Method, system, and apparatus for providing custom product support for a software program based upon states of program execution instability

A system for providing custom product support for a software program based on threshold levels of program execution instability, the system comprising:

• a client computer operative to:
• receive a remote control file from a server computer containing data identifying at least one threshold level of program execution instability for at least one version of the software program and at least one expiration date associated with the at least one threshold level of program execution instability,
• monitor execution of a software program over a period of time to determine execution stability of the software program by:
• generating a session entry in a log stored at the client computer each time the software program is executed, the session entry comprising data identifying the software program and a length of time the software program was executed,
• periodically analyzing the log at the client computer to generate at least one statistic that describes the execution stability of the software program according to the session entry, and
• indicating whether the execution of the software program was terminated one of:
• normally and abnormally, wherein an abnormal termination comprises at least one of:
• a program crash, a program hang, and an abnormal program termination,
• determine whether the at least one expiration date associated with the at least one threshold level of program execution instability has not passed,
• in response to determining whether the at least one expiration date associated with the at least one threshold level of program execution instability has not passed, categorize the execution stability of the software program based on the at least one threshold level of program execution instability contained in the remote control file by comparing the at least one statistic to a corresponding threshold to categorize the execution stability of the software program into one of a plurality of states of program execution instability,
• identify a previously established diagnostic state of the software program, and
• provide the custom product support for the software program based upon the categorization and the previously established diagnostic state of the software program.

A computer-readable storage medium having computer executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

• receive a remote control file, the remote control file comprising at least one threshold level of program execution instability and at least one expiration date associated with the at least one threshold level of program execution instability;
• monitor execution of a software program over a period of time to determine execution stability of the software program by:
• generating a session entry in a log each time the software program is executed, the session entry comprising data identifying the software program and a length of time the software program was executed,
• periodically analyzing the log to generate at least one statistic that describes the execution stability of the software program according to the session entry, and
• indicating whether the execution of the software program was terminated one of:
• normally and abnormally, wherein an abnormal termination comprises at least one of:
• a program crash, a program hang, and an abnormal program termination;
• determine whether the at least one expiration date associated with the at least one threshold level of program execution instability has not passed;
• in response to determining whether the at least one expiration date associated with the at least one threshold level of program execution instability has not passed, categorize the execution stability of the software program based on the at least one threshold level of program execution instability by comparing the at least one statistic to a corresponding threshold to categorize the execution stability of the software program into one of a plurality of states of program execution instability;
• identify a previously established diagnostic state of the software program;
• and
• provide custom product support for the software program based upon the categorization and the previously established diagnostic state of the software program.