Methods and apparatus for dynamically switching between polling and interrupt mode for a ring buffer of a network interface card
US7937499B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 9, 2004 |
| Grant date | May 3, 2011 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 7, 2030 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L49/9047
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Methods and apparatus for processing packets in a computer system including an operating system and a network interface card (NIC) are disclosed. The NIC having a plurality of ring buffers is configured to operate in either a polling mode or an interrupt mode for a particular ring buffer. When the NIC is in the polling mode for a ring buffer, the NIC is periodically polled to determine whether one or more packets have been received by the ring buffer. When the NIC is in the interrupt mode, the operating system is capable of receiving an interrupt indicating that the ring buffer of the NIC has received one or more packets. The operating system is capable of instructing the NIC to change its mode from the polling mode to the interrupt mode for a particular ring buffer, and from the interrupt mode to the polling mode for a particular ring buffer.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.