The current document is directed to a universal-query adapter that provides, to users and clients, a universal-query-language interface to multiple different management applications and/or services within a cloud-computing facility or distributed cloud-computing facility. In one implementation, the universal-query adapter provides, for input of universal-query-language queries, a universal-query interface and, in turn, interfaces to service adapters, semantic providers, and translators associated with the multiple different management applications and/or services. The modular implementation of the universal-query adapter facilitates both implementation of the universal-query adapter as well as scalability of the universal-query adapter, allowing new and newly discovered management applications and/or services to be easily included in the set of target management applications and/or services for query execution.