Host computers in a distributed open standards-based computing system are configured for performing application operations and management operations, including sending and receiving configuration management messages according to a web based protocol across an Internet Protocol. Each host computer includes an application resource configured for executing the corresponding application operations, for example initiating a unified messaging session for a unified messaging subscriber, providing text to speech services, providing short message service operations, etc., in response to an application request received from the open standards interface. Each host computer also includes a management resource configured for executing prescribed configuration management operations based on a corresponding received management command from the open standards interface. The received management command may be an application-generated command output by a management server executing a management application for a user, or a host-generated command output by a host computer in response to execution of a corresponding management operation. Hence, the execution of the management resource on each of the host computers in the distributed open standards-based computing system enables deployment of a web based arrangement for managing the host computers, where any host computer can send a request to another host computer during execution of the corresponding management operation.