Abstract: The present invention relates to means, a method and a computer program product of administrating in a computer system a global data element shared by a multitude of exploiters within said computer system for reducing contention among said exploiters. It is suggested to execute a first step by a first exploiter of accumulating one or a multitude of modifications performed by said first exploiter with respect to the current contents of said global data element into a first local data element not shared by other exploiters. In a second step executed by the first exploiter a size of the accumulated modifications in the first local data element with respect to the current contents of the global data element is determined. Moreover it is determined, if said size exceeds a specified quantum. If said size exceeds the specified quantum, the global data element is updated with the accumulated modifications as new contents.

Abstract: Network input processing is distributed to multiple CPUs on multiprocessor systems to improve network throughput and take advantage of MP scalability. Packets received on the network are distributed to N high priority threads, wherein N is the number of CPUs on the system. N queues are provided to which the incoming packets are distributed. When one of the queues is started, one of the threads is scheduled to process packets on this queue at any one of the CPUs that is availableat the time. When all of the packets on the queue are processed, the thread becomes dormant. Packets are distributed to one of the N queues by using a hashing function based on the source MAC address, source IP address, or the packet's source and destination TCP port number, or all or a combination of the foregoing. The hashing mechanism ensures that the sequence of packets within a given communication session will be preserved. Distribution is effected by the device drivers of the system.