Final answer:
The programming interface that enables a remote computer to run programs on a local machine is RPC (Remote Procedure Call). RPC allows a program to request services from another program on a different computer in a network, facilitating inter-process communication.
Step-by-step explanation:
The programming interface that allows a remote computer to run programs on a local machine is RPC (Remote Procedure Call). RPC is a protocol that one program can use to request a service from a program located on another computer in a network. The requester on the local machine sends a procedure call to the remote machine, where the actual processing happens, and the results are returned to the requester.
Options such as RSH (Remote Shell) and SSH (Secure Shell) do allow for remote command execution, but they are more shell services for command-line access rather than a protocol specifically designed for inter-process communication. SSL (Secure Socket Layer) is used for securing connections and is not related to program execution on remote machines.