Object framework and services for periodically recurring operations

One or more computer-readable media comprising computer-executable instructions implementing an object-oriented framework for scheduling an operation to be performed by an agent object on a periodically recurring basis, the object-oriented framework comprising:

• a scheduler object;
• and
• a scheduler object integration interface supported on the scheduler object for use by a client application program to set programmatically a schedule item associated with the agent object, the schedule item indicating the periodically recurring basis on which to cause the agent object to perform the operation, whereby the client application program programmatically controls performance of the operation on the scheduled basis;
• the scheduler object operating responsive to the client application program programmatically setting the schedule item with the scheduler object integration interface to cause the agent object to be persistently stored in a computer, and to cause the agent object to be restored and initiate the operation by the agent object on the periodically recurring basis.

One or more computer-readable media comprising computer-executable instructions implementing an object oriented framework for programmatically maintaining an updated, locally stored copy of remote data for off-line use, the object-oriented framework comprising:

• an update operation object providing an interface callable from a client application to set properties relating to an update operation for maintaining a local copy of the remote data, whereby the client application programmatically configures properties relating to the update operation;
• a scheduler object providing an interface callable from the client application to set times on a periodic basis at which to perform the update operation of the update operation object, whereby the client application programmatically controls the performance of the operation on the scheduled basis;
• and
• a downloader object residing locally and operating responsive to the update operation object and the scheduler object to check the remote data for changes at the times and download the remote data so as to update the local copy when the remote data is determined to have changed, whereby the client application programmatically maintains an updated local copy of the remote data.

One or more computer-readable media comprising computer-executable instructions for performing a method to download data to a computer unattended from a remote server on a network, the method comprising:

• specifying the data to download from the remote server prior to a user's on-line session, wherein the data comprises a plurality of items;
• during the user's on-line session wherein the computer is connected to the network for the user to interactively download other data from the network,
• detecting a time when the connection to the network is otherwise idle by checking for activity on the connection, wherein the detecting is based on a duration of time that the connection has been idle, and wherein the duration of time for detecting that the connection is idle varies for each of the plurality of items in relation to a size of the item;
• downloading the specified data from the remote server at the detected idle time;
• and
• locally storing the data at the computer whereby the data is available at the computer for off-line use after the connection is terminated.