CONCERT: a high-level-language approach to heterogeneous distributed systems

Concert, a high-level-language approach to programming heterogeneous distributed systems, is described. The Concert model introduces a small set of language extensions into conventional procedural languages. These language extensions support a cooperative peer process model which addresses in the distributed environment the same issues addressed by language semantics in the conventional environment. The Concert implementation provides layered support for these language extensions, bridging a different source of heterogeneity at each layer. A prototype Concert system currently includes C programs running on OS/2 on multiple PS/2s communicating via calls with one another as well as with PL/I programs running on VM/370.