1. A method, in a data processing system, for controlling an operation of one or more on-chip hardware devices on an integrated circuit chip, comprising: retrieving, from an on-chip non-volatile memory of the integrated circuit chip, baseline chip characteristics data representing operational characteristics of the one or more on-chip hardware devices prior to the integrated circuit chip being operational in the data processing system; comparing current operational characteristics data of the one or more on-chip hardware devices on the integrated circuit chip with the baseline chip characteristics data; determining deviations of the current operational characteristics data of the one or more on-chip hardware devices on the integrated circuit chip from the baseline chip characteristics data; determining modifications to an operation of the one or more on-chip hardware devices based on the determined deviations; and sending control signals to one or more on-chip management units to cause the operation of the one or more on-chip hardware devices to be modified in accordance with the determined modifications.