Android Application Process Startup via Parallel Thread Execution
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing application start method on mobile devices results in a long cold start time due to serial execution of main thread initialization and class loading, leading to inadequate user experience.
Innovation Solution
The method involves a SystemServer process sending a creation request to a daemon process to create an application process with multiple threads, where one thread initializes the main thread and another thread creates and loads class loaders in parallel, allowing the application to start more efficiently.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If the main thread initialization and class loading are executed in serial manner, then the system structure is simple and easy to implement, but the application start time is long
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the application startup process into two independent segments: main thread initialization and class loading. By creating separate threads for each task, the system can execute these segments in parallel rather than sequentially, thereby reducing the total startup time while maintaining manageable complexity through clear task separation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a one-dimensional sequential execution model to a two-dimensional parallel execution model by introducing thread concurrency. This dimensional change allows both initialization and class loading to proceed simultaneously, effectively utilizing system resources and reducing overall execution time
2Reliability
If a new process is created during cold start, then the application can run independently, but the start time is relatively long due to process creation overhead
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary actions within the newly created process by immediately spawning initialization and class loading threads right after process creation. This ensures that the process is fully independent and self-sufficient while minimizing the time spent on startup operations, as the critical initialization tasks begin immediately without external coordination overhead
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are an application start method and an electronic device. The method includes: obtaining, by a SystemServer process in an electronic device, a start message of a first application; sending, by the SystemServer process, a creation request for an application process to a daemon process in response to the start message, where the creation request includes application information of the first application; creating, by the daemon process, the application process for the first application in response to the creation request, where the application process includes a first thread and a second thread; executing, by the application process, the first thread and the second thread in parallel, where the first thread executes initialization of a main thread of the first application, and the second thread creates a first class loader according to the application information to load a class file of the first application.