COMPATIBILITY WITH HIGHER FLEXIBILITY
The VirtuOS systems are really the result of Microbase's thirteen years experience in the development of operating systems. As these systems were developed in order to fully satisfy the real requirements of both Brazilian and international users, they fully adhere to the "de facto" standard platform of the microcomputers' world. They are functionally and operationally compatible with MS-DOS©, so as to allow quick, trouble-free migration into sophisticated environments from applications existing in single task environments.

This compatibility combines high performance and flexibility with:

• the use of applications, including maintenance tools, which are completely familiar to users;
• the access to and use of all available standard installable device drivers;
• the development or use of applications which require memory management above 640 Kbytes, whether in LIM-EMS 4, XMS or even other standards which require VCPI (Virtual Control Program Interface) and/or DPMI (DOS Protected Mode Interface);
• the full use of all applications developed for the NetBEUI network standard, even under multitasking and multiterminal environments;
• connectivity and interoperability with the other market standard platforms through its own TCP/IP and NetBEUI core and full IPX support.

VTM - VIRTUOS^TM TASK MANAGER
MULTITASKING ENVIRONMENT

A FANTASTIC IDEA - AN EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION
The VirtuOS^TM Operating System's users master a sophisticated and powerful set of utilities that enables them to expand the microcomputers' processing limits, through the access to and use of the multitasking environment, in a simple, practical, and effective way.

VTM - VirtuOS Task Manager allows the creation and execution of up to 64 simultaneous and concurrent tasks - 8 tasks per user - in a maximum 256 Mbytes RAM memory.

Each task created via VTM is indeed a full virtual machine, that is to say, an environment where the whole hardware and software of a PC + MS-DOS are fully emulated.

To each of these virtual machines, the users can dynamically specify parameters that give them total environment control to:

• run an application;
• configure and reconfigure the required memory area;
• support EGA/VGA video in background;
• support multiple applications that use DMA;
• allocate communication ports;
• change task priority;
• freeze and defreeze background tasks;
• enable and disable a task;
• customize the keyboard.

INTERPROCESS COMMUNICATION
Although they are completely independent, the applications in the virtual machines can communicate via the VIPC - VirtuOS^TM Interprocess Communication, a sophisticated and effective intertask communication system. Any task being executed in any of the system's processor can send or receive messages to or from any other one, while the applications do not have to control such transactions.

NetBEUI COMPATIBILITY
This service can also be obtained via the NetBEUI emulator offered by the VirtuOS^TM platform.

Another VirtuOS^TM Task Manager resource that is extremely useful to users is the one that enables the interpretation and execution of script-file commands.

These files, which are created through any text editor that is available to users, may contain commands and system calls that substitute the individual passing of parameters to each task or virtual machine.
The script-file execution is done in a very simple way and it allows the full automation of applications, in a way that is completely transparent to users, thus turning the achievement of turnkey systems into an easy matter.

EVENTS PROGRAMMING
As it was developed so as that complement the task automation process, under the VirtuOS^TM systems, the Schedule utility allows the management of up to 16 different events per each password assigned to system users, whether they are programmed to be executed once only, several times, daily, weekly or in alternate days, at specified times, whatever they may be.

The passing of parameters and commands to Schedule can be directly done by the operator or via a keyfile. These files, in a way that is similar to that of the script-files, contain an image of all keyboard interventions that are required by the applications. After being programmed, the Schedule utility is completely automatic and does not depend on operator calls.

COMPATIBILITY WITH MS-WINDOWS^TM
Even rather sophisticated programs, such as MS-Windows^TM, find in the VirtuOS^TM system and its VTM an adequate environment, which offers the user maximum flexibility to execute all standard mode application and most enhanced mode applications.

MULTIUSER/ MULTITERMINAL ENVIRONMENT

GREAT FLEXIBILITY - A MINOR INVESTMENT
With the VirtuOS^TM systems, enlarging the installed equipment and expanding the microcomputers processing limits is a very simple and gradual process that is free from the common and unnecessary losses of previous investments.

