Abstract: The present invention relates to a virtual software machine for providing a virtual execution environment in a target computer for an application software program having one or more execution dependencies that are incompatible with a software execution environment on the target computer. The machine comprises a plurality of independent processes, and a virtual control mechanism having a virtual management interface (VMI) for generating requests for execution to the plurality of independent processes and receiving results of such processing. The requests for execution and the results are communicated via a message exchange mechanism. The machine also includes a pre-processor for generating a pre-processed application program in which the execution dependencies are masked. A compiler/linker receives the pre-processed application program and the virtual control mechanism and generates executable code for the operating system of the target computer.

Abstract: A system and method for providing application program portability and consistency across a number of different hardware, database, transaction processing and operating system environments. In the preferred embodiment, the system includes a plurality of processes for performing one or more tasks required by the application software in one or more distributed processors of a heterogenous or "target" computer. In a run-time mode, program code of the application software is pre-processed, compiled and linked with system interface modules to create code executable by a operating system of the target computer. The executable code, which includes a number of functional calls to the processes, is run by the operating system to enable the processes to perform the tasks required by the application software. Communications to and from the processes are routed by a blackboard switch logic through a partitioned storage area or "blackboard".