Over the last two decades, the advent of the Internet coupled with the diverse philosophy of networks, formed the basis for a pervasive computing environment. In the latter, the current trend is defined by the concept of autonomic computing and communications, which lies in the introduction of automated functions that enhance the intelligence of existing computing and communication systems. This concept forms a new paradigm of systems with selfware capabilities that will automatically adapt their behavior in relation to the configuration of the drastically changing environment and user preferences. In this context, this paper presents a generic architecture for the design and deployment of self-managing and self-configuring capabilities. In addition, it exploits the dynamic binding and replacement of components with autonomic capabilities. The feasibility aspects of the proposed framework are validated by means of a prototype that demonstrates the operation of plug and play solutions for an adaptable component-based protocol. Performance issues are also discussed.