Patent ID: 7284099

Claim:
A method for managing low memory in a first computer device having a processor for executing an operating system and an application, and a memory available to the operating system and application, wherein the first computer device is an interface for exchanging electronic messages with mobile devices in a wireless network, including steps of: (a) reserving within a block of memory a first reserve buffer and a second reserve buffer for the application that are unavailable to the application until released; (b) releasing the first reserve buffer for use by the application upon determining that memory use by the application has reached a first threshold; (c) generating a first alert after determining that the memory use has reached the first threshold, and sending the first alert, once generated over a network from the first computer device to another computer device; (d) upon detecting the first alert, causing electronic messages to be rerouted away from the first computer device and to at least one further computer device that is connected to a common network as the first computer device; (e) determining if memory use by the application exceeds a second threshold after the first reserve buffer is released and if so releasing the second reserve buffer for use by the application and issuing a second alert; and (f) upon detecting the second alert, commencing an automated application shutdown routine including storing selected information from the block of memory to a persistent storage.