Methods and apparatus for managing objects and processes in a distributed object operating environment

A computer implemented method of managing objects used in a process executing on a computer system that has an active object list that identifies the managed objects, each managed object having an associated designated object inactivity period and an associated deletion flag having a state that indicates that the associated managed object has been marked for deletion, the method comprising the computer implemented steps of:

• (a) for each managed object, checking to determine whether the managed object has not been accessed within a period that exceeds the associated designated object inactivity period;
• (b) designating for deactivation managed objects that are determined to have not been accessed within a period that exceeds their designated inactivity period by identifying the managed objects that are designated for deactivation on a deactivation pending list;
• (c) checking the status of the deletion flags associated with each of the objects in the deactivation pending list to determine whether their associated managed objects have been marked for deletion and freeing any persistent data associated with such managed objects;
• and
• (d) deactivating the managed objects that are identified in the deactivation pending list and are not marked for deletion;
• and
• (e) periodically repeating steps (a)-(d).

A computer implemented method of managing objects used in a process executing on a computer system that has an active object list that identifies the managed objects, each managed object having an associated timeout variable arranged to store a value indicative of a designated object inactivity period and an associated timer variable arranged to store a value indicative of a time at which an activity checking period associated with the managed object is initialized, the method comprising the computer implemented steps of:

• (a) determining whether the value stored in the timeout variable associated with a selected object is set to predetermined value, wherein when the value stored in the associated timeout variable is set to a predetermined value, the associated object will not be deactivated based on inactivity;
• (b) checking the timer variable associated with a selected object to determine whether the associated timer variable is in an uninitialized state, wherein when the associated timer variable is found to be in the uninitialized state, the associated timer variable is initialized;
• (c) determining whether the time that has elapsed since the timer variable associated with a selected object exceeds the designated object inactivity period associated with that selected object, wherein when the associated period for inactivity is exceeded, the associated object is designated for deactivation by identifying the selected object on a deactivation pending list;
• (d) repeating the necessary ones of steps (a)-(c) for each of the managed objects to determine whether any of the managed objects should be deactivated based on inactivity;
• and
• (e) deactivating the managed objects that are identified in the deactivation pending list;
• and
• (f) periodically repeating steps (d) and (e) while the process is active on the computer system.

An apparatus for managing objects used in a process executing on a computer system that has an active object list that identifies the managed objects, each managed object having an associated object inactivity period and an associated deletion flag having a state that indicates that the associated managed object has been marked for deletion, the method comprising:

• (a) for each managed object, means for checking to determine whether the managed object has not been accessed within a period of time that exceeds the associated object inactivity period that is associated with the managed object;
• (b) means for designating for deactivation managed objects that are determined to have not been accessed within a period of time that exceeds their associated object inactivity period by identifying the managed objects that are designated for deactivation on a deactivation pending list;
• (c) means for checking the status of the deletion flags associated with each of the objects in the deactivation pending list to determine whether their associated managed objects have been marked for deletion and freeing any persistent data associated with such managed objects;
• and
• (d) means for deactivating the managed objects that are identified in the deactivation pending list and are not marked for deletion;
• and
• (e) means for periodically repeating steps (a)-(d).

An apparatus for managing a process having a plurality of objects resident therein, the process executing on a computer system, each managed object occupying memory allocated to the process and having an associated designated object inactivity period, the method comprising:

• for each managed object, means for periodically checking to determine whether the managed object has not been accessed within a period of time that exceeds the object inactivity period that is associated with the managed object;
• means for deactivating managed objects that are determined to have not been accessed within a period of time that exceeds their associated inactivity period;
• means for deactivating the process when it is determined that the process has not been accessed within a period that exceeds a process inactivity period that is associated with the process;
• and
• in response to a request to deactivate the process,
• a) means for quiescing each managed object such whereby each managed object refuses to perform any further client requests, and
• b) means for deactivating the process when each managed object has been deactivated.