Patent ID: 8259576

Claim:
A method for performing interrupt coalescing with a network interface controller, the method comprising: processing packets with the network interface controller; determining respective quality of service for the packets based on content corresponding to the packets; issuing a single interrupt to a processor for the packets, the single interrupt having a time period determined based on the respective quality of service for the packets; transmitting the packets via a direct memory access interface coupled to the network interface controller; processing additional packets with the network interface controller; determining additional respective quality of service for the additional packets based on additional content corresponding to the additional packets; and issuing a single additional interrupt to the processor for the additional packets, the single additional interrupt having an additional time period determined based on the additional respective quality of service for the additional packets; transmitting the additional packets via the direct memory access interface; wherein the time period is unequal to the additional time period based on the respective quality of service for the packets being unequal to the additional respective quality of service for the additional packets; wherein (a) the time period spans a length of time from a beginning of a timer cycle to issuing the single interrupt and (b) the additional time period spans an additional length of time from a beginning of an additional timer cycle to issuing the additional single interrupt.