Time to completion determination in a multitasking workstation

Abstract

A method and system for estimating the time to completion of a task being executed on a multitasking workstation potentially subject to the commencement or termination of one or more other tasks. Value arises where the task subject to estimation requires upon its completion the intervention of the workstation user, such as by the physical act of switching diskettes. When the task to be completed is relatively time consuming, such as occurs with the transfer of compressed data from a diskette to a hard disk, the calculation of a complex spreadsheet, the compilation of a lengthy program, or the generation of elaborate graphics, the user of the workstation is particularly interested in knowing about when the task will be completed. With the advent of multitasking workstations and operating systems, a singular static estimation is substantially meaningless. The estimate determination must recognize and compensate for the fact that the central processing unit is a resource which is shared by multiple tasks. As tasks commence or terminate, the estimated time to completion varies for the task having the user's immediate interest. The method and system use task size, task execution rate and elapsed time to dynamically estimate the time to completion. The user is notified accordingly.