Maximum NIC interrupts

[Jack Vogel]

On Dec 26, 2007 8:10 AM, Nash Nipples <trashy_bumper at yahoo.com> wrote:
> Dear Jordi,
>
> In theory, on a Gigabit link you get 1 000 000 000 bits * second.
> By default you have the MTU set to 1500 bytes which makes ~12 000 bits.
> 1 000 000 000 / 12 000 = ~ 83 333 packets per second.
> 83 333 packets per second makes 0.083333 packets per microsecond.
> 1 / 0.08333 = 12.0 microseconds per packet. Thus one can interrupt CPU
> at a rate of ~83 333 times per second. If you use lower packets sizes you
> might get even more funny numbers.
>
> 8000 is a quiet low number. The driver was developed by guys
> at Intel. I don't see a reason to worry.
>
> By the way they have products with Interrupt Moderation.
> http://www.intel.com/design/network/applnots/ap450.htm

Yes, one of the items in my queue is AIM, adaptive interrupt moderation, the
Linux driver has this, my coworker Jesse Brandeburg developed that code, and
I hope to do something similar for the em driver.

Anyway, I'm still on vacation and don't want to distract myself from music,
but look for AIM sometime this new year :)

Jack