Abstract: An exemplary method controls the loading of a program in a computer system using a disk based operating system instead of allowing a built-in loading program resident in the operating system to handle the loading. The method separates the loading of the program into a series of modules that are loaded from a disk into random access memory where each module has a predefined target time interval within which the loading of the module is to be completed. The computer system is released to process other tasks following completion of the loading of one module and before the start of loading of a following module so that disruptions to the processing of the other tasks running on the computer system are minimized.

Abstract: An exemplary method controls the operation of a diskless client computer using a disk based operating system. The client computer is booted by fetching operating system modules through a network connection from a remote host computer. A ramdisk stores key operating system modules. The key operating system modules are locked in ramdisk to prevent swapping of the modules by the operating system. The loading of programs requiring real-time operation stored at the host computer are managed so that the programs are loaded as separate modules spaced-apart in time where the client computer is released between the loading of the separate modules to process other tasks.