Delayed unloading of a dynamically loadable file

摘要

A dynamically loadable file, such as a dynamically loadable device driver or library, is delayed from being unloaded from memory for improved memory management and processing operations including reduced unload/load cycles. Prior to terminating execution of select functions, a dynamically loadable driver spawns a delay process that loads the driver and keeps it loaded for a period of time beyond that which it would normally be loaded. Thus, even after a calling process unloads the driver, it remains loaded for a period of time longer because of the spawned delay process and allows the operating system or an application/process to use the driver again within the delay time without requiring the driver to be re-copied into memory or reinitialized. The delay process safely increments the operating system reference count for the driver to keep the driver loaded and then monitors a delay time to subsequently unload the driver.