The aim of this invention is to propose a method for allowing the use of several virtual machines including a plurality of applications and to federate these applications in order to form services. The method includes managing applications, making use of at least two physical machines linked by communication means. These machines comprise a physical structure on which a first software layer adapted to the physical machines is loaded. The machines also include a second layer forming a virtual layer on which virtual machines will operate. The second layer includes at least one application. The method includes loading a virtual machine control program associated with the virtual layer, connecting at least two physical machines to form a physical machine network, wherein the physical machine network includes the virtual layer, establishing a dialogue between the virtual machine control program and a system management process, defining a service containing several applications wherein the service is defined by the system management process, communicating between the management process and each of the virtual layer in order to determine the status of the virtual machines associated with the corresponding virtual layer and assigning a virtual machine to the corresponding virtual layer taking into account the characteristics of the application.