A method is presented for managing applications using application-based names. A naming service registers an alias name; the alias name represents a first compound name that includes an application name that is associated with an application and a deployment name that is associated with a deployment attribute that characterizes a deployment of an instance of the application. The naming service is also able to generate an application-based name associated with an application; the application-based name represents a context within a naming system, and the application-based name is a second compound name that includes the alias name. Applications are managed within a data processing system using application-based names. The first compound name can be associated with a first topology-based name that represents a first context for organizing files that are related to the instance of the application.