Interrupt Cache Coalescing Engine for Scalable Interrupt Handling

The patent implements a universal interrupt coalescing engine that can handle multiple interrupt types through a single hardware structure. Instead of dedicated hardware per interrupt type, the system uses a unified coalescing engine with a cache to store interrupt descriptors, allowing one hardware component to serve multiple interrupt sources and types, thereby reducing overall hardware complexity while maintaining reliable interrupt handling.

The patent creates a software-based interrupt descriptor cache that copies interrupt information into a manageable structure. This cache stores interrupt descriptors with fields for coalescing count, delay time, and interrupt vector, allowing the system to replicate and manage interrupt handling logic in software rather than requiring complex dedicated hardware for each interrupt type.

The patent introduces dynamic characteristics to interrupt handling through configurable delay times and coalescing counts. The system can adaptively adjust how interrupts are processed based on their type and frequency, allowing flexible scaling from hundreds to millions of interrupts. The cache management algorithm dynamically decides when to coalesce interrupts and when to process them individually, enabling scalability without sacrificing processing speed for active interrupt types.

The patent changes key parameters of interrupt handling including coalescing count thresholds and delay times. By adjusting these parameters, the system can optimize performance for different interrupt workloads and scale to support millions of interrupt types. The cache stores configurable parameters that allow dynamic adaptation to varying system requirements without hardware changes.