Noninterrupt

Noninterrupt is a term used in computing to describe an operation, section of code, or mode that is designed to run without being interrupted by hardware or software interrupts. It is not a formal standard term with a single, universal definition, but it is commonly used to discuss concepts related to atomicity, timing, and system responsiveness.

In practice, a noninterruptive or noninterruptible region typically means that interrupts are masked or disabled for the duration of the critical section. This prevents preemption or interrupt handlers from executing while shared data is being updated, which helps preserve data integrity in concurrent environments. Common techniques include disabling interrupts locally, saving and restoring interrupt state, or using synchronization primitives that guarantee atomicity under certain conditions.

Noninterrupt behavior is also relevant in real-time and embedded systems, where predictability is essential. By preventing interruptions during time-critical operations, a system can meet deadlines and maintain consistent timing characteristics. However, overuse of noninterrupt sections can increase latency, delay interrupt handling, and lead to issues such as deadlocks or priority inversion if not managed carefully.

Related concepts include critical sections, interrupt masking, preemption, and non-preemptive multitasking. In operating systems like Linux, related states such as uninterruptible sleep indicate that a process is waiting for an event (such as I/O) and cannot be interrupted by signals, illustrating how noninterrupt concepts appear in practice, even beyond explicit code regions.

Overall, noninterrupt describes a discipline of designing parts of a system to execute atomically or with bounded interruption, balancing correctness and responsiveness.