EPOLL OPTIMISATIONS

A method for processing a blocking system call at a data processing system comprising an operating system that supports kernel and user-level contexts, the method comprising: intercepting a blocking system call from an entity running a kernel or user-level context; and repeatedly invoking the system call in non-blocking mode until one of the following conditions is satisfied: a non-blocking system call returns a value; or a first predetermined time period expires; and on one of the conditions being satisfied, returning to the entity a response to its blocking system call comprising a value returned by a non-blocking system call or a notification that the first predetermined time period expired.