Simulating an application. A method that may be practiced in a computing environment configured for simulating an application modeled by an application model deployed in a performance scenario of a computing system by deploying service models of the application model to device models modeling devices. The method includes referencing a performance scenario to obtain a transaction being modeled as originating from a first device model. The transaction invokes of a first service model. The first service model specifies hardware actions for simulation. The first service model is referenced to determine the hardware actions for simulation and the next referenced service. The next referenced service specifies hardware actions to be added to the transaction and may specify invocation of other service models. A chain of hardware actions is generated by following the invocation path of the service models. The hardware actions are applied to device models to simulate the transaction.