The subject disclosure relates to a method for scheduling logical resources in cloud platforms. A cloud platform system identifies resource candidates for hosting a logical resource of a cloud service. The system filters the resource candidates by running them through a filter chain, a collection of serially connected filters. The filter chain may contain one or more reference filters that reference other filter chains. When the resource candidates encounter one of the reference filters, the other filter chains can be triggered and processed. The system selects one or more resources for hosting the logical resource from the filtered resource candidates.