1. In a data processing structure with a distributed architecture including a plurality of subject entities and an authority entity, a resource management method for configuring the plurality of subject entities, each subject entity of the plurality of subject entities belonging to at least two of a plurality of categories and controlling an instance of at least one resource, the authority entity defining a target state of the at least one resource, wherein the method includes the steps of: the data processing system publishing, under the control of the authority entity, a plurality of rules each one including an indication of the target state of a resource for a corresponding category of the plurality of categories that each subject entity belongs to, wherein each subject entity is assigned to the at least two of the plurality of categories based on a logical and physical characteristic of the each subject entity, each subject entity performing a self-configuration of itself by (i) retrieving the rules corresponding to the at least two of the plurality of categories of the subject entity, and (ii) applying each retrieved rule to self-configure the subject entity according to the target state indicated in the rule.