Patent ID: 8291428

Claim:
A method for executing non real-time services on a computer system providing real-time control of equipment via control variables representing inputs and outputs to and from the equipment, the computer system having different processing resources and a plurality of predefined operating states logically related to the real-time control of the equipment, the method comprising the steps executed on the computer system of: (a) characterizing the operating state of the computer system as one of the predefined operating states during real-time control based on the control variables; (b) providing a resource model providing predefined processing reserves of at least one processing resource as a function of operating state, said operating state serving as a proxy for processing reserves; (c) providing a burden model of asynchronous non real-time services indicating an incremental burden to at least one processing resource for each asynchronous service; and (d) during operation of the computer system, upon each request for execution of an asynchronous service, evaluating a sum of incremental burdens of currently operating asynchronous services against the processing reserve of at least one processing resource for a particular operating state to determine whether or how to execute the service.