1. A method comprising: configuring a resource, by a clusterware manager, according to resource attributes values specified by a resource profile, said resource profile conforming to a resource profile syntax that said clusterware manager is configured to interpret; wherein said resource profile syntax prescribes: a start dependency syntax defining a start dependency between a particular resource and another resource in which a condition of the particular resource being started is that the other resource be in a first operating state; and a stop dependency syntax defining a stop dependency between the particular resource and the other resource in which a condition of the particular resource being stopped is that the other resource leave a second operating state, wherein the second operating state is different than the first operating state and wherein the start dependency and the stop dependency are decoupled from each other; and wherein the method is performed by one or more computing devices.