Patent ID: 6931460

Claim:
A system for storing selected vendor-specific messages generated in an adapter card coupled to a host computer into a disk file controlled by the host computer, comprising: logic resident on the adapter card for generating the vendor-specific messages and selecting certain types of the vendor-specific messages for logging; a fixed-size buffer pool in the host computer for receiving and storing the selected vendor-specific messages; and at least one processor in the host computer programmed for executing a service application in user space in the host computer to periodically poll the buffer pool, retrieve the selected vendor-specific messages from the buffer pool, store the selected vendor-specific messages in the disk file, increase a polling frequency of the buffer pool according to a first methodology if buffer pool utilization is at or above a first predetermined threshold, and decrease the polling frequency of the buffer pool according to a second methodology if the buffer pool utilization is below a second predetermined threshold for a predetermined number of consecutive polling periods to account for multiple bursts of vendor-specific messages occurring within a period of vendor-specific message inactivity.