Patent · US Expired

Methods and apparatus for reducing receive interrupts via paced ingress indication

US6993613B2 · kind B2 · utility

8Cited by
4References
34Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 17, 2001
Grant dateJan 31, 2006
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 25, 2023

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S370/912
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture for efficiently handling incoming network traffic by preventing protocol stack overruns and minimizing packet latency are disclosed herein. Embodiments of the present invention monitor the level of a protocol stack's packet queue, and, in response to an increase in the level of the packet queue above an initial threshold value, disable the generation of receive interrupts from the communications interface, disable automatic packet indication of packets by the device driver to the protocol stack, and identify and indicate new incoming packets to the protocol stack at a rate equal to or less than the rate at which packets are being processed by the protocol stack. In addition, in response to a decrease in the level of the packet queue below an exit threshold value, the generation of receive interrupts and the automatic indication of packets to the protocol stack may be re-enabled.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.