Apparatus and methods for performing computer system maintenance and notification activities in an opportunistic manner
First Claim
1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a digital processing apparatus of a computer system to perform operations for controlling computer system activities, the operations comprising:
- receiving a command entered with an input device of the computer system to begin opportunistic computer system maintenance activities, where the command specifies a time period available for opportunistic computer system maintenance activities; and
initiating at least one computer system maintenance activity during the time period available for opportunistic system maintenance activities;
where the at least one computer system maintenance activity is selected, according to at least one pre-determined criterion, from a prioritized list of computer system maintenance activities comprising at least a first computer system maintenance activity and a second computer system maintenance activity, and where execution of a highest priority computer system maintenance activity in the list is initiated first only if an estimate of an amount of time required to execute the highest priority computer system maintenance activity to completion is less than an estimated duration of a time period that is available to execute the computer system maintenance activity to completion and, if not, selecting from the prioritized list of computer system maintenance activities a lower priority computer system maintenance activity, and initiating execution of the lower priority computer system maintenance activity only if an estimate of an amount of time required to execute the lower priority computer system maintenance activity to completion is less than the estimated duration of the time period available to execute the lower priority computer system maintenance activity to completion.
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Abstract
A computer-readable medium tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a digital processor of a computer system to perform operations for controlling computer system activities. The operations include receiving a command entered with an input device of the computer system to begin opportunistic computer system activities, where the command specifies a time period available for opportunistic computer system activities. Then initiating at least one computer system activity during the time period available for opportunistic computer system activities.
35 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a digital processing apparatus of a computer system to perform operations for controlling computer system activities, the operations comprising:
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receiving a command entered with an input device of the computer system to begin opportunistic computer system maintenance activities, where the command specifies a time period available for opportunistic computer system maintenance activities; and initiating at least one computer system maintenance activity during the time period available for opportunistic system maintenance activities; where the at least one computer system maintenance activity is selected, according to at least one pre-determined criterion, from a prioritized list of computer system maintenance activities comprising at least a first computer system maintenance activity and a second computer system maintenance activity, and where execution of a highest priority computer system maintenance activity in the list is initiated first only if an estimate of an amount of time required to execute the highest priority computer system maintenance activity to completion is less than an estimated duration of a time period that is available to execute the computer system maintenance activity to completion and, if not, selecting from the prioritized list of computer system maintenance activities a lower priority computer system maintenance activity, and initiating execution of the lower priority computer system maintenance activity only if an estimate of an amount of time required to execute the lower priority computer system maintenance activity to completion is less than the estimated duration of the time period available to execute the lower priority computer system maintenance activity to completion. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a digital processing apparatus of a computer system to perform operations for controlling computer system activities, the operations comprising:
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receiving a selection of at least two computer system maintenance activities to be performed opportunistically as time slots for opportunistic computer system maintenance activities arise; saving the at least two computer system maintenance activities to a list stored in a memory of the computer system; receiving a command to begin opportunistic computer system maintenance activities, where the command specifies a time period available for performing opportunistic computer system maintenance activities; selecting from the list at least one of the at least two computer system maintenance activities to be performed during the time period available for opportunistic computer system maintenance activities; and initiating the at least one computer system maintenance activity; where the at least one computer system maintenance activity to be performed is selected, according to at least one pre-determined criterion, from a prioritized list of computer system maintenance activities comprising at least a first computer system maintenance activity and a second computer system maintenance activity, and where execution of a highest priority computer system maintenance activity in the list is initiated first only if an estimate of an amount of time required to execute the highest priority computer system maintenance activity to completion is less than an estimated duration of a time period that is available to execute the computer system maintenance activity to completion and, if not, selecting from the prioritized list of computer system maintenance activities a lower priority computer system maintenance activity, and initiating execution of the lower priority computer system maintenance activity only if an estimate of an amount of time required to execute the lower priority computer system maintenance activity to completion is less than the estimated duration of the time period available to execute the lower priority computer system maintenance activity to completion. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A computer system having an ability to perform opportunistic computer system activities, the computer system comprising:
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at least one memory to store at least one program of machine-readable instructions, where the at least one program performs operations to control opportunistic computer system maintenance activities; at least one input device to initiate opportunistic computer system maintenance activities; and at least one processor coupled to the at least one memory and the at least one input device, where the at least one processor performs the following operations when the at least one program is executed; receiving a command entered with the at least one input device of the computer system to begin opportunistic computer system maintenance activities; receiving an identification of a time period available for performing opportunistic computer system maintenance activities; and initiating at least one computer system maintenance activity comprising a computer system maintenance task during the time period identified as available for opportunistic computer system maintenance activities; where the at least one computer system maintenance activity is selected, according to at least one pre-determined criterion, from a prioritized list of computer system maintenance activities comprising at least a first computer system maintenance activity and a second computer system maintenance activity, and where execution of a highest priority computer system maintenance activity in the list is initiated first only if an estimate of an amount of time required to execute the highest priority computer system maintenance activity to completion is less than an estimated duration of a time period that is available to execute the computer system maintenance activity to completion and, if not, selecting from the prioritized list of computer system maintenance activities a lower priority computer system maintenance activity, and initiating execution of the lower priority computer system maintenance activity only if an estimate of an amount of time required to execute the lower priority computer system maintenance activity to completion is less than the estimated duration of the time period available to execute the lower priority computer system maintenance activity to completion. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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Specification