Smart interrupt controller

Abstract

A smart interrupt controller (SIC) routs an interrupt to a specific processor by dynamically changing the affinity of the interrupt based upon the processor power state and/or system load thereof. The SIC arbitrates interrupt servicing based on various parameters such as interrupt priority, interrupt affinity, processor load and processor power. Interrupt load sharing between selected processors increases overall computer system performance. Interrupt latency times decrease by avoiding unnecessary switching of processor power states from an inactive state to an active state by instead routing the interrupt to a different processor already in an active state. Interrupt latency times will decrease by routing the interrupt service request from a heavily loaded processor to one that is not so heavily loaded. Whereby active processor clock cycles are effectively utilized for interrupt servicing. Overall computer system power requirements will be reduced by eliminating unnecessary waking up of an inactive (sleeping) processor.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.