rtl_xx_interrupts and rtl_hard_xx_and_xx

[Olaf Petzold <opetzold@wit.regiocom.net>]

Hallo,

what is the difference between 

{
  unsigned long flags;
  ...
  rtl_hard_savef_and_cli(flags);
   /* just do it */
  ...
   rtl_hard_restore_flags(flags);
}

and 

       {
            rtl_irqstate_t irqstate;

            rtl_no_interrupts(irqstate);
            /* this code runs with interrupts disabled! */
            rtl_restore_interrupts (irqstate);

            /* interrupt state is back to what it was before */
       }

found in the manpage. Which is better/safer and how long can I forbid
interupts. Are these NMI or Soft Irqs ??

Thanks	Olaf