Virtual software machine for enabling CICS application software to run on UNIX based computer systems

Claim 1

A virtual software machine having a management interface for providing a virtual execution environment in a target computer system for an application software program written to execute in a CICS execution environment and having one or more execution dependencies that are incompatible with a UNIX-based software execution environment on the target computer system, comprising: a plurality of independent processes; a management interface for generating requests for execution to the plurality of independent processes and for receiving results of such processing; a message exchange mechanism comprising send and receive messages for communicating the requests for execution to the plurality of independent processes and for communicating the results of such processing back to the management interface via a plurality of message passing locations each unique to and dedicated to one of the plurality of independent processes; pre-processing means for identifying at least one CICS execution dependency of the application software program and in response thereto generating a pre-processed application software program that isolates the identified CICS execution dependency from the application software program; means connected to the pre-processing means for converting the pre-processed application software program and the management interface into executable code for the target computer; and run-time means run by the operating system of the target computer system for executing the application software program in the target computer system despite the CICS execution dependency that is incompatible with the target computer system UNIX-based software execution environment, wherein the run-time means comprises: means for generating a request for execution when the CICS execution dependency is encountered as the executable code is running in the target computer system; means connected to the generating means for evaluating the request for execution to identify which of the plurality of independent processes is required to execute the request for execution; means connected to the evaluating means for delivering the request for execution to the identified independent process via a message to one of the plurality of message passing locations that is unique to and dedicated to the identified independent process; means connected to the delivering means for processing the request for execution using the identified independent process to thereby execute the request; and means for returning results of the executed request back to the management interface via a message to the one of the plurality of message passing locations.

Claim 10

A method for providing a virtual execution environment in a target computer, comprising: a. identifying, by a pre-processing means, at least one CICS execution dependency of an application software program and in response thereto generating a pre-processed application software program which isolates the identified CICS execution dependency from the application software program; b. converting, by a compiler means, the pre-processed application software program and a management interface into object codes; c. creating executable code where the management interface is substituted for the identified CICS execution dependency of the application software program; d. generating a message exchange mechanism means employing a storage area in the target computer, the storage area comprising a plurality of messaae passing locations each unique to and dedicated to one of the plurality of independent processes; e. generating a request for execution when the CICS execution dependency is encountered as the executable code is running in a UNIX-based software execution environment on the target computer; f. evaluating the request for execution to identify which of the plurality of independent processes is required to execute the request for execution; g. delivering the request for execution to the identified independent process via one of the plurality of message passing locations in the storage area that is unique to and dedicated to the identified independent process; h. processing the request for execution using the identified independent process to thereby execute the request; and i. returning results of the executed request back to the management interface via the one of the plurality of messaae passing locations such that the application software program is executed despite the CICS execution dependency that is in compatible with the target computer's UNIX-based software execution environment.

Claim 11

A method for providing a virtual execution environment in a target computer, comprising: a. identifying, by a pre-processing means, at least one CICS execution dependency of an application software program and in response thereto generating a pre-processed application software program which isolates the identified CICS execution dependency from the application software program; b. converting, by a compiler means, the pre-processed application software program and a management interface into object codes; c. creating executable code where the management interface is substituted for the identified CICS execution dependency of the application software program; d. generating a message exchange mechanism means employing a storage area in the target computer, the storage area comprising a plurality of messaae passing locations each unique to and dedicated to one of the plurality of independent processes; e. generating a request for execution when the CICS execution dependency is encountered as the executable code is running in a UNIX-based software execution environment on the target computer; f. evaluating the request for execution to identify which of the plurality of independent processes is required to execute the request for execution; g. delivering the request for execution to the identified independent process via one of the plurality of message passing locations in the storage area that is unique to and dedicated to the identified independent process; h. processing the request for execution using the identified independent process to thereby execute the request; and i. returning results of the executed request back to the management interface via the one of the plurality of messaae passing locations such that the application software program is executed despite the CICS execution dependency that is in compatible with the target computer's UNIX-based software execution environment.