System and method for priority-based selection of applications for termination

• US 8,095,930 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2005
• Issued: 01/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Chew, Chee H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Puente, Emerson
• Assistant Examiner(s): KESSLER, GREGORY AARON
• Application Number:
  US11/105,806
• Publication Number:
  US 20050177832A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,463 Days
• Field of Search: 718/103
• US Class Current: 718/103
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44594 Unloading
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4843 by program, e.g. task dispatcher, supervisor, operating system
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99957 Garbage collection

Abstract

A computer application program executing on a computer, such as a portable computer, is selected for termination by first identifying computer application programs executing on the computer. A priority value is assigned to each of the identified computer applications. The priority value is based on multiple characteristics of the identified computer application programs. The computer application program with the smallest priority value is automatically terminated. If the computer application program with the smallest priority value is in a modal state in which it waits for a response from a user, then a default response is provided to the application prior to terminating the computer application program. The characteristics associated with the computer application programs may include average launch times, average memory usages, a class or type of application, frequencies of usage, and an amount of data stored on the computer by the computer application program.

Claims

1. One or more computer memories containing executable instructions that, when implemented, perform a method comprising:

determining a first priority value of a first computer application program based on a plurality of parameter values of the first computer application program, each parameter value of the first computer application program representing a different characteristic of the first computer application program, the different characteristics of the first computer application program including at least a first characteristic assigned by a developer of the first computer application program, and at least a second characteristic determined via monitoring execution of the first computer application program;

determining a second priority value of a second computer application program based on a plurality of parameter values of the second computer application program, each parameter value of the second computer application program representing a different characteristic of the second computer application program, the different characteristics of the second computer application program including at least a third characteristic assigned by a developer of the second computer application program, and at least a fourth characteristic determined via monitoring execution of the second computer application program;

reducing the first priority value or increasing the second priority value when a launch time of the first computer application program is a longer amount of time than a launch time of the second computer application program;

comparing the first priority value to the second priority value; and

reclaiming system resources associated with the second computer application program based on a determination that the first priority value is smaller than the second priority value.

2. The one or more computer memories of claim 1, wherein the determining the first priority value includes summing the plurality of parameter values of the first computer application program to obtain the first priority value.

3. The one or more computer memories of claim 2, wherein the determining the second priority value includes summing the plurality of parameter values of the second computer application program to obtain the second priority value.

4. The one or more computer memories of claim 1, wherein a particular parameter value of the plurality of parameter values of the first computer application program represents a characteristic other than an inherent characteristic of the first computer application program.

5. The one or more computer memories of claim 1, wherein the reclaiming includes reclaiming system resources utilized by the first computer application program.

6. The one or more computer memories of claim 1, wherein the reclaiming system resources comprises recalculating the second priority value at a time the reclaiming occurs.

7. The one or more computer memories of claim 1, wherein a particular parameter value of the plurality of parameter values of the first computer application program represents a time parameter based on a measure of time.

8. The one or more computer memories of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of parameter values of the first computer application program is modified by a weighting factor.

9. A method, comprising:

determining a first priority value of a first computer application program based on a plurality of first parameter values of the first computer application program, each of the first parameter values representing a different characteristic of the first computer application program;

determining a second priority value of a second computer application program based on a plurality of second parameter values of the second computer application program, each of the second parameter values representing a different characteristic of the second computer application program;

reducing the first priority value and increasing the second priority value when a launch time of the first computer application program is a longer amount of time than a launch time of the second computer application program;

comparing the first priority value with a second priority value; and

reclaiming system resources associated with one of the first computer application program or the second computer application program with a smallest priority value.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising monitoring the first and second computer application programs and based on the monitoring, defining a first parameter value for the first computer application program or a second parameter value for the second computer application program.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the plurality of first parameter values include a parameter value that represents a first length of time that the first computer application program has been running and the plurality of second parameter values includes a parameter value that represents a second length of time that the second computer application program has been running.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the plurality of first parameter values include a parameter value that represents an amount of memory used by the first computer application program.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the plurality of first parameter values include a parameter value that indicates that the first computer application program is a core application.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising multiplying a parameter value of the plurality of first parameter values or the plurality of second parameter values by a weighting factor.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the reducing the first priority value and increasing the second priority value includes reducing the first priority value and increasing the second priority value by an identical predetermined amount.

16. A system, comprising:

a processor;

a memory;

components stored in the memory and executable by the processor, the components comprising;

a first computer application program and a second computer application program;

a registry including;

a plurality of first parameter values of the first computer application program, each of the first parameter values representing a different characteristic of the first computer application program, wherein at least one first parameter value identifies an amount of data stored to the memory by the first computer application program; and

a plurality of second parameter values of the second computer application program, each of the second parameter values representing a different characteristic of the second computer application program, wherein at least one second parameter value identifies an amount of data stored to the memory by the second computer application program; and

an application termination module that includes;

a first logic to calculate a first priority value based at least on the plurality of first parameter values and to calculate a second priority value based at least on the plurality of second parameter values;

a second logic to reduce the first priority value or increase the second priority value when a launch time of the first computer application program is a longer amount of time than a launch time of the second computer application program;

a third logic to compare the first priority value and the second priority value; and

a fourth logic to reclaim system resources associated with the second computer application program.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the first logic is to modify selective first parameter values or second parameter values by one or more weighting factors.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the registry further includes a first parameter value that represents a first amount of time the first computer application program has been executing and a second parameter value that represents a second amount of time the second computer application program has been executing.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the application termination module is to reclaim the system resource when an amount of the memory that is available falls below a threshold value.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the application termination module is to reclaim the system resources when a number of concurrent processes executing on the system exceeds a threshold.