Patent ID: 8856793

Claim:
A method for scheduling a program for periodic execution, said program requiring a computer hardware resource for execution, said method comprising the steps of: a computer determining and recording historic utilization or availability of said computer hardware resource at a multiplicity of times a day; and the computer subsequently receiving a request to schedule a program for execution on said day at a specified time and (a) daily thereafter at said specified time or (b) weekly thereafter on said day of the week at said specified time, or (c) monthly thereafter on said day of the month at said specified time, and in response, the request receiving computer checking the record of the historic utilization or availability of said computer hardware resource for said day at approximately said specified time to determine if there has been sufficient historical availability of said resource on said day at approximately said specified time to execute said program, and if so, scheduling said program for execution on said day at said specified time and (i) daily thereafter at said specified time, or (ii) weekly thereafter on said day of the week at said specified time, or (iii) monthly thereafter on said day of the month at said specified time, as requested, and if not, the request receiving computer not scheduling said program for execution on said day at said specified time or (i) daily thereafter at said specified time, or (ii) weekly thereafter on said day of the week at said specified time, or (iii) monthly thereafter on said day of the month at said specified time, as requested, wherein there was not sufficient historical availability of said computer hardware resource on said day at approximately said specified time, and in response, the request receiving computer automatically determining another time on said day within an hour of said specified time at which there was sufficient historical availability of said resource in the past to execute said program and displaying on a computer monitor a notification that said other time on said day is available to execute said program.