---
name: "ksoftirqd"
section: "9"
platform: "linux"
package: "manpages"
version: "2.39-1"
release: "Debian 4.0 (Etch)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/ksoftirqd"
---

# ksoftirqd(9)

Softirq daemon

## NAME

ksoftirqd - Softirq daemon

## DESCRIPTION

**ksoftirqd** is a per-cpu kernel thread that runs when the machine is under heavy soft-interrupt load.  Soft interrupts are normally serviced on return from a hard interrupt, but it's possible for soft interrupts to be triggered more quickly than they can be serviced.  If a soft interrupt is triggered for a second time while soft interrupts are being handled, the **ksoftirq** daemon is triggered to handle the soft interrupts in process context. If **ksoftirqd** is taking more than a tiny percentage of CPU time, this indicates the machine is under heavy soft interrupt load.

## HISTORY

**ksoftirqd** was introduced during the 2.3 development series as part of the softnet work by Alexey Kuznetsov and David Miller.