1. A machine-implemented method, comprising: creating, within a global operating system environment provided by an operating system, a first non-global partition which serves to isolate processes running within that partition from other non-global partitions within the global operating system environment; and establishing a first file system for the first non-global partition, wherein the first file system cannot be accessed by processes running in any non-global partition other than the first non-global partition, wherein the first file system comprises at least one virtual directory, which has associated therewith a reference to another particular file system directory, and wherein the virtual directory comprises no actual files or directories.