An apparatus and method for dynamic resource mapping in a TCP/IP environment that includes a DRM server component, a client side DRM process for collecting machine specific performance characteristics, a client/server protocol to allow communication of machine specific process characteristics between the DRM server component and the client side DRM process and a DRM protocol to allow a client to request an application resource by name and the DRM server to return a selected address of a client, the selection made based upon collected machine specific performance characteristics of at least one client. Furthermore, the invention updates the DRM server to reflect the operability of the application and as a result does not return the address of the resource if it is inoperable.