Interprocess communication apparatus interposed between application processes and the operating systems of hosting computers in a system of networked computers

In a network of computers having different operating systems with different message transport mechanisms, an interprocess communication layer (IPC) is interposed between applications hosted on the computers and the operating systems thereof. IPC presents a consistent interface to the application processes for message transport therebetween while linking to the intracomputer and intercomputer message transport mechanisms of the operating systems and the network. A process desiring to send or receive messages registers through a REGISTER function passing its system name and process identification (PID) assigned by the operating system to the process. To send a message, a process calls a SEND function passing the system name and system address of the recipient process. IPC attaches the recipient process PID to a message to be delivered. A process receives a message by invoking a RECEIVE function to receive its messages from the intracomputer communication mechanism of the host computer identified by the PID of the recipient process.