1. On a server, a method comprising: receiving from a user interface (UI) executing on a computing system separate from the server, a request to perform a function on a distributed object tree hosted by the server; queuing the function for execution; sending a reply to the request in response to queuing the function, the reply sent synchronously with respect to the request from the UI; executing the function in a background process asynchronously with respect to the request from the UI; and updating a display component of the UI as the function is executed, and asynchronously with respect to the request from the UI.