Allowing for resource attributes that may change dynamically while the resource is in use, provides for dynamic changes to the manner in which such resources are managed. Management of dynamic resource attributes by clusterware involves new entry points to clusterware agent modules, through which resource-specific user-specified instructions for discovering new values for resource attributes, and for performing a user-specified action in response to the new attribute values, are invoked. A clusterware policy manager may know ahead of time that a particular resource has dynamic attributes or may be notified when a resource's dynamic attribute has changed and, periodically or in response to the notification, request that the agent invoke the particular resource-specific instructions for discovering new values for attributes for the particular resource and/or for performing a user-specified action in response to the new attribute values. During the majority of this process, the resource remains available.