By just adding memory to microcomputers and connecting them to simple graphics or semigraphics video terminals, it is possible to obtain a high performance and low cost multiuser and multiterminal system, with totally shareable resources and no loss of any of the previous features. That means the real possibility of simultaneously executing several MS-DOS^TM compatible applications by way of several concurring users and one single microcomputer, with no significant loss in performance.

REMOTE TERMINALS
Asynchronous semigraphics terminals can be remotely connected to the system with no major difficulty and with excellent performance.

MS-WINDOWS^TM IN TERMINALS, TOO!
When it uses graphics terminals, the VirtuOS^TM system allows the execution of MS-Windows^TM in terminals. Several other additional peripherals can be connected to a VirtuOS^TM system and shared by all users:

• optical disks;
• printers and plotters;
• communication channels;
• magnetic tapes.

Reconfiguring a VirtuOS^TM system, so as to amplify or alter its capacity of controlling peripherals, is a dynamic process that does not interrupt processing and is also very simple and flexible.

LOCAL AND REMOTE NETWORKING

SAFE AND SIMPLE GROWTH
Using the resources made available by the VirtuOS Network Facility - VNET, thanks to their decentralized control, the VirtuOS^TM systems allow the creation of networking distributed systems, with multiple servers, dedicated or not, that adequate themselves to the users' real needs, with no restrictions due to being conditioned by single work methodologies.

Clusters of multiterminal systems are easily interconnected in a network, thus offering a safe, simple and fast growth, with no significant degradation of the general performance of applications. Quite the opposite: this option usually becomes the most adequate one to numberless departmental applications.

Printing servers, dedicated or not, control up to 8 printers each under the VirtuOS^TM systems and they can use local disk units to collect their printing files, thus expressively increasing their performance and maximally reducing the overload to the system as a whole.

Microcomputers that are equipped with the MS-DOS^TM operating system can easily be connected to a VirtuOS^TM network, whether locally or remotely, via the VOSPC network redirector.

SHARING RESOURCES
With the VCONNEC utility it is possible to logically connect any terminal or workstation to any VirtuOS^TM computer, locally or remotely installed, turning it into an alternative console. This resource makes the whole processing power of each network available to all users.

REMOTE SUPPORT
The WATCH utility is particularly useful to network managers in the remote support activity. Its purpose is to logically connect any terminal or workstation to any virtual machine of any microcomputer in a VirtuOS^TM network, as a secondary console, thus allowing the simultaneous viewing of screens in both video monitors and the interaction of both keyboards concurrently.

NATURAL REMOTE NETWORKING
The use of the VNET resources in a remote network environment is a simple and fully transparent process to the application, which is entirely controlled by installable device drivers, thus allowing multiple remote communications circuits that use "dumb" and/or intelligent serial interfaces.

Programmers and users of a VirtuOS^TM system have access to a point-to-point asynchronous or multipoint X.25 network, such as any public package switching environment. More sophisticated data communication systems, which require automatic enabling and dialing, passing of parameters to modems, decision making and other facilities, find in DCCI - Data Communication Command Interpreter - a complete and powerful tool in the use of public or private telephonic lines as communication physical media.

CONECTIVITY AND INTEROPERABILITY
Endowed with a network multiprotocol layer, the VirtuOS^TM systems connect and interoperate with NetWare^TM, UNIX^TM and Windows^TMNT systems and with those others that adopt communication protocols in the IPX, TCP/IP and NetBEUI standards.

All these resources make the VirtuOS^TM systems ideal for applications that have data communication as an important prerequisite.

SUPPORT TO MULTIPLE PROTOCOLS
As well as presenting exceptional remote communication facilities, the VirtuOS^TM systems can connect and interoperate with other operating environments, via implementation of network drivers that support the simultaneous stacking of multiple protocols, such as:

• Native VirtuOS^TM (VNET);
• TCP/IP;
• IPX;
• NetBEUI.

Known as VirtuOS^TM Network Enhancer, this environment has network services based on multiple protocols, implementing a client/server connectivity system for the TCP/IP and NetBEUI environments, and concurrently supporting the NOVELL IPX network protocol, thus allowing the creation of a communication gateway, drastically increasing the flexibility of multitasking and multiuser systems that require connectivity and interoperability.

