1. A method comprising: providing first and second virtual components that are addressable by respective first and second identifies, the first and the second virtual components addressable for interaction independent of whether the first and the second virtual components are activated; at runtime, performing the following transparent to programs that use the first and the second virtual components: managing activation and deactivation of the first and the second virtual components transparent to programs that use the first and the second virtual components, wherein said managing activation and deactivation of the first and the second virtual components comprises selecting a server for activating the first or the second virtual component based upon evaluating one or more selection criteria comprising at least one of load, scheduled maintenance, policy data or pattern of communication among components, receiving an operation request related to the first virtual component, determining the first virtual component has not been activated, selecting a server for activating an instance of the virtual component, sharing operation instructions between the first and the second virtual components while the first virtual component is not activated, preserving the shared operation instructions until the first virtual component is activated on a server, incident to receipt of the shared operation instructions, signaling activation of the first virtual component on the server, upon activation of the first virtual component, forwarding the shared operation instructions to that component, and maintaining information that indicates one or more server locations for an activated instance of the first or second virtual components in a global data store.