Patent ID: 8959521
Filing Date: 2015-02-17
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
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.