1. An apparatus comprising: a processor; a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory comprises instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: provide a resource consumption model of an application, the resource consumption model being adapted to provide resource requirements of the application as a function of a current functional state of the application; execute the application; and in parallel with the execution of the application: interpret the resource consumption model in conjunction with the current functional state of the application to generate resource requirement data for the application, interpret a series of successive units of the resource consumption model in less time than that required for the completion of the current functional state of the application corresponding to a first of the series of successive units and a plurality of alternative series of successive units of the resource consumption model, each alternative series of the plurality of alternative series starting with the same unit corresponding to the current functional state of the application, all of the plurality of alternative series being interpreted in less time than that required for the completion of the current functional state of the application corresponding to the first of the series of successive units, so that resource requirement data of the series of successive units and each of the plurality of alternative series of successive units for future possible application states are available before the application changes state, wherein different alternative series of the plurality of alternative series are weighted according to the likelihood that the functional state of the application will develop in the manner represented by the series of units forming that series, and adjust system resource settings affecting the application as a function of the resource requirement data of the series of successive units and each of the plurality of alternative series of successive units before the application changes state based on a worst case of the future possible application states.