Managing network interface controller-generated interrupts
Systems and methods for managing interrupts generated by network interface controllers. An example method may comprise: responsive to determining that a memory pressure metric in a computer system does not exceed a threshold value, disabling interrupts that signal completion of a packet transmission by a network interface controller; transmitting a plurality of data packets by the network interface controller; and responsive to detecting that the memory pressure metric exceeds the threshold value, releasing a memory buffer allocated to a data packet of the plurality of data packets.
1. A method, comprising:
responsive to determining, by a processor, that a memory pressure metric does not exceed a threshold value, writing a first pre-defined value into an interrupt controller, wherein the memory pressure metric comprises a period of time during which an application being executed by a computer system has been blocked by a memory allocation operation;
responsive to determining that at least a defined number of data packets have been transmitted by a network interface controller and that the memory pressure metric exceeds the threshold value, releasing memory buffers allocated to the data packets; and
responsive to determining that the memory pressure metric exceeds the threshold value after releasing the memory buffers, writing a second pre-defined value into the interrupt controller.
2. A computer system comprising:
a memory; and
a processor, operatively coupled to the memory, to:
responsive to determining that a memory pressure metric does not exceed a threshold value, write a first pre-defined value into an interrupt controller, wherein the memory pressure metric comprises a period of time during which an application being executed by the computer system has been blocked by a memory allocation operation;
responsive to determining that at least a defined number of data packets have been transmitted by a network interface controller and that the memory pressure metric exceeds the threshold value, release memory buffers allocated to the data packets; and
responsive to determining that the memory pressure metric exceeds the threshold value after releasing the memory buffers, write a second pre-defined value into the interrupt controller.
3. The system of claim 2 , wherein writing the first pre-defined value into the interrupt controller disables interrupts generated by the network interface controller.
4. A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:
responsive to determining that a memory pressure metric does not exceed a threshold value, write a first pre-defined value into an interrupt controller, wherein the memory pressure metric comprises a period of time during which an application being executed by a computer system has been blocked by a memory allocation operation;
responsive to determining that at least a defined number of data packets have been transmitted by a network interface controller and that the memory pressure metric exceeds the threshold value, release memory buffers allocated to the data packets; and
responsive to determining that the memory pressure metric exceeds the threshold value after releasing the memory buffers, write a second pre-defined value into the interrupt controller.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein writing the first pre-defined value into the interrupt controller disables interrupts generated by the network interface controller.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein writing the second pre-defined value into the interrupt controller enables interrupts generated by the network interface controller.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the memory pressure metric further comprises a total size of the memory buffers.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the memory pressure metric further comprises a difference between a pre-defined value and an amount of available physical memory.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the memory pressure metric further comprises a number of memory page faults within a unit of time.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the memory pressure metric exceeds the threshold value is performed responsive to a timer event.
11. The system of claim 2 , wherein writing the second pre-defined value into the interrupt controller enables interrupts generated by the network interface controller.
12. The system of claim 2 , wherein the memory pressure metric further comprises a total size of the memory buffers.
13. The system of claim 2 , wherein the memory pressure metric further comprises a difference between a pre-defined value and an amount of available physical memory.
14. The system of claim 2 , wherein the memory pressure metric further comprises a number of memory page faults within a unit of time.
15. The system of claim 2 , wherein determining that the memory pressure metric exceeds the threshold value is performed responsive to a timer event.
16. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium of claim 4 , wherein writing the first pre-defined value into the interrupt controller disables interrupts generated by the network interface controller.
17. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium of claim 4 , wherein writing the second pre-defined value into the interrupt controller enables interrupts generated by the network interface controller.