Abstract: Some embodiments provide a real-time distributed tree (RDT) comprising scalability, protocol, and data layers for dynamically and in real-time defining and implementing customer applications over cloud operator resources. The RDT is a tree structure with customer branches comprising nodes hierarchically organizing domains, domain applications, and application rooms. Service layer service nodes can be linked to any customer branch node. Linking service nodes to the customer node reserves services represented by the service nodes for allocation to or scaling of any customer application or room under that customer branch. Linking service nodes to an application node or room node allocates the corresponding services to the application or room. The RDT moves linkages to maximize service usage and minimize wasted allocation. Protocol layer nodes modify signaling or messaging of the services implementing a customer application.