A system is disclosed having servers with operating systems that may
differ, operating in disparate computing environments, wherein each
server includes a processor and an operating system including a kernel a
set of associated local system files compatible with the processor. This
invention discloses a method of providing at least some of the servers in
the system with secure, executable, applications related to a service,
wherein the applications may be executed in a secure environment, wherein
the applications each include an object executable by at least some of
the different operating systems for performing a task related to the
service. The method of this invention requires storing in memory
accessible to at least some of the servers a plurality of secure
containers of application software. Each container includes one or more
of the executable applications and a set of associated system files
required to execute the one or more applications, for use with a local
kernel residing permanently on one of the servers. The set of associated
system files are compatible with a local kernel of at least some of the
plurality of different operating systems. The containers of application
software exclude a kernel; and some or all of the associated system files
within a container stored in memory are utilized in place of the
associated local system files resident on the server.