1. A method of synchronizing a server application with one or more client applications using instant messaging (IM), the method comprising: an IM client executing on a client data processing system registering in an IM registry on a server data processing system; based upon registration in the IM registry, the IM client receiving from the server data processing system via IM an operation command that is independent of the state of a client application executing on the client data processing system, wherein the operation command corresponds to an event in a server application executing on the server data processing system; in response to receiving the operation command: the client data processing system reconstituting the event from the operation command and processing the reconstituted event at the client application; and in response to completion of processing of the reconstituted event by the client application, the client application transmitting a completion notification via the IM client to the server data processing system indicating that the client application has completed processing of the event; wherein the event is one of a plurality of events in the server application defined as an operation scope, and wherein when the client application exits the operation scope, the completion notification is End Operation.