random access memory 106 network communications support via an adapter 108 and input output support to display devices 112 keyboards 114 and pointing devices 116 through i o controller 110 these components communicate over a system bus 103 the generalized system of fig1 is embodied in a number of commercially available systems such as the ibm ps 2 computer and the ibm risc system 6000 computer ps 2 and risc system 6000 are trademarks of ibm corp the concurrent operating system support of the present invention is designed to function on either of these or any new hardware architecture adapted to run the microkernel the system of the present invention is shown generally in fig2 the basic microkernel layer is shown at 202 the microkernel provides standard interfaces to the hardware layer 204 and standard interfaces to the operating systems personalities 206 the main components of the present invention that implement concurrent operating system support are shown at 208 210 212 and 214 these components are linked by defined interfaces 209 211 213 and 215 the system of the preferred embodiment has a dominant personality server 210 that provides overall control to the hardware system the dominant personality server is given control during the initial booting of the hardware system and establishes the basic operating system components it also coordinates access to shared system resources such as communications adapters and the display device the dominant personality server 210 communicates with other processes through interfaces 211 interfaces 211 include object oriented interfaces as.