A method for transitioning a computing environment into a connected standby state based upon power management classifications assigned to processes, comprising: assigning user-defined power management classifications comprising a suspend classification, a throttling classification and an exempt classification to processes based upon determining whether the processes provide functionality associated with a user defined policy; detecting an enter connected standby request associated with a computing environment; and transitioning the computing environment into a connected standby state, comprising: for respective suspendable processes assigned the suspend classification, placing a suspendable process into a non-executing suspended state; for respective throttleable processes assigned the throttling classification, assigning a throttling schedule to a throttleable process; and for respective exempt processes assigned the exempt classification, allowing an exempt process to continue executing in an execution state; while in the connected standby state, applying the throttling schedule to the throttleable process; the applying the throttling schedule comprising: cycling the throtteable process between the execution state and the non-executing suspended state based upon the throttling schedule; the throttling schedule specifying an execution time period associated with the execution state and a suspended time period associated with the non- executing suspended state; determining that a first suspendable process is associated with a second suspendable process based upon determining that the first suspendeable process waits for a resource locked by the second suspendable process or consumes a resource from the second suspendable process; and placing the first suspendable process into the non-executing suspended state when placing the second suspendable process into the non-executing suspended state. assigning user-defined power management classifications comprising a suspend classification, a throttling classification and an exempt classification to processes based upon determining whether the processes provide functionality associated with a user defined policy; detecting an enter connected standby request associated with a computing environment; and transitioning the computing environment into a connected standby state, comprising: for respective suspendable processes assigned the suspend classification, placing a suspendable process into a non-executing suspended state; for respective throttleable processes assigned the throttling classification, assigning a throttling schedule to a throttleable process; and for respective exempt processes assigned the exempt classification, allowing an exempt process to continue executing in an execution state; for respective suspendable processes assigned the suspend classification, placing a suspendable process into a non-executing suspended state; for respective throttleable processes assigned the throttling classification, assigning a throttling schedule to a throttleable process; and for respective exempt processes assigned the exempt classification, allowing an exempt process to continue executing in an execution state; while in the connected standby state, applying the throttling schedule to the throttleable process; the applying the throttling schedule comprising: cycling the throtteable process between the execution state and the non-executing suspended state based upon the throttling schedule; the throttling schedule specifying an execution time period associated with the execution state and a suspended time period associated with the non- executing suspended state; cycling the throtteable process between the execution state and the non-executing suspended state based upon the throttling schedule; the throttling schedule specifying an execution time period associated with the execution state and a suspended time period associated with the non- executing suspended state; determining that a first suspendable process is associated with a second suspendable process based upon determining that the first suspendeable process waits for a resource locked by the second suspendable process or consumes a resource from the second suspendable process; and placing the first suspendable process into the non-executing suspended state when placing the second suspendable process into the non-executing suspended state.