Apparatus and method for providing remote access redirect capability in a channel adapter of a system area network

An apparatus, in a system area network endnode, for modifying the operation of a host channel adapter, the apparatus comprising:

• an application memory space for an application;
• an operating system kernel memory space for an operating system;
• a host channel adapter;
• a queue pair associated with the application memory space;
• and
• a queue pair associated with the operating system kernel memory space,
• wherein the host channel adapter receives a marker message that is an immediate marker message that is interpreted by the host channel adapter, determines a type of the marker message, and modifies a direct memory access operation based on a determined type of the marker message.

A computer program product, in a computer readable medium, for modifying the operation of a host channel adapter in a system area network endnode, the computer program product comprising:

• instructions for sending a remote access redirect mode enable marker message to the host channel adapter, wherein the remote access redirect mode enable marker message is an immediate marker message that is interpreted by the host channel adapter;
• instructions for performing a copy-on-write remap of a protected portion of an application memory space;
• and
• instructions for updating a translation table in the host channel adapter to redirect access requests to the protected portion of the application memory space to an operating system kernel memory space.