Dynamically determining how many network packets to process

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing executable computer program instructions for modifying a packet quota value that indicates a maximum number of network packets that a network appliance performs network traffic tasks on to process and forward the network packets before switching to a different task, the instructions performing steps comprising:

• accessing log data that includes multiple log entries spanning a time interval, each log entry including a processing time that indicates how much time the network appliance spent performing the network traffic tasks before switching to the different task, where the different task is a housekeeping task or an offloaded task;
• analyzing the log data;
• responsive to the analysis indicating that a current state of network traffic is heavier than a maximum state of network traffic that was observed during the time interval, increasing the packet quota value to increase the maximum number of network packets on which the network appliance performs the network traffic tasks before switching to the different task;
• and
• responsive to the analysis indicating that the current state of network traffic is lighter than a minimum state of network traffic that was observed during the time interval, decreasing the packet quota value to decrease the maximum number of network packets on which the network appliance performs the network traffic tasks before switching to the different task.

A system for modifying a packet quota value that indicates a maximum number of network packets that a network appliance performs network traffic tasks on to process and forward the network packets before switching to a different task, the system comprising:

• at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing executable computer program instructions comprising instructions for:
• accessing log data that includes multiple log entries spanning a time interval, each log entry including a processing time that indicates how much time the network appliance spent performing the network traffic tasks before switching to the different task, where the different task is a housekeeping task or an offloaded task;
• analyzing the log data;
• responsive to the analysis indicating that a current state of network traffic is heavier than a maximum state of network traffic that was observed during the time interval, increasing the packet quota value to increase the maximum number of network packets on which the network appliance performs the network traffic tasks before switching to the different task;
• and
• responsive to the analysis indicating that the current state of network traffic is lighter than a minimum state of network traffic that was observed during the time interval, decreasing the packet quota value to decrease the maximum number of network packets on which the network appliance performs the network traffic tasks before switching to the different task;
• and a processor for executing the computer program instructions.