Adaptive polling in software-defined networking (SDN) environments

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that includes a set of instructions which, in response to execution by a processor of a network device, cause the processor to perform a method of adaptive polling, wherein the method comprises:

• operating in a polling mode to poll, from a network interface of the network device, zero or more packets that require packet processing by the network device;
• in response to detecting a non-zero polling round, being a round in which one or more packets are polled, adjusting a polling parameter to delay switching from the polling mode to a sleep mode;
• and
• in response to detecting a zero polling round, being a round in which zero packet is polled, and determining that a switch condition is satisfied,
• adjusting a sleep parameter associated with the sleep mode based on traffic characteristic information associated with one or more polling rounds, wherein the sleep parameter includes a sleep time, adjustable between an upper bound and a lower bound, during which the sleep mode is maintained before switching from the sleep mode to the polling mode;
• and
• switching from the polling mode to the sleep mode in which polling from the network interface is halted based on the sleep parameter.

A computer system configured to perform adaptive polling, wherein the computer system comprises:

• a processor;
• a network interface from which zero or more packets are polled;
• and
• a non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
• operate in a polling mode to poll, from the network interface, zero or more packets that require packet processing;
• in response to detecting a non-zero polling round, being a round in which one or more packets are polled, adjust a polling parameter to delay switching from the polling mode to a sleep mode;
• and
• in response to detecting a zero polling round, being a round in which zero packet is polled, and determining that a switch condition is satisfied,
• adjust a sleep parameter associated with the sleep mode based on traffic characteristic information associated with one or more polling rounds, wherein the sleep parameter includes a sleep time, adjustable between an upper bound and a lower bound, during which the sleep mode is maintained before switching from the sleep mode to the polling mode;
• and
• switch from the polling mode to the sleep mode in which polling from the network interface is halted based on the sleep parameter.