Interrupt Moderation for Virtualization Buffer Overflow
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Solution Overview
Problem
In virtualization environments, existing interrupt moderation techniques are inadequate, leading to processor resource overconsumption and potential receive buffer overflow due to high interrupt frequencies, especially when guests associated with packet flows are inactive.
Innovation Solution
The introduction of an overflow interrupt interval, in addition to the latency interrupt interval, to trigger activation of inactive guests and manage interrupts, preventing buffer overflow by ensuring that guests can respond to critical events and process packets efficiently.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If interrupt moderation is implemented using only latency interrupt interval, then interrupt frequency is reduced and processor resource consumption is lowered, but receive buffer overflow occurs when guests are inactive
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically switches between two interrupt intervals (latency interrupt interval and overflow interrupt interval) based on the operational state of the guest. When the guest is active, the latency interrupt interval is used for normal interrupt moderation. When the guest becomes inactive, the system transitions to the overflow interrupt interval to prevent buffer overflow, and then switches back to the latency interrupt interval when the guest becomes active again. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction by allowing the system to optimize for processor resource consumption during active periods while ensuring buffer overflow prevention during inactive periods.
2Reliability
If interrupt frequency is increased to ensure guests can respond to critical events, then buffer overflow is prevented, but processor resource consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The interrupt moderation mechanism is segmented into two distinct modes: latency-based moderation for active guests and overflow-based moderation for inactive guests. The system divides the interrupt handling approach based on guest state, using the latency interrupt interval (longer period, lower resource consumption) when guests are active and the overflow interrupt interval (shorter period, higher resource consumption but necessary for safety) when guests are inactive. This segmentation allows the system to apply the appropriate interrupt frequency for each scenario, preventing unnecessary processor resource consumption while ensuring buffer overflow prevention is maintained.
Data Source
AI summary
Generally, this disclosure describes systems (and methods) of moderating interrupts in a virtualization environment. An overflow interval is defined. The overflow interrupt interval is used to trigger activation of an inactive guest so that the guest may respond to a critical event. The guest, including a network application, may be active for a first time interval and inactive for a second time interval. A latency interrupt interval may be defined. The latency interrupt interval is configured for interrupt moderation when the network application associated with a packet flow is active, i.e., when the guest including the network application is active on a processor. Of course, many alternatives, variations, and modifications are possible without departing from this embodiment.