Lightweight application-level runtime state save-and-restore utility

An application-level-runtime-state save-and-restore utility comprising:

• a snapshot component, implemented as computer instructions stored on a tangible, physical computer-readable medium, that determines, encodes, and stores a snapshot of the current application-level runtime state of a computer system in a computer-readable medium;
• and
• a restore component, implemented as computer instructions stored on a tangible, physical computer-readable medium, that restores the application-level runtime state of a computer system from a stored snapshot by
• accessing a stored snapshot data structure according to information supplied through a restore-snapshot interface,
• for each application data structure linked to the snapshot data structure,
• using information in the application data structure to launch a corresponding application program, and
• for each open-resource data structure linked to the application data structure,
• using information in the open-resource data structure to open a resource and associate the opened resource with the launched application program.

An application-level-runtime-state save-and-restore component within a computer system having one or more processors, one or more electronic memories, and one or more mass-storage devices, the application-level-runtime-state save-and-restore component comprising:

• a snapshot subcomponent, implemented as computer instructions stored on one or more of the one or more mass-storage devices, on one or more electronic memories of the one or more electronic memories, or on both one or more of the one or more mass-storage devices and one or more electronic memories of the one or more electronic memories, that determines, encodes, and stores a snapshot of the current application-level runtime state of a computer system in a computer-readable medium by
• storing snapshot-related information in a snapshot data structure,
• for each currently executing application program, storing information related to a current application-level runtime state in an application data structure, and
• linking the one or more application data structures created for the currently executing application programs to the snapshot data structure, and
• a restore subcomponent, implemented as computer instructions stored on one or more of the one or more mass-storage devices, on one or more electronic memories of the one or more electronic memories, or on both one or more of the one or more mass-storage devices and one or more electronic memories of the one or more electronic memories, that restores the application-level runtime state of a computer system from a stored snapshot.