A new instance of an application is added to a group of existing instances (of that application) that share a resource, such as a database. The new instance is added by creating a new object for the new instance by cloning an existing object of an existing instance in the group, setting up connectivity between the new instance and a network through which the multiple instances communicate with one another, and starting up the new instance. The just-described acts are performed in the reverse order when deleting an existing instance. Each of these acts may be performed manually, or automatically without user input, with the user issuing at least one instruction to add or delete an instance.