With these characteristics and thanks to its compatibility with the MS-DOS^TM and MS-Windows^TM environments, the VirtuOS^TM Network Enhancer enables users to use any application designed to connect with other platforms, allowing the coexistence with UNIX^TM, Windows^TM NT, NOVELL/NetWare^TM systems, and mainframes - all that with great performance, flexibility and full transparency, requiring no type of proprietary solution, which justifies calling it an open system.

IP ROUTER
Requiring no dedicated hardware, the IP Router meets most needs of IP static routing in both local (CSMA-CD) and remote (SLIP or X.25) circuits, at very low cost. As it allows the use of several packet drivers, the IP Router supports several concurrent physical media.

REMOTE ACCESS GATEWAY
VirtuOS RAG was specially developed to meet the needs of those who have to install high performance remote networks (up to 34,800 bps). Based on an intelligent communication coprocessor, it supports up to 16 serial lines per node, using a single VNet circuit.

By means of VirtuOS RAG it is possible to connect remotely with the use of VNet, IP (with the IP Router), and IPX protocols.

The IPX Router allows the interconnection of local networks based on NOVELL's NetWare via serial lines, as well as the remote connection of stand-alone microcomputers under the MS-Windows, MS-DOS, and VirtuOS environments.

SECURITY SYSTEM

SECURITY - A PRIORITY
A system of great flexibility and high performance would be useless without a corresponding security system.

Endowed with a complete and efficient security subsystem against unauthorized accesses, the VirtuOS^TM systems keep all critic functions under the exclusive control of the users in charge of their management and operation, associating users' passwords to groups, allowing the creation of up to 32 different privilege levels and the association of tasks with automatic execution beginning and closing.

OERATING LOG
All tasks executed by VirtuOS^TM systems' users can have their commands filed, step by step, in a log-type file, so as to allow, at any given moment, the obtainment of a general system operating map, or even analytic maps, classified per day, time, user, processor, console, virtual machine, and executed command and function.

The Logview utility allows immediate access to data collected in a transparent way by the system, thus enabling its manager to have total control over the operating process. This control system also provides programmers with an argument passing method that allows the creation of a log-type file of specific applications, so as to make it possible to obtain general and specific maps of their operations.

NEW SECURITY SYSTEM - C2 STANDARD
There is now an option that can be acquired as an add-on: SECURITY C2, a system that adheres to international standards and gives VirtuOSTM Systems a new security status.

Internationally acknowledged as an access security standard, C2 has become obligatory in some market segments. Adopting these criteria implies a security system with a rather rigid and well-defined level of control, where each user is identified, authorized and accountable for each action.

This new security system was developed to fully comply with the criteria established by the USA Department of Defense in its Trusted Computer System Evaluation Criteria, also known as The Orange Book.

COMPLETE AUDIT CONTROL
With the adoption of SECURITY C2, an environment that allows a complete audit of all activities of all users (including even the Administrator) is created. It is possible to analyze:

• event type;
• event source;
• event date and time;
• user;
• event result.

CONTINUOUS PROCESSING
To sophisticated systems that require uninterrupted operation, the VirtuOS^TM systems offer the VCP - VirtuOS Continuous Processing package, which comprehends two basic modules:

• MB-TREE™ Client/Server Record Manager and continuous processing system;
• IMMUNITY™ Dynamic Disk mirroring system.

These two modules allow the installation of an automatic file duplication and restoration system, thus ensuring processing continuity under any circumstances, be it during disk controller and unit faults or network server crashes.

A COMPLETE SYSTEM
In short, thanks to their compatibility and enormous flexibility, to their sophisticated disk caching technique for hard disk management, their high performance network access algorithms, their sophisticated preemptive CPU time sharing system, their complete security system and their connectivity and interoperability, the VirtuOS^TM systems signify a differentiated alternative for downsizing and rightsizing processes and, particularly, for the banking industry and retailing systems automation.