1. A method for performing resource management operations in a distributed computer system, the method comprising: initiating a resource management operation in the distributed computer system, the resource management operation involving at least one client in the distributed computer system that is running an application; reading at least one sampling parameter associated with the client, the at least one sampling parameter having a correlation with at least one target performance goal of the application; estimating a demand of the client for a resource using the sampling parameter to derive a demand estimation; and using the demand estimation of the client to make at least one decision in the resource management operation.