The distributed load tool enables you to load, from one machine, applications into different object spaces. Distributed load is based on a distribution matrix, which is an extension to the Smalltalk configuration maps. A distribution matrix enables you to specify object space locations for each application in the configuration map. The object space location determines which object spaces, in the network, the specified application will be loaded into. For each object space location, each application in the configuration map has a designation for a full load, no load, or a proxy load. A proxy load specifies that the application is not fully loaded in the location, but instead, the globals of the application are loaded as shadows (or proxies), pointing to where the application is actually loaded. The distributed load function makes it easy to develop applications locally and then, through the distributed matrix, load them into other object spaces, without changing any code.

SST participates in the Cross Development (XD) environment. XD can be used to load and package applications targeted for another environment. The user then moves the XD packaged image to the target machine to run it. The additional function that you get with distributed load, which you do not get with XD, is the transparency provided by the proxy load of an application. SST applications must explicitly know and reference those objects that are remote.