Abstract: The number of interrupts are controlled by delaying communication of the interrupt to the host computer or processor according to predetermined rules. This reduces the processing overhead and greatly increases system performance. Application of the inventive structure and method to network servers and RAID disk drive storage arrays is particularly beneficial. In one embodiment, the invention provides structure and method for reducing the number of system interrupts to the host processor to reduce host processor overhead for operation of a computer system having a host processor and a peripheral device coupled to the host processor by a device controller. In another embodiment, the invention provides structure and method for clustering command completion prior to posting completion. System, apparatus, method, and computer program products are described.

Abstract: The invention provides structure and method to control the presentation of interrupts to a computer system by delaying communication of the interrupts to the host computer or processor according to predetermined rules. In particular, the method of the invention first detects the occurrence of an I/O interrupt related to a device. Next, the method reserves notification to the host processor of the I/O interrupt for a period of time based on a set of predetermined rules. Finally, the method notifies the host processor of substantially all I/O interrupts for which notification has been reserved during the period of time at expiration of the period of time, whereby the reserve notification lowers the overhead to the host processor in handling the I/O interrupts.