Utilizing device decay for computerized system management

• US 20060200594A1
• Filed: 03/01/2005
• Published: 09/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Jodh, Santosh S., Cobb, Jason T., Cavalaris, James G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,577,769 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/18
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4411 Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers

Abstract

The subject invention relates to systems and methods that automatically monitor computer platform components and initiate automated resource recovery procedures based on detected periods of component inactivity. In one aspect, an automated maintenance system for computer resources is provided. The system includes a controller that monitors installation and removal of system components that cooperate to facilitate various operations of a computer. A threshold component supplies time out or decay values for the devices to determine inactive periods of the devices, whereby the controller removes persistent memory references for the devices based in part on the time out values. Supervisory threshold functions can be provided to cause the system to perform maintenance operations at other desired intervals in order to allow periods of device inactivity while maintaining desired component information on the respective system.

Claims

1. An automated maintenance system for computer resources, comprising:

a controller that monitors installation and removal of one or more devices that cooperate to facilitate operations of a computer; and

a threshold component that supplies time out values for the devices to determine inactive periods of the devices, the controller removes persistent memory references for the devices based in part on the time out values.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising one or more decay values that indicate the period for which a device has been inactive.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising a comparator function that compares the time out values with the decay values to determine if automated procedures are to be invoked.

4. The system of claim 3, the automated procedures are related to one or more un-installation procedures that remove references of a component'"'"'s resources in persistent storage.

5. The system of claim 4, the un-installation procedures reside as standard software removal procedures that are automatically invoked by a system.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a rules component to control resource removal processes.

7. The system of claim 6, the rules component includes rules relating to a maximum limit of potential hardware in view of a determined resource size.

8. The system of claim 6, the rules component includes rules relating to removing marked items based upon a predetermined number of non-present devices.

9. The system of claim 6, the rules component allows removal of a resource based upon a class designation.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising an initialization and monitoring component to enumerate device objects.

11. The system of claim 10, the initialization and monitoring component is a Plug and Play (PnP) manager.

12. The system of claim 11, the PnP manager operates as a kernel mode or a user mode.

13. The system of claim 10, further comprising a user interface to initialize one or more properties that determine resource removal.

14. The system of claim 1, the controller removes memory references as part of a separate thread of execution per device.

15. A computer readable medium having computer readable instructions stored thereon for implementing the components of claim 1.

16. A method for reclaiming inactive computer resources, comprising:

setting a threshold value for each device installed on a system;

associating an activity value for each device;

incrementing the activity value for non-responding devices; and

automatically running an uninstall procedure based in part on the activity value.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising automatically comparing the threshold value and the activity value during a computer background operation.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising automatically invoking the background operations in accordance with predetermined intervals.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising configuring one or more decay properties for a device or a subset of devices.

20. A system to facilitate computer maintenance operations, comprising:

means for reading a threshold value for each component installed on a system;

means for setting a decay value for each device;

means for changing the decay value upon detecting a non-responding device; and

means for automatically removing memory references based in part on the decay value.