In this paper we argue that the traditional model of a mobile agent provides a poor programming structure. We base our argument on our experience since 1993 in building distributed applications and mobile agent platforms. We have observed that every distributed application contains three distinct aspects, which we call function, mobility and management. Separating an application into these three aspects and programming them separately affords great flexibility and leverage when designing mobile agent applications for distributed system management. Because of these observations, we have developed a programming model and a mobile agent system in which these three aspects are clearly separated.