A distributed computing system for automatic constraint-based data resource arrangement, comprising a plurality of computing components being communicatively coupled to each other, each computing component comprising the following data resources: data storage media for storing client-related digital information, a data processor for processing said client-related digital information, and a network communications interface for communicating said client-related digital information; and a constraint engine for automatically determining alternate arrangements of said data resource assignments, said constraint engine comprising a constraint processor and a constraint database, said constraint database for receiving and storing changeable digital constraint parameters indicative of permissible operational constraints on said data resources, wherein said alternate arrangements comply with at least a first set of said changeable digital constraint parameters; wherein said data resource assignments are reassigned from a current arrangement in accordance with a selected one of said alternate arrangements upon an operational change to said data storage system.