A system for automatically implementing high-level instructions in a distributed application program, where the high-level instructions reflect the behavior of the distributed application program, includes at least a tools component. The tools component is used to write high-level instructions in the form of declarative models, and place them in a repository. An executive component then receives the declarative models from the repository and refines them (e.g., via progressive elaboration) until there are no ambiguities. A platform-specific driver then translates the commands from the executive component, effectively turning the declarative model instructions into a set of imperative actions to be implemented in one or more application containers. The platform-specific driver also relays one or more event streams to an analytics means, which can result in modifications to the declarative models and corresponding new sets of instructions coming through the platform-specific driver at a later point.