This monograph presents state-of-the-art techniques for building flexible, predictable soft real-time systems, that, in comparison to hard real-time systems, optimize resources and reduce costs. It provides background and basic terminology of soft real-time computing, and goes on to discuss overload management techniques, temporal protection, the execution of multi-thread applications, synchronization protocols, reclaiming techniques and quality of service issues. Accompanied by numerous illustrations and comprehensive references, this text is an invaluable reference for researchers, students and system developers alike.