System software architecture for a passenger entertainment system, method and article of manufacture

System software that enable a passenger entertainment system on a vehicle. The passenger entertainment system is configured and operated using the system software to provide passenger entertainment services including audio and video on-demand, information dissemination, product and service order processing, video teleconferencing and data communication services between passengers on-board the vehicle using a local networks, and between passengers and people and computers off-board the vehicle using a communications link. The system software is used to route and process passenger transactions (requests for services) from requesting computer processors and dispatch appropriate resources to fulfill the transactions. To achieve this, a passenger transaction is transmitted from a passenger-controlled component to a message processor. The message processor decodes the passenger transaction and generating a request in a predetermined format. The request is transmitted to a transaction dispatcher for routing. A database query is then generated in response to the request. The database query is transmitted to a database server having a database containing data regarding resources of the system that allow communication with and/or control of the communications devices and information relating to products and services offered by the system. An appropriate response is generated in response to the query. Appropriate resources defined in the response are then dispatched to the query to service the passenger transaction.