Optimizing network driver performance and power consumption in multi-core processor-based systems

A multi-core processor-based system for optimizing network driver performance and power consumption, comprising:

• a plurality of processor cores comprising one or more power-optimized processor cores and one or more performance-optimized processor cores;
• a means for calculating a current throughput level of a network device;
• a means for determining whether a throughput mode of a network driver should be modified to a high-throughput mode;
• a means for assigning each interrupt of a plurality of interrupts to which a network stream is assigned to a performance-optimized processor core of the one or more performance-optimized processor cores, responsive to determining that the throughput mode of the network driver should be modified to the high-throughput mode;
• and
• a means for disabling system reassignment of the plurality of interrupts among the plurality of processor cores, responsive to determining that the throughput mode of the network driver should be modified to the high-throughput mode, wherein the means for disabling system reassignment disables the system reassignment of the plurality of interrupts among the plurality of processor cores by disabling an interrupt balancer.

A method for optimizing network driver performance and power consumption, comprising:

• calculating, by a network driver, a current throughput level of a network device of a multi-core processor-based system comprising a plurality of processor cores comprising one or more power-optimized processor cores and one or more performance-optimized processor cores;
• determining, by the network driver based on the current throughput level, whether a throughput mode of the network driver should be modified to a high-throughput mode;
• and
• responsive to determining that the throughput mode of the network driver should be modified to the high-throughput mode:
• assigning, by the network driver, each interrupt of a plurality of interrupts to which a network stream is assigned to a performance-optimized processor core of the one or more performance-optimized processor cores;
• and
• disabling, by the network driver, system reassignment of the plurality of interrupts among the plurality of processor cores, wherein disabling the system reassignment of the plurality of interrupts among the plurality of processor cores comprises disabling an interrupt balancer.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions which, when executed, cause a processor to:

• calculate a current throughput level of a network device of a multi-core processor-based system comprising a plurality of processor cores comprising one or more power-optimized processor cores and one or more performance-optimized processor cores;
• determine, based on the current throughput level, whether a throughput mode of a network driver should be modified to a high-throughput mode;
• and
• responsive to determining that the throughput mode of the network driver should be modified to the high-throughput mode:
• assign each interrupt of a plurality of interrupts to which a network stream is assigned to a performance-optimized processor core of the one or more performance-optimized processor cores;
• and
• disable system reassignment of the plurality of interrupts among the plurality of processor cores, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium has stored thereon computer-executable instructions to cause the processor to disable the system reassignment of the plurality of interrupts among the plurality of processor cores by causing the processor to disable an interrupt balancer.