Software process modeling and execution within virtual environments

In the past, multiuser virtual environments have been developed as venues for entertainment and social interaction. Recent research focuses instead on their utility in carrying out work in the real world. This research has identified the importance of a mapping between the real and the virtual that permits the representation of real tasks in the virtual environment. We investigate the use of virtual environments - in particular, MUDs (Multi-User Dimensions) - in the domain of software process. In so doing, we define a mapping, or metaphor, that permits the representation of software processes within a MUD. The system resulting from this mapping, called Promo, permits the modeling and execution of software processes by geographically dispersed agents.