Method and apparatus for network communication card memory management

A data processing system for transferring data objects, the data processing system comprising:

• a bus system;
• a memory connected to the bus system, wherein the memory includes a set of instructions;
• a host processing unit connected to the bus system;
• and
• a communications unit connected to the bus system, wherein the communications unit executes the set of instructions to receive a request for a data object at a communication adapter;
• determine whether the data object is stored in a memory in the communication adapter in response to receiving the request;
• and transfer the data object from the memory to a receiver of the data object through the communication adapter in which transfer of the data across a bus connecting the communication adapter to the data processing system is unnecessary in response to the data object being present in the memory.

A data processing system for transferring data objects, the data processing system comprising:

• receiving means for receiving a request for a data object at a communication adapter;
• determining means, responsive to receiving the request, for determining whether the data object is stored in a memory in the communication adapter;
• and
• transferring means, responsive to the data object being present in the memory, for transferring the data object from the memory to a receiver of the data object through the communication adapter, wherein transfer of the data across a bus connecting the communication adapter to the data processing system is unnecessary.

A computer program product in a computer readable medium for transferring data objects, the computer program product comprising:

• first instructions for receiving a request for a data object at a communication adapter;
• second instructions, responsive to receiving the request, for determining whether the data object is stored in a memory in the communication adapter;
• and
• third instructions, responsive to the data object being present in the memory, for transferring the data object from the memory to a receiver of the data object through the communication adapter, wherein transfer of the data across a bus connecting the communication adapter to the data processing system is unnecessary.