1. A distributed computing system comprising: a plurality of application nodes interconnected via a communications network; and a control node that comprises: a set of two or more different applications to be executed on the application nodes; an application matrix that includes an application matrix entry for each of the applications in the set of two or more different applications, wherein each application matrix entry contains application-specific parameters for controlling the deployment, undeployment, and execution of the corresponding application within the distributed computing system, wherein the parameters for each of the application matrix entries include parameters that are based on information that is specific to an installation instance of the corresponding application that has been previously deployed within a staging environment and customized for subsequent deployment within the distributed computing system; and an automation infrastructure having one or more application-neutral rule engines that provide autonomic control of the application nodes and autonomic control over the deployment, undeployment, and execution of each of the applications in accordance with a set of one or more application-neutral rules and the application-specific parameters stored within the corresponding entry within the application matrix, wherein each of the one or more application-neutral rule engines comprises a working memory that includes one or more local objects, wherein each rule in the set of one or more application-neutral rules includes a match condition and an implied action, wherein the set of one or more application-neutral rules is compiled into a discrimination network that includes a translation of the match conditions of the set of one or more rules such that redundant tests are avoided during rule execution, wherein the one or more application-neutral rule engines further comprises an execution engine that matches the set of one or more compiled rules within the discrimination network against the one or more local objects within the working memory, wherein the automation infrastructure detects new rule attributes within application entries of the application matrix that specify application-specific deployment constraints for the corresponding applications with respect to one or more application nodes, and creates local objects reflecting the new rule attributes within the working memories of the one or more application-neutral rule engines without having to recompile the set of application-neutral rules in order to autonomically control the deployment of the applications to the application nodes in accordance with a current state of the application matrix, and wherein the automation infrastructure detects new rule attributes within application entries of the application matrix that specify application-specific service levels for the corresponding applications, and creates local objects reflecting the new rule attributes within the working memories of the one or more application-neutral rule engines without having to recompile the set of application-neutral rules in order to autonomically monitor the execution of the applications when deployed to the application nodes in accordance with a current state of the application matrix.