1. A method comprising: receiving, by a first device of a distributed computing system, an incoming message from an application running on a second device of the distributed computing system, the application performing a function of the distributed computing system, the incoming message instructing the first device to associate the application with a configuration parameter of the distributed computing system; generating, by the first device in response to receiving the incoming message, registration data indicating that the application is associated with the configuration parameter; receiving, by the first device, a command in a management interface for the distributed computing system; in response to receiving the command, modifying, by the first device, a copy of the configuration parameter stored at the first device; identifying, by the first device and based on the registration data, the application as being associated with the command, wherein the first device identifies the application from among a plurality of applications that run on one or more devices of the distributed computing system and that provide functions of the distributed computing system; in response to identifying the application, determining, by the first device, whether the application is available; and in response to determining that the application is available or has become available, sending, by the first device, an outgoing message to the application, the outgoing message instructing the application to synchronize a copy of the configuration parameter stored at the second device with the copy of the configuration parameter stored at the first device.