receiving configuration information about the application, wherein the configuration information includes configuration descriptors for use with the application and at least one configuration attribute to be resolved for any environment in which the application is deployed;

wherein each configuration descriptor includes a plurality of changeable properties that are each either dynamic or non-dynamic, and wherein dynamic properties can be modified at runtime without losing state information;

creating a deployment plan for the application by indicating the configuration information and incorporating the at least one configuration attribute to be resolved for any environment in which the application is deployed;

storing the deployment plan to a plan directory, wherein the plan directory is a first subdirectory of an install root directory, and storing the application to an app directory, wherein the app directory is a second subdirectory of the install root directory; and

using the install root directory, together with the plan directory and the app directory to install instances of the application into an environment, wherein the installation of the instances includes resolving the at least one configuration attribute and wherein changes to reflect the resolved at least one configuration attribute are made to the deployment plan instead of the configuration descriptors, by indicating new values for at least one changeable property.