Disclosed is a system, method, and program for creating a file, such as a batch file, that is capable of executing on one of many different operating systems. An object is processed including a plurality of instructions. Each instruction is associated with at least one executable function. A determination is made of an operating system in which the generated file will be executed. For each instruction in the object, a native operating system command is generated that is capable of executing the function associated with the instruction on the determined operating system. Each generated native operating system command is inserted into the file. Execution of the file on the determined operating system will execute the native operating system commands in the file to perform the functions associated with the instructions included in the object.

Fragile native compilation of virtual machine code is described, in which a native code optimizer inspects external code entities such as Java base classes and emits target code based on an inter-procedural analysis of the code and data structure invariants and other properties of the external code entity. The fragile compiler also records which properties of the external code entities were used to produce the optimized code in a "fragile set", so that the virtual machine at which the compiled code is deployed and executed can detect if the recorded properties of the external code entities are compatible with the properties of the corresponding entities on the deployment virtual machine. If the code entities are incompatible, the compiled native code is rejected and the virtual machine reverts to interpreting the virtual machine code.

One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates automated software installation on a remote computer over the Internet. The system operates by first initializing the remote computer with a custom operating system, which allows access to the remote computer over the Internet. Next, the system provides an archive locator to the remote computer, wherein the archive locator is a uniform resource locator (URL) or a proprietary resource locator. The system then requests an archive from the site specified by the archive locator. This archive includes an operating system and desired software packages pre-configured for the remote computer. The system downloads this archive to the remote computer and re-initializes the remote computer with the operating system and software packages in the archive.

A computer system including a plurality of computers, a management console operated by the operator to install a program in the computers and a storage subsystem coupled to the computers and the management console is disclosed. The storage subsystem includes a first storage unit shared by the computers and a plurality of second storage units exclusively used by the computers respectively. The first storage unit has stored therein a file related to the program installed in the computers and an installer program for executing the work of installing a program. The second storage units have each stored therein an install agent executed by each computer and a control file accessed by the install agent. The management console includes an install manager for starting the execution of the install agent on each computer. The install manager starts the process according to the install agent on each computer by switching on the power supply of each computer. The install agent, once the process thereof is started, starts the installer program in accordance with the contents of the control file. The installer program reads a related file from the first storage unit, and transfers it to the second storage unit exclusive to the corresponding computer thereby to install the program.

A computing system receives a compressed archive file that includes a one or more new executable software modules, and a installation file specifying instructions for installing such modules on the computing system. The modules and the installation file are extracted from the compressed archive file, and the modules installed in accordance with the instructions. Instances of executing software modules that correspond to the installed modules are notified about their impending termination. The instances are then terminated before launching corresponding instances of the installed modules.