Patent ID: 8479206

Claim:
A method for scheduling execution of a work unit in a data processing system, the method comprising: assigning to the work unit an expected execution duration; executing the work unit; determining an actual execution duration of the work unit; determining a difference between the actual execution duration and the expected execution duration; conditionally adjusting the expected execution duration associated with the work unit based on the measured actual execution duration, wherein said conditionally adjusting includes preventing the adjustment of the expected execution duration in case said difference exceeds a predetermined threshold; associating to the work unit a parameter having a prescribed value adapted to provide an indication of unconditional adjustment of the expected execution duration; and said conditionally adjusting including, when said parameter takes the prescribed value, adjusting the expected execution duration assigned to the work unit based on the measured actual execution duration even if said difference exceeds the predetermined threshold, said adjusting including smoothing the difference between the actual execution duration and the expected duration, said smoothing depending on a smoothing factor, wherein said conditionally adjusting includes unconditionally preventing the adjustment of the expected execution duration in case said smoothing factor takes a prescribed value.