Patent ID: 8099637

Claim:
A software fault-detection method comprising: a software process of a computer-executable program of instructions tracking its own progress on a task; a watchdog timer, associated with said process, that is independent of a time projected for said process to complete said task and which is set to time an interval less than said time projected for said process to complete said task; and a watchdog handler; wherein, in the event said watchdog timer associated with said process times out, in response to the watchdog timer timing out, having said watchdog handler check said progress and make a determination based at least in part on said progress whether a fault criterion is met; and said watchdog handler executing a fault response in the event said fault criterion is met, and allowing said process to continue without a fault response if said fault criterion is not met, said fault response involving at least one of a reboot and a fail-over; wherein said process occasionally resets said watchdog timer, but does not reset said watchdog timer if it is less costly to allow said watchdog handler to trigger and check the process' progress.