarative application model, the model-based command request indicating that the corresponding command is to be implemented for the particular declarative application model in connection with executing a particular distributed application; an act of the first executive service determining that it is already running a plurality of other model-based commands; an act of the first executive service querying the repository to determine if other executive services are available; an act of the first executive service receiving an indication that a second executive service is available for processing model-based commands, the second executive service also being configured to refine declarative application models into detailed application models; and an act of the first executive service passing the model-based command request to the second executive service in response to the indication that the second executive service is available, so as to balance the load of command processing across a plurality of executive services.