A computer implemented method, system, and/or computer program product manages capacity in a service-provider system. A software model of a physical service-provider system is created and stored in memory. A parameter for running the software model with real-time metrics from the physical service-provider system as inputs to the software model is established. If the parameter is met, then the software model is run using the real-time metrics from the physical service-provider system as inputs. A pre-determined action, which adjusts policies for, and capacity in, the service-provider system and is prescribed by a specific model output, is established. If the specific model output, which resulted from using the real-time metrics from the physical service-provider system as inputs for running the software model, is output from the software model, then the pre-determined action is executed.