Self-managed processing device

• US 7,913,113 B2
• Filed: 03/23/2007
• Issued: 03/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Parthasarathy, Narayanan, Raciborski, Bohdan, Karki, Mukesh, Gunabalasubramaniam, Kohulan
• Primary Examiner(s): Maskulinski; Michael C
• Application Number:
  US11/726,989
• Publication Number:
  US 20080275921A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,460 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 714/15
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1417 Boot up procedures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1446 Point-in-time backing up or restoration of persistent data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1451 by selection of backup contents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1461 Backup scheduling policy
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1469 Backup restoration techniques

Abstract

A processing device may automatically provide protective services and may provide backup services for backing up and restoring user files, system files, configuration files, as well as other information. The processing device may be configured to check one or more performance conditions and perform an action to improve performance based on the one or more performance conditions. The processing device may monitor configuration and file changes and provide a user with a capability to persist or discard configuration changes and/or file changes made by an application during a session. The processing device may include a recovery button or switch, which when selected or pressed may cause the processing device to be restored to an operational state. The processing device may automatically detect instabilities and may automatically attempt to repair possible causes of the instabilities. The processing device may also include an additional chipset, which may perform backup and recovery services.

Claims

1. A method for self-management of a processing device, the method comprising:

monitoring and recording configuration changes with respect to the processing device;

monitoring and recording user file changes during a session;

automatically detecting whether at least one system instability exists;

automatically attempting to restore the processing device to a stable state after detecting the at least one system instability;

determining whether to persist the configuration changes or the user file changes; and

undoing the configuration changes or the user file changes when the configuration changes or the user file changes are not to be persisted, wherein

the method is performed by the processing device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining of whether to persist the configuration changes or the user file changes further comprises:

prompting a user regarding whether changes made during a session to at least one user file are to be persisted or discarded.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a user an option to restore user files modified during a previous session.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a recovery button, wherein activating the recovery button restores the processing device to one of a plurality of previously known working states.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically making a backup copy of system settings after a successful boot of the processing device; and

automatically restoring the system settings from the backup copy after a subsequent failed boot of the processing device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically detecting a failure of the processing device to boot up; and

automatically restoring system settings from a storage area to attempt to restore the processing device to a working state.

7. A processing device comprising:

at least one processor;

a memory including instructions for the at least one processor;

a bus connected to the at least one processor and the memory, the bus being arranged to provide a communication capability between the at least one processor and the memory; and

a chipset, separate from the at least one processor and the memory, connected to the bus, the chipset including at least one second processor and instructions for the at least one second processor to perform backup and auto-recovery services, wherein the memory comprises;

instructions for monitoring user file changes per session;

instructions for undoing user file changes made during a session;

instructions for automatically making a backup copy of system settings after a successful startup of the processing device; and

instructions for automatically restoring the system settings from the backup copy after detecting a subsequent failed boot of the processing device.

8. The processing device of claim 7, wherein the memory further comprises:

instructions for automatically monitoring performance of the processing device; and

instructions for automatically performing an action to improve the performance of the processing device based on a result of the monitoring of the performance of the processing device.

9. The processing device of claim 7, further comprising:

a recovery button having a connection to the bus such that when the recovery button is activated a signal is received by one of the at least one processor or the at least one second processor causing the one of the at least one processor or the at least one second processor to execute instructions for restoring the processing device to an operational state.

10. The processing device of claim 7, wherein the memory further comprises:

instructions for providing at least one of antivirus protection, antimalware protection, firewall protection, or security patch management services.

11. The processing device of claim 7, wherein the memory further comprises:

instructions for monitoring system file changes per session; and

instructions for undoing the system file changes made during a session.

12. The processing device of claim 7, wherein the memory further comprises:

instructions for monitoring file changes on a per application basis; and

instructions for permitting a user to cause a selective rollback of file changes on a per application basis.

13. A tangible machine-readable medium having instructions for at least one processor of a processing device, the tangible machine-readable medium comprising:

instructions for automatically monitoring and recording user file changes and configuration changes during a session; and

instructions for prompting a user regarding whether changes made during a session to at least one user file are to be persisted or discarded; and

instructions for undoing the changes made during the session to the at least one user file when the user responds to the prompting by indicating that the changes made during the session to the at least one user file are not to be persisted.

14. The tangible machine-readable medium of claim 13, further comprising:

instructions for detecting a failed startup of the processing device; and

instructions for automatically attempting to restore the processing device to a stable state upon detecting the failed startup of the processing device.

15. The tangible machine-readable medium of claim 13, further comprising:

instructions for attempting to restore the processing device to a stable state in response to a user selecting a recovery button of the processing device.

16. The tangible machine-readable medium of claim 13, further comprising:

instructions for monitoring performance of the processing device and, when one or more conditions occur, taking action to improve the performance of the processing device.

17. The tangible machine-readable medium of claim 13, further comprising:

instructions for protecting the processing device from computer viruses and malware; and

instructions for providing a user with a capability to configure the processing device to always discard file system changes made by an application during a session.