Patent ID: 8370840

Claim:
A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a digital processing apparatus of a computer system to perform operations for controlling computer system activities, the operations comprising: receiving a command entered with an input device of the computer system to begin opportunistic computer system maintenance activities where the command specifies a time period available for opportunistic computer system maintenance activities; and initiating at least one computer system activity during the time period available for opportunistic computer system maintenance activities, where opportunistic computer system maintenance activities are initiated only if at least one pre-determined criterion is satisfied, where the opportunistic computer maintenance system activities comprise the at least one computer system activity that comprises at least one computer system maintenance task, the operations further comprising: prior to initiating the at least one computer system activity, determining if the at least one pre-determined criterion is satisfied; and where the predetermined criterion concerns whether the time period identified as available for computer system maintenance activities is of sufficient duration to perform the at least one computer system maintenance activity, wherein the time period is identified by a user on the fly; where determining if the at least one pre-determined criterion is satisfied comprises: calculating an estimate of the amount of time necessary to perform the at least one computer system maintenance task to completion; and comparing the estimate to the time period identified as available for computer system maintenance activities, whereby the at least one computer system maintenance task is initiated only if there is sufficient time to perform the at least one computer system maintenance task to completion based on the comparison of the estimate and the time period identified as available for computer system maintenance activities.