Timeout (computing)

<h2 id="challenges">Challenges</h2>
<p>Balancing timeout values in distributed systems and microservices can be tricky: short timeout values can fail healthy requests prematurely, leading to complex workarounds, while long timeout values can result in slow error responses and poor user experiences. The <a href="/facts/Circuit_breaker_design_pattern/wYdV149f">circuit breaker design pattern</a> can be a better alternative, as it can monitor service health, detect failures dynamically and faster, and improve the user experience.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:1" href="#fn:1"><sup>1</sup></a>
</p>
<h2 id="examples">Examples</h2>

<p>Specific examples include:
</p>
<ul><li>In the <a href="/facts/Microsoft_Windows/bwhAhuSL">Microsoft Windows</a> and <a href="/facts/ReactOS/BFmfC6BB">ReactOS</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2"><sup>2</sup></a> <a href="/facts/Command-line_interface/R9JpGmXQ">command-line interfaces</a>, the timeout <a href="/facts/Command_(computing)/zUrvQbFy">command</a> pauses the command processor for the specified number of seconds.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3"><sup>3</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a></li>
<li>In <a href="/facts/Post_Office_Protocol/QCp6qJQm">POP</a> connections, the server will usually close a client connection after a certain period of inactivity (the timeout period).  This ensures that connections do not persist forever, if the client crashes or the network goes down.  Open connections consume resources, and may prevent other clients from accessing the same mailbox.</li>
<li>In <a href="/facts/HTTP_persistent_connections/yqflxYwj">HTTP persistent connections</a>, the web server saves opened connections (which consume <a href="/facts/CPU_time/BhzkBzFl">CPU time</a> and <a href="/facts/Computer_memory/hQKVQ51J">memory</a>). The web client does not have to send an "end of requests series" signal.  Connections are closed (timed out) after five minutes of inactivity; this ensures that the connections do not persist indefinitely.</li>
<li>In a timed light switch, both <a href="/facts/Energy/wd8PrQM7">energy</a> and lamp's <a href="/facts/Life-span/uPc8bWWW">life-span</a> are saved. The user does not have to switch off manually.</li>
<li><a href="/facts/Tablet_computer/6pGX2I7b">Tablet computers</a> and <a href="/facts/Smartphone/cSIrBMWG">smartphones</a> commonly turn off their <a href="/facts/Backlight/sDbctXaA">backlight</a> after a certain time without user input.</li></ul>
<h2 id="see-also">See also</h2>

Wikibooks has a book on the topic of: <i>Guide to Windows Commands</i>

<ul><li><a href="/facts/Fibre_Channel_time_out_values/opmqyQex">Fibre Channel time out values</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Human-Machine_Interaction/EkmIxGCx">Human-Machine Interaction</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Permanent_signal/sL1eXhwh">Permanent signal</a></li></ul>

<ul><li> This article incorporates <a href="/facts/Copyright_status_of_works_by_the_federal_government_of_the_United_States/Q1jvr96g">public domain material</a> from <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20220122224547/https://www.its.bldrdoc.gov/fs-1037/fs-1037c.htm"><i>Federal Standard 1037C</i></a>. <a href="/facts/General_Services_Administration/Np3opv9x">General Services Administration</a>. Archived from <a href="https://www.its.bldrdoc.gov/fs-1037/fs-1037c.htm">the original</a> on 2022-01-22. (in support of <a href="/facts/MIL-STD-188/D5rsvdsW">MIL-STD-188</a>).</li></ul>

<h2 id="further-reading">Further reading</h2>
<ul><li>John Paul Mueller (2007). <i>Windows Administration at the Command Line for Windows Vista, Windows 2003, Windows XP, and Windows 2000</i>. <a href="/facts/Wiley_(publisher)/53g3LqJc">John Wiley & Sons</a>. <a href="/facts/ISBN_(identifier)/15AdSPa9">ISBN</a> 978-0470165799.</li></ul>

<h2 id="references">References</h2>

<ol>
<li id="fn:1"><p>Richards, Mark. Microservices AntiPatterns and Pitfalls. O'Reilly. <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:2"><p>"timeout.c". July 13, 2019 – via GitHub. <a href="https://github.com/reactos/reactos/blob/master/base/applications/cmdutils/timeout/timeout.c" target="_blank">https://github.com/reactos/reactos/blob/master/base/applications/cmdutils/timeout/timeout.c</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:3"><p>"timeout". docs.microsoft.com. 3 February 2023. <a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/timeout_1" target="_blank">https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/timeout_1</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:4"><p>"TIMEOUT.exe (Windows 7/2008 or later)". ss64.com. <a href="https://ss64.com/nt/timeout.html" target="_blank">https://ss64.com/nt/timeout.html</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
</ol>

Timeout (computing) open-in-new

Timeout (computing)