1. In a distributed computer system comprising a plurality of instruments, at least one monitor, and executing a server process, a method of indicating the states of a plurality of software sub-processes that are working together on a task selected by an operator, the sub-processes being coupled to said server process, each sub-process performing at least a part of the task, each sub-process having been programmed to generate signals indicating its state, the states of a sub-process comprising executing, ready, waiting, and stopped, and each sub-process residing in one of said plurality of instruments in said distributed computer system before the operator starts the method, the method comprising the steps of: generating by each sub-process a signal indicative of the state of that sub-process, said signal being generated in response to a change in state of said sub-process, said signal being unsolicited by the server process, said signal being expressed in a language convenient for said sub-process, said language not required to be the same language for each sub-process; communicating by each sub-process the generated signals from the sub-processes to the server process; determining by the server process the states of the sub-process, said determining comprising interpreting the signals received from the sub-processes; displaying by the server process, via a screen manipulation program, a visual indication of the states of the sub-processes on a monitor; and repeating from the step of generating until the method is stopped; such that the operator is provided with a visual indication of the states of the sub-processes working on the task.