The present invention provides a method for determining whether a server-based application will execute in an acceptable manner and thereafter providing this information to a user. After receiving a request for service relating to a particular application, the method retrieves the operational requirements for the application, which include the service admission control, content admission control, network admission control, and data admission control formula and the performance boundaries. Next, the values of the parameters required to evaluate the operational requirements are retrieved. The values of content admission control, network admission control, and data admission control are then calculated and used in the service admission control formula to determine the service admission control value for the application. Thereafter, the service admission control value is compared to the application's performance boundaries to determine the manner in which application will execute. Finally, a performance cue that corresponds to the relative manner in which the application will execute is displayed for the user.