Patent ID: 6070219
Filing Date: 2000-05-30
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
An apparatus to process a plurality of interrupt status words from a network interface controller (NIC) to a plurality of processes, the apparatus comprising:a per-virtual circuit interrupter having a per-virtual circuit interrupt output to send a first per-virtual circuit interrupt status word and a second per-virtual circuit interrupt status word; anda NIC interrupter in communication with the per-virtual circuit interrupt output, said NIC interrupter having a NIC interrupt output to send a first NIC interrupt status word and a second NIC interrupt status word to a global interrupt queue of a host system, said NIC interruptor is to generate an interrupt signal to the host system; anda proxy interrupt handler of the host system in communication with the NIC interruptor, said proxy interrupt handler to awaken at least in part in response to the interrupt signal, read the first NIC interrupt status word and the second NIC interrupt status word from the global interrupt queue, wake the first process and the second process, and send the first NIC interrupt status word to the first process and the second NIC interrupt status word to the second process.