1. A computer implemented method comprising: creating a runtime usable representation of a business application, said representation including a logical grouping of one or more resources of the business application and one or more relationships associated with one or more resources of the business application, wherein the creating comprises storing information regarding the one or more resources in at least one externally accessible location, the information including at least one of properties of the one or more resources, values of the one or more resources, and operations to be performed that are associated with management of the business application; associating with the runtime usable representation of the business application an explicit quantifiable goal used to manage the business application; and managing, by a processor, at run-time, the representation of the business application to achieve the explicit quantifiable goal associated with the runtime usable representation of the business application.