Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Microsoft Corporation

Stuart Sechrest

Mehmet Iyigun

Cenk Ergan

Michael Richard Fortin

Jason Carl Hendrickson

Qi Zhang

David George De Vorchik

Bret P Anderson

David Andrew Matthews

Robert P Fitzgerald

Matthew Rubin Lerner

Bruce Lee Worthington

Song Zou

Changjiu Xian

Yevgeniy Bak

Mark Yalovsky

Rolf Arnold Ebeling

Jeffrey Che Fuller

Yau Ning Chin

Peter Seraphim Ponomarev

Shawn M Woods

Christina L Rhodes

Prashant Ratanchandani

Ryan M Hurst

Ishfaq Mohammad Ismail

Mahlon David Fields, Jr

Hemchand Alla

Jonathan M Au

John Corey Morgan

A method and an apparatus for characterizing performance of a device based on user-perceivable latency. To characterize device performance, a value of a metric may be computed from latencies of operations performed by the device. In computing a value of a metric, latencies may be treated differently, such that some latencies perceivable by a user of the device may have a greater impact on the value of the metric than other latencies that either are not perceivable or are perceived by the user to a lesser degree. Such a performance metric based on user-perceivable latency facilitates identification of computing device that provide a desirable user experience.

Characterizing device performance based on user-perceivable latency

Various embodiments provide for use of multiple different search engines. The individual search engines are configured to conduct searches in different ways across a search space that includes different types of data sets. In at least some embodiments, the type of search engine that is utilized is selected to due characteristics of the data set(s) that is (are) to be searched. In search spaces that include different types of data sets, combining and mixing different search engines to collectively search the search space can provide a desirably fast and robust user experience.

Search tool using multiple different search engine types across different data sets

Various embodiments provide a search tool that utilizes multiple different search engines. The individual search engines are configured to conduct searches in different ways across a search space that includes different types of data sets. In at least some embodiments, the type of search engine that is utilized is a function of characteristics of the data set(s) that is (are) to be searched. In search spaces that include different types of data sets, combining and mixing different search engines to collectively search the search space can provide a desirably fast and robust user experience.

Two different process management views can be displayed, and a user can request to switch between the two views. The user can select a process in either view and have the selected process terminated. One view is a simplified view that identifies processes and whether they are non-responsive. The other view is an expanded view that identifies processes and the amount of various system resources used by each of those processes. Various additional information can be displayed in the expanded view, such as identifiers of various windows, tabs, and/or services associated with each of the processes.

Process management views

A proactive, resilient and self-tuning memory management system and method that result in actual and perceived performance improvements in memory management, by loading and maintaining data that is likely to be needed into memory, before the data is actually needed. The system includes mechanisms directed towards historical memory usage monitoring, memory usage analysis, refreshing memory with highly-valued (e.g., highly utilized) pages, I/O pre-fetching efficiency, and aggressive disk management. Based on the memory usage information, pages are prioritized with relative values, and mechanisms work to pre-fetch and/or maintain the more valuable pages in memory. Pages are pre-fetched and maintained in a prioritized standby page set that includes a number of subsets, by which more valuable pages remain in memory over less valuable pages. Valuable data that is paged out may be automatically brought back, in a resilient manner. Benefits include significantly reducing or even eliminating disk I/O due to memory page faults.

Methods and mechanisms for proactive memory management

A computer system, method and computer readable medium for memory management with intelligent trimming of pages of working sets are disclosed. The computer system has memory space allocatable in chunks, known as pages, to specific application programs or processes. The pages allocated to a specific application program or process define a working set of pages for the program or process. Occasionally, a system runs short of free memory space and needs to reduce the size of working sets using a process called trimming. A trimming method is disclosed that estimates numbers of trimmable pages for working sets based upon a measure of how much time has elapsed since the memory pages were last accessed by the corresponding application program. This estimation is performed prior to the need to trim working sets, and the trimming method uses these estimates to facilitate faster and more accurate trimming and thus faster recovery from shortages of free memory.

System, method, and software for memory management with intelligent trimming of pages of working sets

Growing community of inventors

Redmond, WA, United States of America

Stuart Sechrest