Abstract: In a multiprocessing system, a method of efficiently maintaining a program process active while also ensuring that the process is deactivated when no longer needed. One or more subordinate processes are linked to a controlling process. Each subordinate process has an associated overall timer. As long as the controlling process keeps sending periodic keep-alive messages to a subordinate process, the associated overall timer is prevented from timing out. When the controlling process stops sending keep-alive messages, the associated overall timer times out and the subordinate process is deactivated.