METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING UNDESIRED TERMINATION OF A PROCESS IN AN INFORMATION HANDLING SYSTEM

• US 20080189708A1
• Filed: 02/02/2007
• Published: 08/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Tsao, Hsian-Fen, Cheng, Yinhe
• Granted Patent: US 7,962,911 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/102
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/485 Task life-cycle, e.g. stopping, restarting, resuming execution G06F9/4881 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications

Abstract

An information handling system (IHS) employs operating system software to manage IHS resources. The operating system software manages software application programs as processes executing within the IHS. The processes run in foreground and background mode within the IHS. Processes running in foreground mode are subject to hang-up events with negative process output results, such as output data loss. In one embodiment, the operating system software supports a “no hang-up now” command for use with processes running in foreground mode. The “no hang-up now” command provides system users the ability to hang-up or log-out of an IHS terminal without negative effects on the current foreground process. A user may invoke the “no hang-up now” command after execution of the foreground process is already underway. The no hang-up command moves the foreground application to the background for continued execution. A signal handler program prevents termination of the background process until the process completes.

Claims

1. A method of processing information in an information handling system (IHS), comprising:

loading, by an operating system in the IHS, a first process in a foreground mode, the first process having a respective process identifier associated therewith;

executing, by the operating system, the first process over time in the foreground mode;

receiving, by the operating system, a command;

moving, by the operating system, the first process from the foreground mode to a background mode in response to the command; and

ignoring, by the operating system, requests to terminate the first process until the first process completes.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the command includes a process identifier.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising testing, by the operating system, to determine if the process identifier of the command matches the process identifier of the first process, and in response to a match the operating system moves the first process from the foreground mode to the background mode.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein in response to the match the operating system suspends the first process in the foreground mode prior to moving the first process to the background mode.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising executing a signal handler program, by the operating system, to block hang-up requests when the first process is in the background mode.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the operating system continues execution of the first process in the background mode after the moving step.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first process produces results that the operating system stores in an output file while the first process executes in the background mode.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising executing, by the operating system, a second process in the background mode along with the first process.

9. An information handling system (IHS) comprising:

a processor; and

a memory, coupled to the processor, that stores an operating system that executes processes, wherein the operating system loads a first process in a foreground mode, the first process having a respective process identifier associated therewith, the operating system executing the first process over time in the foreground mode, the operating system moving the first process from the foreground mode to a background mode in response to a command after which the operating system ignores requests to terminate the first process until the first process completes.

10. The IHS of claim 9, wherein the command includes a process identifier and the operating system tests to determine if the process identifier of the command matches the process identifier of the first process, and in response to a match the operating system moves the first process from the foreground mode to the background mode.

11. The IHS of claim 10, wherein in response to the match the operating system suspends the first process in the foreground mode prior to moving the first process to the background mode.

12. The IHS of claim 10, wherein the operating system includes a signal handler program that blocks hang-up requests when the first process is in the background mode.

13. The IHS of claim 9, wherein the operating system is configured to continue execution of the first process in the background mode after moving the first process from the foreground mode to the background mode.

14. The IHS of claim 13, wherein the operating system is configured to store results that the first process produces in an output file while the first process executes in the background mode.

15. The IHS of claim 14, wherein the operating system is configured to execute a second process in the background mode along with the first process.

16. A computer program product stored on a computer operable medium for controlling execution of processes in an information handling system, the computer program product comprising:

instructions for loading, by an operating system, a first process in a foreground mode, the first process having a respective process identifier associated therewith;

instructions for executing, by the operating system, the first process over time in the foreground mode;

instructions for receiving, by the operating system, a command;

instructions for moving, by the operating system, the first process from the foreground mode to a background mode in response to the command; and

instructions for ignoring, by the operating system, requests to terminate the first process until the first process completes.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the command includes a process identifier, the computer program product further comprising:

instructions for testing, by the operating system, to determine if the process identifier of the command matches the process identifier of the first process, and in response to a match the operating system moves the first process from the foreground mode to the background mode.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising instructions for suspending, by the operating system in response to the match, the first process in the foreground mode prior to moving the first process to the background mode.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising instructions for executing a signal handler program, by the operating system, to block hang-up requests when the first process is in the background mode.

20. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the first process produces results, the computer program product further comprising instructions for storing the results in an output file while the first process is in the background mode.